Once Human: How to Unlock LEA Research Lab

Unlock the LEA Research Lab in Once Human and face the final boss, Mother of Life. Follow this guide to access and clear the LEA Research Lab.

The LEA Research Lab in Once Human is considered the final challenge and content in the game due to its challenging mechanics and difficulty. It’s highly recommended that players have high-tier gear, a decent build, and enough healing supplies to survive the onslaught.

Running LEA Research Lab solo was possible in the past, but with the recent update, players struggle to clear this Level 60 Endgame content unless they’re on a team. Despite the difficulty and hard mechanics, players continue to farm weapon mods and test their builds in the LEA Research Lab. Wondering how to unlock this tough boss dungeon? Here’s how.

How to Unlock LEA Research Lab

In Once Human, players can only enter the LEA Research Lab once the server reaches Phase 4 of its current Season. While the dungeon becomes available by progressing through the Main Quest, you can skip the storyline and enter it as soon as it’s unlocked in Phase 4.

You can challenge and even clear the dungeon as early as Level 45, given you’re in a full team with decent gear, food buffs, and build.

LEA Research Lab Mechanics

The Lab offers unique mechanics not found in other dungeons in Once Human. Fortunately, they’re easy to understand and execute.

Secure Polarized Deviant

Once inside the Research Lab, your first encounter would be the Polarized Deviant. To defeat it, position yourself next to a Securement Tube and target the Deviant with the same elemental affinity as the tube to neutralize and secure it successfully.

For example, if you want to eliminate and secure the tall Deviant with Frost Shield, stand next to the Frost Securement Tube to make your attack effective against it. Once defeated, the Deviant will be secured inside the Tube.

Defeat Dr. Mannheim

Moving forward, you’ll encounter Dr. Mannheim after clearing the Polarized Deviant stage. The mechanics are the same as Polarized Deviant, but there will be 5 tubes of randomized elements.

During the battle, Dr. Mannheim summons a barrier that blocks your attacks. To break the shield, you must eliminate the Tall Shielded Deviant while standing on the Scurement Tube, matching its element to contain it.

Once all 5 Securement Tubes have contained their respective Deviants, Mr. Mannheim’s shield will be deactivated. Making him vulnerable to your attacks again.

• Tips: You can attack Dr. Mannheim from the stage entrance. Use powerful grenades or unleash your strongest Deviants early to significantly reduce his HP before he activates his shield.
• For players farming the LEA Lab for weapon calibration blueprints, you can stop here and reset the whole dungeon.

Destroy the Sporocyst

In the next section of the LEA Research Lab, you must destroy the Sporocyst by throwing a Stardust Crystal at it. Stardust Crystals are dropped from flying Deviants called Disciple.

After one Disciple is defeated, another will spawn after a certain duration. Eliminate it, pick up the Stardust Crystal, then throw it at the second Sporocyst to complete the level.

Defeat Mother of Life

The Mother of Life stage combines the mechanics you encountered and is the most difficult level of the LEA Research Lab. What makes this stage challenging is the wave of Deviants spawning to distract and chip away your HP.

The best approach is to assign one or two players to control the Deviant mobs while the rest focus on completing the objective:

1. After Mother of Life becomes immune, defeat the Disciple.
2. Pick up the Stardust Crystals and destroy the Sporocyst with it.
3. Destroying the Sporocyst will spawn Tall Shielded Deviant.
4. Stand on the Securement Tube and defeat the Tall Shielded Deviant with the matching Element to secure it.
5. Secure the Tall Shielded Deviant in all four Securement Tubes to render the Mother of Life vulnerable.

In the second phase, where Mother of Life becomes immune again, mobs will overrun the stage. Use grenades and your best Combat Deviant companion to quickly reduce their numbers before repeating the same objectives.

Tip: The color of the Sporocyst represents the Element of the Tall Shielded Deviant it spawns.

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