Isaac Clarke’s descent into madness hides more than one conclusion-if you know where to search. Here’s how to piece together the clues and trigger the Dead Space remake’s chilling alternate ending.
How to see the Dead Space remake’s alternate ending
To view the alternate ending in the Dead Space remake, you need to complete New Game Plus after finishing the main story once. During this second playthrough, collect all twelve Marker Fragments hidden across Ishimura. Once every fragment has been placed in the Captain’s Quarters on the Crew Deck, finish the game again. After the final boss fight, you’ll see a new cutscene that adds a chilling twist to Isaac’s story.
Seeing the new alternate ending to the Dead Space remake isn’t that tricky, but you do have to play the game through twice – which is no small thing. When you beat the game for the first time (on any difficulty), you’ll unlock New Game Plus.
During this second playthrough on NG (again on any difficulty), you’ll be able to find 12 Marker Fragments scattered around the USG Ishimura. You can see the locations in MrReign’s video below. Just make sure to bail before the 9:50 mark if you want to avoid spoilers.
Your job is to collect all of those Marker Fragments and arrange them on the table/altar in Captain Mathius’ room in the Executive Quarters on the Crew Deck during Chapter 11 “Alternate Solutions.”
From there, you just have to play through to the end of the game (again).
So what is the alternate ending?
The alternate ending changes Isaac’s fate dramatically. After collecting all twelve Marker Fragments and finishing the game again, Isaac experiences a vision where he’s fully under the Marker’s influence, suggesting he never truly escaped its power. Instead of finding closure, he’s seen crafting a new Marker beside Nicole, hinting that the cycle of obsession and madness will continue far beyond the Ishimura.
Let’s say you don’t want to play through the whole (terrifying) game again and just want to know what that whole alternate ending entails. Well, it’s, frankly, not much. (You can watch it at the end of the video above.)
In the standard ending of the game, Isaac escapes from Aegis VII secure in the knowledge that he destroyed the necromorphs and the (Red) Marker, and now everything is hunky-dory and there is no more space engineering to be done. Until he once again hallucinates his dead girlfriend and we get a jump scare just before the credits roll.
In the alternate ending, there’s no pretense of hunky-dory. Isaac looks a little manic (or, at least, happier than he should considering what he’s just seen), there are scribbles in Marker font covering every surface of the shuttle’s interior, and Isaac’s having a full conversation with his dead girlfriend. He says that he’s “gotta build a little something first” before they can go home.
To be a bit too reductive about it, he’s basically just saying, “But first, we’ve gotta do the sequels.”
What the hell does that mean?
The phrase refers to the mysterious extra ending hidden in the Dead Space remake, which leaves many players puzzled after completing all the main story objectives. It changes Isaac’s fate in a subtle but chilling way, giving more context to his mental state and the Marker’s influence. To trigger it, players must complete the game once, start New Game Plus, and collect twelve Marker Fragments scattered throughout the Ishimura. Once those are secured, finishing the game again reveals a scene that reframes the entire story.
Let’s back up for a second.
Dead Space (in general) and Dead Space (specifically) are cosmic horror stories. (We could also call it Lovecraftian horror since it’s a genre made most famous by noted bigot H.P. Lovecraft, but we’ll stick with “cosmic” here.) This brand of horror involves unknowable and unknowably alien forces that affect humanity on an existential level. Think of Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out Of Space,” where a color (from space) drives a family insane and mutates them into monstrous forms.
Which brings us to Dead Space‘s Markers.
In Dead Space lore, the Markers (like the one Isaac doesn’t quite destroy at the end of the Dead Space remake) are kind of cosmic horror-themed Swiss Army Knives. They’re a source of limitless energy (leading to, the lore implies, interstellar travel), a communication device, a necromorph-creator, and a broadcasting station sending out a variety of signals. Some people just see or hear these signals as noise and hallucinations. Some, however, see something more.
One of these signals is a drive for whatever intelligent being is nearby to create more Markers. That self-replication signal is what led to the creation of the Red Marker we see in Dead Space – and probably explains all those little Marker models you have to find to unlock the secret ending. It’s also what’s behind the other Red Markers we see in Deads Space 2 and 3.
In the first ending to Dead Space, we see Isaac escape the planet and then we get a jump scare-hint that maybe the waking nightmare isn’t over for him just yet.
In the alternate ending, we see confirmation of that. His creepy smile, the Marker ramblings (that he likely wrote) all over the inside of the shuttle and on his helmet, and his sweet conversation with the dead Nicole are all a result of just how deep the Marker signal got into his brain. A few years later, during Dead Space 2, we (will) learn that Isaac has the full blueprint to make a new Marker implanted in his brain due to the events of Dead Space, and that blueprint is used to construct a new Marker (resulting in a new necromorph outbreak) on Titan.
Where are all 12 Marker Fragment locations in Dead Space remake NG
Marker Fragments in the Dead Space remake only appear during New Game Plus (NG+) mode, with one per chapter across Chapters 1-8 and 11, plus extras in Chapters 5 and 10 (none in 9 or 12). Collect all 12 before Chapter 11’s point of no return, then place them in Captain Mathius’ quarters on the Crew Deck.
Fragment Locations
Use this table for exact spots (based on detailed guides; chapters noted for easy reference).
| # | Chapter | Location Details |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Bay Office: On a bookcase next to the Data Board. | ||
| Dr. T. Kyne’s Office: Use Kinesis on the false bookshelf; fragment on desk inside. | ||
| Engine Room: Near Power Sub-Station 03 (C11-3); on floor behind boxes on left path. | ||
| Break Room (Bridge Floor 1): Inside room en route to Electrical Systems. | ||
| Dr. C. Mercer’s Office: On desk/table after escaping Hunter and lifting lockdown. | ||
| Cryogenics: On top of cryo-chamber after freezing Hunter; use Kinesis to grab. | ||
| East Grow Chamber: Floating in opposite corner alcove after zero-G and Brute fight; use Kinesis. | ||
| Mineral Samples (Mining Sub Deck B): Requires Security Clearance 3; inside after getting Dallas’ RIG. | ||
| Communications Hub: Specific spot in hub area (check video timestamps for precision). | ||
| Deluxe Quarters/Shift Bunks: Reroute power to doors in north bunks, then grab from desk in bottom-right room. | ||
| Inquiry Desks/Chief Steward’s Office: On desk behind wine bottle while destroying tendril. | ||
| Cargo Bay: Southeast corner shelf before engaging crane (opposite elevator). |
Placement and Ending
Return to Captain Mathius’ room (Crew Deck > Executive Quarters, marked as Lt. Commander V. Holt) via tram. Place all on the altar pedestals, finish NG+ for the “Reunion” achievement and alternate cutscene.
How to place the 12 Marker Fragments for secret ending
To place the 12 Marker Fragments for the Dead Space remake’s secret ending, first ensure you’ve collected all of them in NG+ mode before Chapter 11’s point of no return.
Location to Place
Head to the Crew Deck via the tram (from Cargo Bay or any station). Go to the Executive Quarters (upper level), then enter Captain B. Mathius’ room-marked as “Lt. Commander V. Holt” on the map.
Placement Steps
Approach the candle-lit altar/table at the room’s center; a blue prompt will appear when near. Activate it to deposit all 12 fragments onto the 12 pedestal spots (they auto-place). Finish the NG+ playthrough normally to trigger the “Reunion” achievement and alternate ending cutscene.
