TL;DR
- ARK Key Reader doors are locked until you get the Magnetic Key
- The Magnetic Key is found in the Dump Control Room — but only after you use the Override Key first
- It unlocks two doors: one near the typewriter in the Lab Entrance, and one in Bioweapon Repository 02
- The first door leads to the Lobby (red floor room) where you need two Orbs to proceed
- The second door leads to the Cleanroom where the Animus Orb is located
- Don’t skip the Cleanroom — the Animus Orb is required to complete the ARK section
When Grace starts exploring the ARK facility, she’ll run into red-panelled doors with key reader slots that won’t budge. These are the ARK Key Reader doors, and they stay locked until you have a specific item. Here’s everything you need to know — where to get the Magnetic Key and exactly what each door leads to.
What Are ARK Key Reader Doors?
ARK Key Reader doors are the large locked doors found inside the Umbrella lab. They’re marked by a red glowing panel on the wall next to them. You can’t force them, shoot them, or bypass them. The only thing that opens them is the Magnetic Key.
There are two Key Reader doors to focus on during Grace’s section:
- One near the typewriter in the Lab Entrance — leads to the Lobby
- One in Bioweapon Repository 02 — leads to the Cleanroom
How to Get the Magnetic Key
The Magnetic Key is found in the Dump Control Room, but you can’t get it straight away. You need to get the Override Key from Chemical Storage first and use it to restore power.
Here’s the order of events:
- Enter the ARK as Grace and head up the stairs to the Lab Entrance
- Navigate east through the Sterilization Chamber — move slowly, Lickers are inside
- Pass through Bioweapon Repository 02 and into the Chemical Storage room
- Take the Override Key from the glowing green terminal at the end of the room
- Backtrack to the Dump Control Room and slot the Override Key into the power activation console
- A cutscene plays. Power is restored and Leon is freed
- Look at the north wall of the Dump Control Room, opposite the console you just used
- The Magnetic Key is now sitting in a glowing green case on the wall — interact with it to open the glass and pick it up
For the full walkthrough of finding the Override Key, see our Dump Control Room Override Key guide.
ARK Key Reader Door 1 — Lab Entrance (Near Typewriter)
Location: Upstairs from the Dump Control Room, next to the typewriter save point in the Lab Entrance.
With the Magnetic Key in hand, head back up to the Lab Entrance. Use the Magnetic Key on the red door next to the typewriter. This opens into the Lobby — a room with distinctive red-painted floors.
Inside the Lobby, the first green door on the left is the Monitor Control Room. The last safe in the game is in here, along with a file. Check the monitor on the right side of the room for the safe code file, and open the safe on the counter. See our Sterilization Chamber safe guide for all ARK safe codes.
The Lobby itself requires two Orbs — the Animus Orb and the Noblesse Orb — to open the main door and proceed with the story.
ARK Key Reader Door 2 — Bioweapon Repository 02
Location: Back in Bioweapon Repository 02, the same area you passed through to reach Chemical Storage.
Use the Magnetic Key on the Key Reader door in Bioweapon Repository 02. This leads into the Cleanroom.
Inside the Cleanroom, there’s a red chest at the back containing the Animus Orb. There’s also a Molotov Cocktail nearby — grab it. The Animus Orb is one of the two orbs you need to open the final door in the Lobby. Don’t skip this room.
What to Do After Getting Both Orbs
Once you have the Animus Orb from the Cleanroom, you’ll still need the Noblesse Orb. That one comes from a different area of the ARK as you continue progressing through the story.
When you have both, return to the Lobby and use them on the door at the far end. This opens the path to the archives and the final stretch of the ARK section.
Tips for This Section
- The Magnetic Key is easy to miss — it’s on the north wall of the Dump Control Room after the cutscene, not added to your inventory automatically
- Bottles of Acid one-shot Lickers on your way back through the lab — save at least one for the stairwell
- Open the Monitor Control Room safe before doing anything else in the Lobby — it’s the fifth and final safe in the game and unlocks the No Safe Is Safe trophy
- Read the file on the monitor in the Monitor Control Room before interacting with the main console at the end of the archives — some collectibles are missable once you trigger the next story beat
More guides for the ARK section and beyond:
- Dump Control Room Override Key location
- Sterilization Chamber safe code
- How to get the Mechanic Jack and open Rusted Shutters
- How to open the Emergency Exit door (Rec Room)
- How to get a gun as Grace in RE9
- VIP Suite puzzle — hourglass and double helix solution
- RPD Scavenger Hunt puzzle solution
- All BSAA Container locations and rewards
- How to collect all 3 detonator parts
- How to get generator fuel in RE9
- BSAA Container Key location
- Basement safe code
- Examination Room safe code
- Bar & Lounge safe code
- Joint Plugs basement locations
- East Wing Keycard location
- West Wing Keycard location
- How to open Level 3 doors in RE9
- How to open the Isolation Ward
- How to open the Pantry in RE9
- Corpse Puzzle in the Examination Room
- Organ Transport Box — how to open it
- Level 1 ID Wristband location
- Antique Coins — Care Center Parlor prizes
- Care Center Fuse location
- Chairman’s Office puzzle box
- How long to beat RE9
- PC requirements for Resident Evil Requiem
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