At some point in your progression through the main story, you may notice that a lot of your Momentum Ability slots are still empty. Aside from the ability you start with, plus the one you unlock during the tutorial, you may have seven empty slots depending on how far in you are in the game. This can be confusing, especially as the game does not make it clear how you unlock more Momentum Abilities, or even what they will be.
The truth, luckily, is simple: you will unlock Momentum Abilities and Momentum Ability Challenges as you progress. While two of each character’s abilities are unlocked automatically during story events, the remaining six are unlocked only once you complete “Challenges” that, themselves, unlock during or after critical story missions. You can find which Challenges you will need to complete in order to unlock Momentum Abilities by checking the Momentum Ability Challenge tab on the Batcomputer (except for the Knighthood Challenge, which has its own tab). Once a Challenge is unlocked, you will be able to see what the ability it unlocks is by checking your Momentum Abilities tab. Selecting Momentum Abilities that are revealed but still locked on this tab, you will also be presented with a button prompt, taking you directly to the relevant challenge.
Below is the list of how you unlock each Momentum Ability:
- Unlocked at the start: You begin with one Ability unlocked. This ability has no type, and is meant to be your main ability, especially early in the game. It is bound to Tap 🅧/◻/1
- During Mission 1.4 – Blackgate Blues: Your first Piercing ability is unlocked during the mission, without a challenge. It is bound to Tap 🅨/â–³/2.
- Complete “Shadowed Perch” Challenge, unlocked after Mission 3.2: This buff-granting Ability requires you to clear 2 Owl’s Nest pre-meditated crimes, which will begin spawning in the world after the mission. It is bount to Tap 🅑/â˜/3.
- Complete “Guard Breaker” challenge: Unlocking this Guard Break ability requires you to defeat 5 Freaks Bulldozers, who are minibosses that spawn during Freaks crimes. Early on, they will only be at premeditated crimes. It is bound to Tap ðŸ…/✕/4.
- Complete “Ferocious” Challenge, unlocked during Mission 3.2: This Area-of-Effect Ability requires you to defeat 15 Talons. These are unique Court of Owls enemies introduced during the mission, and who subsequently appear during Court of Owls crimes. It is bound to Hold 🅧/â—»/1.
- Complete “In Plain Sight” Challenge, unlocked during Mission 4.2: This Damage Over Time Ability requires you to defeat 5 League of Shadows Assassins. These are unique enemies introduced during the mission, and who subsequently appear during League of Shadows crimes. It is bound to Hold 🅨/â–³/2.
- Complete Challenge Unlocked after Personal Mission: Each character has a set of personal missions, made of short narrative cutscenes. These can be completed after finishing the main Case File 06. The final step of them unlocks a challenge relating to your ultimate ability, which rewards you with this unique Ability, whose type varies. It is bound to Hold 🅑/â˜/3.
- Complete “Knighthood” Challenge: See our guide on the challenge here. This Ultimate Ability can be upgraded with the Knighthood skill tree, also unlocked after completing the challenge. It is the only ability which has a cooldown instead of using Momentum, and is bound to Hold ðŸ…/✕/4.
It is important to note that while challenges will unlock for every character at the same time, you will need to complete each challenge separately, for each character.
Now that you know how to acquire each Momentum Ability, you have your work cut out for you! You’ll need to clear missions and complete challenges. But, once you are finished, you’ll be all-the-more unstoppable. The streets of Gotham are in good hands.