Mortal Online 2 Sarducaa PTR: Lockpicking & Third Character Slot

Mortal Online 2’s Sarducaa PTR brings hard details players need before jumping in. Missing a single rule — especially around Haven transfers — can cost you a full character’s worth of progress planning. Here is everything confirmed as of July 2026.

Note: Verified as of July 2026. Check official patch notes for updates.

When Does the Sarducaa PTR Start?

Star Vault confirmed that the Sarducaa PTR begins Wednesday, June 17, 2026. This is not a guess — it is the official date from Into the Vault #157.

Current PTR timeline:

• Server opens June 17
• Testing runs through the rest of the week and weekend, ending Monday morning
• Star Vault may extend the PTR window if testing requires more time
• Large parts of the Sarducaa continent are blocked off during the PTR to avoid spoiling content for the full release

This PTR is primarily a technical stability test and continent-support overhaul, not a sightseeing tour. Expect limited map access and potential instability.

Third Character Slot Arrives with Sarducaa

Star Vault confirmed that the third character slot comes with the Sarducaa update, and it will already be active during the PTR.

What this means for you:

• You do not need to delete any existing character to make room
• The new slot is live during PTR testing immediately
• Character transfer to Sarducaa still flows through Haven

During PTR, Glory gain in Haven is massively enhanced, allowing testers to move through the starting progression quickly rather than grinding for hours.

If you are building a dedicated Sarducaa tester, the PTR is your chance to confirm that a third slot actually fits your playstyle before the full launch locks it in.

Third-Slot Strategy Before Launch

The third slot is a deliberate design choice by Star Vault, and how you use it matters. Here are practical approaches to consider:

• Dedicated Sarducaa tester: Create the third slot specifically for the new continent. Keep it clean — no cross-contamination from old Haven gear, territory ties, or reputation baggage. This is the safest route if you want an honest first impression of Sarducaa’s economy and gameplay loop.
• Hybrid alt: Use the third slot for a build that complements your main character’s role. If your primary is a PvE dungeon runner, consider a PvP-leaning alt to understand both sides of Sarducaa’s social landscape. The boosted Glory in Haven makes this setup faster than it would have been before.
• Lockpicking specialization: If dungeon chest access matters to your long-term plan, the third slot is the perfect place to invest heavily in the new lockpicking skill without diverting resources from your main. You can verify the skill grind feels worthwhile before committing on your primary.

No matter which approach you choose, remember: the character must be created after the Sarducaa release date to eventually travel there. A pre-release third slot that sits idle on an older character won’t qualify.

Haven Travel Rules Are Strict

This is the most important restriction from the official post.

For the live Sarducaa release:

• Only new characters created after the Sarducaa release date can travel from Haven to Sarducaa
• Existing Haven characters cannot leave for Sarducaa on launch

Star Vault states this decision is part of keeping Sarducaa closer to a fresh-start experience at launch. Older characters that already have territory, reputation, and gear invested will remain on their home continent.

If you have older characters managing territory ambitions already, also see our Mortal Online 2 Territory Control Guide and Tindremic Guard reputation farming route.

Why This Rule Exists

Understanding the reasoning helps you plan better. Existing Haven characters carry established territorial claims, faction reputations, and resource networks. Allowing them to migrate freely to Sarducaa would undermine the fresh-start intent and create immediate power imbalances on the new continent. New characters start on equal footing — no legacy advantages, no inherited enemies. This keeps the launch environment fair and gives everyone a genuine shot at building from zero.

Practical Steps Around This Rule

1. If you want Sarducaa access, create your third (or new) character on or after the official release date. Anything earlier locks you out permanently.
2. If you’re attached to an existing character, accept that it stays on its home continent. Plan around that rather than fighting the restriction.
3. Use the PTR Haven Glory boost to level a new third-slot character quickly. The enhanced progression makes it feasible to bring a reasonably prepared tester into Sarducaa on day one.

Sarducaa Server Location

Sarducaa will be hosted in an East-Central North America datacenter.

The developer reasoning centers on hardware and performance requirements. Star Vault selected this location over West Coast alternatives because of server capacity and performance tradeoffs. For NA players the takeaway is straightforward: Sarducaa is a North America-hosted continent.

New Lockpicking System Explained

Lockpicking is a new standalone Primary skill in the Profession tree. It is not a copy of the Mortal Online 1 system — Star Vault rebuilt it from the ground up for smoother gameplay, skill mastery progression, and more realistic lock behavior.

Lockpick Tiers and Chest Tiers

There are three lockpick tiers, each matched to a chest tier:

• Novice
• Adept
• Master

Higher-tier chests contain more pins. The hardest chests reach up to 8 pins.

Skill Requirements for Each Tier

Skill gates are strict and intentional:

• Novice Lockpicks: usable by anyone with zero skill investment
• Adept Lockpicks: require 50 Lockpicking skill
• Master Lockpicks: require 100 Lockpicking skill

You cannot skip tiers. Every step up demands actual skill investment.

