Destiny 2’s new adventure, Vesper’s Host, is bringing a thrilling three-player dungeon that comes with a race to see who completes it first.
Players are gearing up for a tough weekend as Bungie has introduced a race similar to their raid challenges, where they’ll compete under “contest mode,” making it harder than ever. Vesper’s Host doesn’t just stop at the race; it also brings back the beloved Ice Breaker weapon from the original Destiny. So, there’s plenty to discover, including race details, contest rules, and even some items being temporarily disabled for the first race.
Vesper’s Host trailer
Start by checking out the trailer from Bungie to see what awaits you inside the dungeon. The trailer hints at the return of Atraks, a boss from the Deep Stone Crypt raid. We’ll dive into the story behind that later.
When does Vesper’s Host launch?
Ready to dive in? Vesper’s Host is live now, having launched on October 11 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Grab your friends and form a team of three, but make sure everyone has the Final Shape Dungeon Key. Swing by Spider in the Last City to pick up the “Rogue Network” quest for entry.
How does contest mode work?
Contest mode is active for the first 48 hours after launch, ending on Sunday, October 13 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. This mode levels the playing field by capping player levels below what’s recommended, so everyone faces the same challenge. To meet the level cap, you’ll need to be at Power level 1985.
Completing the dungeon in contest mode gives you the best shot at snagging the Exotic sniper rifle, Ice Breaker. It might not drop every time, but finishing Triumphs can boost your chances. And don’t forget the exclusive Orbital Tournament emblem!
If contest mode isn’t your thing, no worries. Once the first three teams conquer the dungeon, normal mode unlocks, letting you choose how you want to play for the weekend.
What weapons and armor are disabled in contest mode?
Bungie is disabling some gear during the dungeon race, a common practice in raid races. Six weapons, including the new Alethonym grenade launcher, are temporarily banned during the race. But you can still use them in other parts of the game.
Weapons
- Wardcliff Coil
- Salvation’s Grip
- One Thousand Voices
- Alethonym
- Tomorrow’s Answer
- Yesterday’s Question
Hunter
- Shadowshot: Moebius Quiver
- Shadowshot: Deadfall
Titan
Artifact mods
After the dungeon was released, Bungie mentioned that some items weren’t “properly” disabled, so you might still equip them. But be careful, as using them might cause errors that could make the dungeon much harder to finish.
How to watch the dungeon Race
Not playing? No problem! You can watch the Vesper’s Host race on Twitch through the Twitch Rivals channel. The action starts at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET on Friday. Watching can also get you two emblems via Twitch Drops.
Catch any Destiny 2 streamer for two hours with Twitch Drops enabled, and you’ll receive the Effortless Flow emblem.
Subscribe to a Destiny 2 streamer with Twitch Drops enabled, and you’ll get the Broadcasting from the Dark emblem.
Vesper’s Host Exotic weapon: Ice Breaker
The return of Ice Breaker is a huge draw for Vesper’s Host, especially in contest mode. This Solar sniper rifle was a bit overpowered in Destiny 1 because it auto-regenerated ammo, making it perfect for boss fights.
In Destiny 2, it’s been adjusted, but it’s still strong. Now, it regenerates ammo when you get kills with other weapons, and tougher enemies can generate more rounds. Like before, kills make foes explode, and precision kills or shattering frozen enemies cause a Solar Ignition, spreading Scorch to nearby enemies.
Vesper’s Host armor and weapons
With the dungeon’s launch, Bungie revealed the loot you can earn. There are four weapons up for grabs, including an auto rifle, a breech-loading grenade launcher, a fusion rifle, and a barrel grenade launcher:
- VS Gravitic Arrest — Void fusion rifle
- VS Velocity Baton — Void Special ammo grenade launcher
- VS Pyroelectric Propellant — Arc auto rifle
- VS Chill Inhibitor — Stasis Heavy ammo grenade launcher
The Spacewalk armor set also debuts, inspired by NASA and a nod to the Deep Stone Crypt armor:
There’s also the VS Tech Sledge sparrow, likely earned by completing a Master difficulty run of Vesper’s Host, which is usually how you get dungeon sparrows.
What is Vesper’s Host’s story?
Though details are sparse, the trailer and hints give us clues about Vesper’s Host’s story. (We’ll update this as we learn more.)
It all starts with a mysterious signal from a Braytech facility that seems inactive. The trailer suggests links to the Deep Stone Crypt, a raid location from the Beyond Light expansion. Clovis Bray led the Exo program there, creating robot-human hybrids through dark experiments and Vex technology, aided by a Darkness statue. It was pretty grim.
One key part of the Deep Stone Crypt was Clovis using the Darkness statue to open a portal to a strange Vex world, capturing Vex for experiments. This portal, seen in the Glassway Strike, allowed Vex to invade Europa and still poses a threat. It seems the Braytech facility might be tied to this Vex-stealing mission, possibly serving as a base to study the Vex world. That big ring in space might be related.
We can tell the Deep Stone Crypt connections are deliberate. The trailer shows Guardians in raid armor, with Exos and Vex in the environment. It also hints at the return of Atraks, the first Eliksni Exo. Players defeated Atraks in the orbital station above the Crypt, but as robots, Exos can have multiple copies. What Atraks is doing now isn’t clear, nor is her possible alliance with Fikrul, the main villain of Revenant.
