The Fortress of Meropide in Fontaine is surrounded by multiple searchlights that can catch the Traveler. See how to avoid getting caught, and how to escape detection in this Genshin Impact guide!

How to Avoid Searchlight Detection

Searchlights Only Point Downward

All of the Searchlights on the Fortress of Meropide all point at a downward angle. Use this to your advantage, and try to hover above the searchlight's radius instead.

Slow Sweeps from Left to Right

On regular intervals, each Searchlight sweeps the area from left to right. Making things even harder is that each Searchlight has their own timing on when they sweep from side to side.

Use Surroundings as Cover

If a Searchlight is getting close to the player's area, try to look for solid cover that blocks the Searchlight's field of view. The multiple pillars around the vicinity actually work to your favor in avoiding them.

What to Do When Detected

Five Seconds To Move Away

Once a Searchlight manages to catch the player, the light will turn red, and it will track until caught. Players only have 5 seconds to get out of the Searchlight's coverage area. Move away as much as possible.

Cover Might Not Work After Being Seen

When the Searchlight is tracking the player, cover may not work anymore, and the countdown timer will still tick down to 0.

The Closer to the Searchlight, The Better To Escape

The closer players are to the Searchlights, the narrower the actual light is that tracks the Traveler. This is actually makes it easier to swim away from their field of vision by swimming in any direction (other than away from the light and from the Fortress of Meropide).

What Happens if The Traveler Gets Caught?

If the timer hits zero and the Traveler is caught, they are sent to the reception area of the Fortress of Meropide.

There is no actual penalty for being caught, either once or multiple times. This makes it an easier way to access the Fortress of Meropide.

The Searchlights Can Be Disabled

The Searchlights around the Fortress of Meropide can be disabled, simply by swimming behind them to turn them off. A prompt should then appear to disable the Searchlight.

However, they all have their own switches. Completely shutting down the Searchlights means going around the Fortress and turning each one off individually.

This is only temporary, however, and being away from the Fortress for a period of time will resort to the Searchlights being active again when the Traveler is nearby.

Fortress of Meropide Location and Map Guide

Genshin Impact Related Guides

Fontaine Map Guide

Fontaine Area Map Guides

Related Fontaine Map Guides
Liffey Region	Fontaine Research Institute
Fortress of Meropide	Merusea Village
Narzissenkreuz Ordo	Erinnyes
Morte Region	Tower of Gestalt
Nostoi Region	Sea of Bygone Eras

Fontaine Exploration Guides

Significant Fontaine Location Guides

Fontaine Location Guides
Hydroculus	Fountain of Lucine	Shrine of Depths	Enigmatic Page
Teleport Waypoints	Treasure Chests	Remarkable Chests	Secret Treasure Map

Fontaine Item Guides

Fontaine Local Specialties
Rainbow Rose	Lumidouce Bell	Romaritime Flower	Beryl Conch
Subdetection Unit	Lumitoile	Lakelight Lily	Spring of the First Dewdrop
Other Items Found in Fontaine
Tidalga	Marcotte	Pluie Lotus	Bulle Fruit
Condessence Crystal	Ancient Key	Drained Conch Cup	Mysterious Core
Hydro Sigil	Strange Part	Key to Some Place	Credit Coupons
Energy Concentrating Component	Mysterious Ore	Arkhium Ore	Arkhium Lumenite
Spur Gears	Welfare Meal	Handwheel	Punched Tapes
Foggy Forest Branch	Simple Vault Key	Autumn's Map	Rocky's Map
Liam's Map	Rouge's Map	Barrow Map	Parker's Hopes Map
Athos Map	Freeman Map	Ridiculously Common Branch	Restored Score

Fontaine Domain Guides

Fontaine Domains Guides
Denoument of Sin	Echoes of the Deep Tides
Pale Forgotten Glory	Waterfall Wen
Faded Theater

All Fontaine Domains and Locations

Fontaine Quest Guides

Fontaine World Quests

4.6 Fontaine Puzzles and Features

4.6 Fontaine Features
Washer Octopus	Lost Grimoires and Mysterious Bookshelves
Wonderchime Flowers and Allochromatic Anemones	Summon Currents with Scylla
Music Score Locations	Auric Anglerfish
Break the Chains that Bind Scylla	Portus Anticus Luxurious Chest
The Flying Outlander Achievement Guide	Juliano's Hidden Chests
How to Pet Osse	How to Take the Blank Score
How to Return the Flying Bird Phantasms	How to Rebuild the Golden Aqueducts

4.2 Fontaine Puzzles and Features

4.1 Fontaine Puzzles and Features

4.0 Fontaine Puzzles and Features

Fontaine Enemies

Fontaine Boss Guides
Emperor of Fire and Iron	Icewind Suite	Millennial Pearl Seahorse
Experimental Field Generator	Hydro Tulpa	Legatus Golem
All-Devouring Narwhal	The Knave
Fontaine Enemy Guides
Fontemer Aberrants	Tainted Hydro Phantasm	Breacher Primus
Clockwork Meka	Fatui Operatives	Praetorian Golem
Local Legends Guides
Iron Viscount	Fairy Knight Twins	Ocean Circuit Judge
Vivianne of the Lake	Fading Veteran	Swords of the Gorge
Ninianne of the Lake	Dobharcu, Lord of the Hidden	Automated Supercomputing Field Generator
Luachra the Brilliant	Yseut	Liam
Rocky Avildsen	Mageblade Corrouge	Chassanion
Deianeira of Snezhevna	Cineas

All Interactive Map Guides

All Interactive Map Guides