We prove that the Kodaira dimension of the n-fold universal family of lattice-polarised holomorphic symplectic varieties with dominant and generically finite period map stabilises to the moduli number when n is sufficiently large. Then we study the transition of Kodaira dimension explicitly, from negative to nonnegative, for known explicit families of polarised symplectic varieties. In particular, we determine the exact transition point in the Beauville–Donagi and Debarre–Voisin cases, where the Borcherds $\Phi _{12}$ form plays a crucial role.

Classically, an indecomposable class $R$ in the cone of effective curves on a K3 surface $X$ is representable by a smooth rational curve if and only if $R^{2}=-2$. We prove a higher-dimensional generalization conjectured by Hassett and Tschinkel: for a holomorphic symplectic variety $M$ deformation equivalent to a Hilbert scheme of $n$ points on a K3 surface, an extremal curve class $R\in H_{2}(M,\mathbb{Z})$ in the Mori cone is the line in a Lagrangian $n$-plane $\mathbb{P}^{n}\subset M$ if and only if certain intersection-theoretic criteria are met. In particular, any such class satisfies $(R,R)=-\frac{n+3}{2}$, and the primitive such classes are all contained in a single monodromy orbit.