Outer Wilds Deep Impact: How to Break the Ocean Current

How to Unlock Deep Impact

Hitting the ocean is only half the job. The Outer Wilds Deep Impact achievement requires entering Giant's Deep fast enough to punch through its underwater current. You can attempt a direct high-speed dive or launch a Nomai Shuttle from Brittle Hollow’s gravity cannon when the planets line up.

The target for a direct approach is 7,000 m/s toward the core. Direction matters: a fast approach that skims across the planet does not give you the same inward momentum.

Keep these two achievement requirements separate when planning a gravity cannon attempt:

Achievement	How to unlock
Deep Impact	Enter Giant's Deep’s ocean fast enough to break through the current.
Pchooooooo!	Place your own ship inside a gravity cannon and activate it to launch the ship.

For the shuttle method below, you’ll ride the recalled Nomai Shuttle, rather than position your own spacecraft inside the cannon.

Official page: Outer Wilds (mobiusdigitalgames.com)

Gravity Cannon Method: Launch From Brittle Hollow

This route trades a long acceleration run for precise launch timing. The cannon sends the shuttle toward Giant's Deep; your job is to launch when the alignment is right.

Image: Steam / Mobius Digital

1. Sleep at the starting campfire to advance the loop. Brittle Hollow travels around its inner orbit faster than Giant's Deep. Waiting brings the planets closer to the alignment needed for the shot.

2. Fly to Brittle Hollow’s gravity cannon. Move the control orb to the right to recall the Nomai Shuttle, then board it.

3. Check the map from inside the shuttle. Watch for Brittle Hollow to catch up to Giant's Deep. Use the map to judge their relative positions, but don’t launch just because the planets look close together.

4. Close the map and watch the shuttle’s crosshair. Launch when Giant's Deep passes through the center of the crosshair by moving the control orb to the left. This is the critical timing window.

5. Leave the shuttle controls alone during the flight. A correctly timed launch sends you into Giant's Deep and through the current without further input.

The campfire wait sets up the attempt; it does not replace checking the alignment. Travel time to the cannon also passes during the loop, so make the final launch decision from the shuttle’s crosshair.

Direct Flight Method: Build Speed Toward the Core

If you’d rather use your own ship, focus on inward speed and a centered approach.

• Give yourself room to accelerate before reaching Giant's Deep.
• Aim toward the planet’s center rather than its edge.
• Use 7,000 m/s directly toward the core as your target.
• Avoid turning the final approach into a glancing pass.

Raw speed alone is not a guarantee. A ship moving quickly across the face of the planet can still have too little velocity toward its center.

If you hit the water but remain above the current, review your approach angle as well as your speed. Keep the next attempt centered instead of increasing speed while repeating the same shallow entry.

Why a Gravity Cannon Attempt Can Fail

Image: Steam / Mobius Digital

Launching too early or too late: The planets being near each other is only the setup. Wait for Giant's Deep to reach the center of the shuttle’s crosshair before firing.

Hitting orbital debris: Debris around Giant's Deep can interrupt the flight. Refine the launch timing on another attempt if the shuttle collides before reaching the ocean.

Losing the cannon: Brittle Hollow’s collapse can take the gravity cannon with it before your launch. If that happens, restart the setup in another loop.

Changing the flight after launch: Leave the controls untouched once you fire. The shuttle method relies on the trajectory established by the cannon.

Alternative: Drop Beneath a Falling Island

Another method uses an island thrown into space by Giant's Deep’s cyclones. Position your ship beneath an uplifted island before it falls back into the ocean. Its return can push your ship beneath the current and trigger the achievement.

This method is inconsistent: getting underneath an island does not guarantee the necessary push. Watch for an island already airborne, then try to place your ship beneath it before reentry. If the fall leaves you above the current, switch to a timed shuttle launch or a direct high-speed approach.