Dungeons II Artifacts Stop Working: Bug Workaround
SymptomAn artifact shows the red not-enough-souls glow or does nothing even though you have full souls and no cooldown.
If a Minecraft Dungeons II (Minecraft Dungeons 2) artifact refuses to fire even though your soul gauge is full and the cooldown is over, unequip the artifact and equip it again, or move it to a different artifact slot. Players in several launch-day threads say that brings it back until the bug recurs. The cause is unknown, and this is a workaround from player reports, not an official fix.
What players see
- The artifact flashes the red “not enough souls” glow while the gauge is full.
- It works the first time after equipping and then stops responding.
- It can hit artifact slots 1 to 3. One player said four different artifacts they tried behaved this way.
- A player also reported the soul-restoring armor enchantment failing intermittently (single review, unconfirmed).
Suspected triggers (unconfirmed)
Players guess different causes, and none is verified:
- Skulker Claws (strongest lead). A later thread’s poster tested weapons and found that both of their Mushroom artifacts bugged out with the unique Skulker’s Claws (from a repeat boss quest) but worked fine with a Scythe; the War Drums were unaffected. Earlier posters had the same idea. Still unconfirmed by Mojang.
- Skulker Claws, earlier reports. One poster named the claws’ invisibility effect, a second said they also used claws, and a third said the bug went away after they stopped using them.
- A “bovin ruade” enchantment. Named as a possible trigger by the first poster.
- Spamming self-buff artifacts. A reply in another thread says using a self-effect artifact several times in a row makes it stop working until re-equipped.
- Animation cancelling. One reply thinks cancelling an artifact’s animation can disable it.
- Specific artifacts. One player noticed it most with the Death Cap Mushroom.
What to do
- Two players say the re-equipped artifact then works only two or three more times before failing again, and buff artifacts (attack speed or damage) are the ones named. Expect to repeat the fix in long fights.
- Open the gear menu, unequip the artifact and equip it again. Swapping slots also worked for a Spanish-language poster.
- If it keeps happening, test whether it goes away without the claws or the enchantment above, and note what you tested.
- Avoid cancelling an artifact’s animation with a roll until we know more.
- Report it with the artifact names, your weapons and enchantments, and whether you were online, in the Steam discussion or Mojang’s feedback channels.
For what artifacts do and their listed effects, see the artifacts database. For related gear questions, see beginner tips.
What we could not verify
The real trigger, whether it is server-side, and whether a patch is planned. We have not reproduced it ourselves and will update this page after testing or an official response.
FAQ
Why won't my artifact activate in Minecraft Dungeons II?
Several players report a bug where an artifact stops working even though souls are full and it is off cooldown. Mojang has not acknowledged it as of Sep 30, 2026.
How do I fix it?
Players say unequipping the artifact (or swapping it to another slot) and equipping it again makes it work until it happens again. It is a workaround, not a fix.
What triggers the artifact bug?
Unknown. Players suspect Skulker Claws (the invisibility effect), an enchantment the poster called bovin ruade, or animation-cancelling an artifact. One player noticed it most often with the Death Cap Mushroom. None of this is confirmed.
Should I stop using claws?
One player says they stopped using claws and never saw the bug again, but two others only said they used claws too. Treat it as a hint for testing, not a rule.