- The Central Resonant is called The Deserter — found at the bottom of the Patterned Factory in the north of the Central Zone.
- No traversal ability is required — anyone can attempt this boss from early in the game.
- Start the quest by inspecting the eye icon on the pipes along the factory’s south wall.
- The factory entrance needs power — charge the battery using an electrified cube from the nearby pylon, or climb in through the roof.
- Inside, destroy three heat growths on the cooling pipes to unblock the route to the furnace room and the boss arena.
- Beating The Deserter rewards Ignite or Inferno, 3,000 Source, a Reset Item, and the Untapped Lighter Artifact.
- This fight also unlocks the Thermal Termination trophy and advances the main story toward Enemy of My Enemy.
Central Resonant Quest Overview
The Central Resonant is one of the first two major Resonant boss missions in Control Resonant, alongside the West Incursion Zone Resonant. Both must be cleared before the story advances to Enemy of My Enemy. Unlike the Dancer, reaching the Deserter requires no traversal ability at all — no Shift, no Reach. It is a self-contained factory dungeon that any player can attempt early in the game.
The route works like a short dungeon: power the entrance, take the elevator down, destroy three heat growths to unblock the path, then fight through the furnace corridor to the boss arena. The whole thing can take 20–30 minutes on a first run, longer if you take time to clear all enemies and explore the side rooms.
How to Start the Central Resonant Quest
Head to the Patterned Factory, which sits in the northern section of the Central Zone, northwest of the FBC Field Office and near the Park Checkpoint. On the south wall of the factory, you will see an eye prompt on a cluster of pipes with abnormal steam venting from them. Press L1 (PlayStation) / LB (Xbox) to inspect it. This adds The Central Resonant to your quest log if it is not already there.
The prompt is labelled Report Patterned Pipes. After activating it, Zoe will comment on the heat anomaly coming from the building.
How to Enter the Patterned Factory
There are two ways in. You only need one.
Option 1 — Power the East Entrance (Easiest)
The eastern entrance door is locked and needs power. Look for the pylon with electrified cubes to the south of the factory. Strike one of the cubes with Dylan’s Aberrant to pick up its charge, then run to the right side of the factory where you will find a power conductor. Strike it with the charged Aberrant to power the door. It will open immediately, letting you walk straight into the factory ground floor.
Option 2 — Roof Entrance (If You Reach It First)
Climb the platforms and pipes on the east side of the building to reach the roof. Once on top, look for a boarded wooden door on the far side. Hit it with a heavy attack to break it and drop inside. This skips the power step and gets you to the elevator faster.
Either route brings you to the same industrial elevator. Clear out the Hiss enemies inside before using it — there are multiple groups and they respawn if you leave and come back. Take the elevator down.
How to Reach the Central Resonant — The Three Heat Growths
When you exit the elevator and head upstairs, you will reach a central hub area underground. Ahead, the route to the boss is completely blocked by pipes releasing burning hot steam. You cannot pass until you destroy three heat growths — lava clumps stuck to the cooling pipes — spread across the side routes off the hub.
First Heat Growth Location
From the central hub, look toward the back wall of the area. The first growth is the most visible — it is attached directly to the pipe facing the hub. Shoot or melee it until it pops. This is the quickest of the three to clear.
Second Heat Growth Location
Take one of the two side routes branching off the hub. Follow the glowing scorch marks on the floor — they trace the heat trail from the affected pipes and act as your guide. You will reach a red-lit side room. Look up. The second growth is attached to the pipe above you. Destroy it and retrace your steps back to the hub.
Third Heat Growth Location
Take the opposite side route from the hub, following the scorch trail again. Continue until you reach the final room — the third growth is here, also on a pipe. Once you destroy it, your objective updates to Go Deeper Into the Furnace Room. Return to the now-cleared steam corridor and head straight through. The boss intro cutscene begins as you approach the furnace room at the bottom.
If the scorch marks or side rooms are giving you trouble, our Into the Sinkhole Walkthrough has additional detail on the underground layout of Central’s lower sections.
The Deserter Boss Fight — Overview
The Deserter is a large, lava-based Resonant with one of the bulkiest health bars among the early bosses in the game. It uses lava spews, pipe stabs, fireballs, and a heavy body slam that briefly exposes a purple weak point on its back. That is your main damage window — dodge or bait the body slam, then attack the exposed back immediately while the boss is vulnerable.
Stay aggressive and stay mobile. Retreating starves your Power recharge, which cuts off your ability use. Dodge through attacks rather than away from them — this keeps you in melee range for Power recovery and sets up the next attack. The Burn status effect from the boss itself slowly drains your health, so do not stand still.
The Healing Phase (One-Third Health)
At around one-third of its health, The Deserter will stop and cause four purple sacs to rise around the edges of the arena. At the same time, the floor pipes erupt in flames, making it dangerous to move carelessly. Stop attacking the boss immediately. If you leave the sacs alive, The Deserter begins regenerating health — the longer they burn, the more HP it recovers, and the fight drags out significantly.
Destroy all four sacs as fast as possible, then return to the boss. Once they are gone, the floor clears and the fight resumes normally. This phase is the only real difficulty spike in the encounter — players who know it is coming handle it cleanly.
For full attack patterns and phase-by-phase tips, see our dedicated Control Resonant Deserter Boss Guide.
Central Resonant Rewards — Ignite or Inferno?
After the kill, you are taken to the Gap to choose between two fire-based Combat Abilities. Here is what each one does:
Ignite
Ignite adds fire damage and Burn buildup to your existing attacks while it is active — melee hits, Barrage, Shield Bash, and other abilities all gain the fire enchant. It costs Power over time, so keeping it running requires staying aggressive to refill your resource. It is the better pick if your playstyle is already built around constant Aberrant attacks.
Inferno
Inferno is a standalone fire ability that sends out escalating fire waves that stack Burn on enemies. It has no ongoing Power drain — you activate it when you need it and it works as its own tool separate from your melee loop. It is the better pick if you want a simple one-button fire option with no upkeep to manage.
Recommended for most players: Ignite pairs cleanly with aggressive melee builds and the Execution-Dominance loop. If you are planning to fight The Collective in The Park next, either ability works well — Mold enemies are heavily weak to fire, and Burn stacks from Inferno can clear groups very efficiently. Your ability choice is also reversible at the Mural in the Gap later if you want to swap. See our New Game Plus Guide for how to unlock the alternate ability in a second run without giving up your current pick.
In addition to your ability choice, you also receive:
- Untapped Lighter (Artifact recipe — grants Burn resistance when crafted)
- Reset Item x1
- Source x3,000
- Thermal Termination trophy
What Unlocks After Beating the Central Resonant?
Clearing the Deserter closes the Central Resonant quest and advances the Resonant Cycle. However, Enemy of My Enemy does not unlock from this fight alone. The main story gate also requires completing the West Incursion Zone Resonant (the Dancer), as well as two other objectives — Power Lines and Into the Sinkhole.
If your story quest log still shows Enemy of My Enemy as locked after beating the Deserter, check which of those other objectives are still pending. Our guides for each one:
The fire abilities you earned here are also essential prep for The Collective boss fight in The Park, where Mold enemies dominate the arena. Fighting the Deserter before The Collective is the recommended order for a reason. See our Collective Boss Guide for what comes next.
Control Resonant is available on PlayStation Store, Steam, Xbox, and Epic Games Store. For a full overview of every boss in the game, visit our Control Resonant All Bosses Guide.