Where to Get Lockpicks

You cannot buy lockpicks from NPC vendors. The supply chain is deliberately chained:

• Novice Lockpicks drop from barrels and are meant to be common
• Adept Lockpicks drop from Novice chests
• Master Lockpicks drop from Adept chests

This forces a clear progression path: find barrels first, open Novice chests to get Adept picks, open Adept chests to get Master picks, then tackle Master-tier content.

How Lockpicking Gameplay Works

The rebuilt system uses a pin-based interaction model. Each lock contains multiple pins that must be manipulated into their correct positions. Novice locks have fewer pins and a wider tolerance window, making them forgiving for beginners. As you climb tiers, both the pin count and the precision required increase. Master-tier locks — especially those on dungeon chests — demand tight timing and steady hand control.

Skill investment does more than unlock higher-tier picks. It also improves your margin of error on each pin attempt and reduces the chance of breaking a lockpick during a failed attempt. That survival rate matters in dungeon environments where restocking is slow and supply is scarce.

Dungeon Chest Rules

Dungeon loot interacts directly with this system:

• All regular dungeon chests are now lockpickable
• Boss chests still require specific key drops — lockpicks do not help
• Normal dungeon chests are set at Master difficulty, meaning you need 100 Lockpicking and Master Lockpicks to open them reliably
• Dungeon mob keys still drop but at a lower rate than in previous versions

This creates a strong group value case for dedicated lockpicking builds in dungeon parties.

Dungeon Party Dynamics

With mob keys dropping less frequently, the party that brings a high-skill lockpicker gains a significant loot advantage. Every regular dungeon chest becomes accessible without relying on RNG key drops. This changes how you should approach group composition:

• Bring a lockpicker on runs where chest loot matters — it removes a major source of unpredictability from the party’s reward pool.
• Coordinate chest access order. The lockpicker should clear all pull-able chests before the group moves to boss encounters. Boss keys are still RNG-gated, so there is no point wasting time there until regular chests are emptied.
• Master-tier skill is not optional for serious dungeon runners. At 100 Lockpicking, you unlock the ability to reliably open every regular dungeon chest. Dropping below that threshold means leaving loot behind or depending entirely on other party members.

What to Do Before June 17

If you plan to test Sarducaa efficiently:

1. Decide whether your third slot will be your Sarducaa test character.
2. Do not assume an old Haven character can enter Sarducaa after launch — it cannot.
3. Plan your lockpicking investment early if dungeon chest access matters to your build path.
4. Expect partial map lockdown during PTR; not all of Sarducaa will be accessible.
5. Take advantage of the boosted Glory gain in Haven during PTR to level a test character fast.

Quick Pre-PTR Checklist

• Confirm you have an available third character slot or create one before the PTR starts
• Verify the character creation date is on or after the Sarducaa release — anything earlier is a dead end for Sarducaa travel
• If your build relies on dungeon chests, consider a small early investment in Lockpicking so you are not behind when the PTR opens
• Stock up on Novice Lockpicks from barrels — they are free and common, and useful for testing the skill early in Haven
• Review the current territory and reputation systems on your home continent so you know what your existing characters are tied to before you commit a third slot elsewhere

Summary

Mortal Online 2 Sarducaa PTR starts June 17, 2026. The PTR includes third character slot activation, Haven-based transfer testing, and first hands-on access to the new lockpicking primary skill. The single biggest rule to remember: existing Haven characters cannot travel to Sarducaa at release. If you want full dungeon chest access later, your lockpicking path goes all the way to 100 skill and Master Lockpicks. Only new characters created after the Sarducaa launch can leave Haven for the new continent.

Official source: Into the Vault #157 | Sarducaa PTR Opens June 17th! – Lockpicking Reveal

FAQ

Question	Answer
When does the Sarducaa PTR start?	Wednesday, June 17, 2026
How long will the PTR run?	Through the weekend until Monday morning, with possible extension
Can I use all of Sarducaa during PTR?	No. Large parts of the continent are blocked off during testing.
Do I need to delete a character for the third slot?	No. The third slot activates without deleting any existing character.
Can my old Haven character go to Sarducaa at launch?	No. Only new characters created after the Sarducaa release can travel there.
Is lockpicking the same as MO1?	No. It is a rebuilt standalone Primary skill, not a port from MO1.
Where do Novice Lockpicks come from?	They drop from barrels — they are common and not vendor-sold.
How much Lockpicking do I need for Master chests?	You need 100 Lockpicking skill and Master Lockpicks to open Master-tier dungeon chests.
Do boss chests use lockpicks?	No. Boss chests require specific key drops regardless of your lockpicking skill.
Where is the Sarducaa server hosted?	East-Central North America.
Can I skip lockpick tiers by spending more skill points?	No. Tier locks are hard gates — Adept requires 50, Master requires 100. You must acquire the corresponding lockpicks from their source chests to proceed.
Should I invest in lockpicking on my main character or a third slot?	It depends on your goals. If dungeon chests are central to your main build, invest there. If you want to test Sarducaa independently, the third slot is the cleaner option since it keeps the skill investment separate from your primary character’s progression.