How do you clear the Vesper’s Host dungeon in Destiny 2? Bungie has introduced contest mode for a dungeon for the first time in the franchise’s history. Contest mode, for the uninitiated, is a 48-hour window where the difficulty is ramped up and extra clearance conditions are implemented. Previously, Destiny only did this with its multi-stage raid encounters, for fireteams of six. This time around, it’s the new dungeon’s turn, so grab two friends and jump in.

Destiny 2‘s newest dungeon takes place in a somewhat familiar location. If you’ve ever cleared the Deep Stone Crypt, you’ll recognize a lot of the mechanics on offer here, only this time they’re mutated in the space game. There are a few encounters, and this is a work in progress as we try to figure out what on earth (or in space as the case may be) is going on.

Vesper’s Host dungeon start

To begin with, you’ll spawn in space outside the station and there’s a very short traversal section. Thankfully, unlike Deep Stone Crypt, there are no frustrating sparrow sections or freeze mechanics to contend with. The audio is muffled, as is the case in Deep Stone Crypt’s space areas, but that’s nothing to worry about.

You’ll enter a room full of enemies – clear them, and you’ll get a message stating that augment carriers have spawned. These are your operator and scanner augments, which you’ll remember from Deep Stone Crypt. The scanner can see several spots on the map which mark nodes that can be shot by the person carrying the operator augment. However, to figure out which ones to shoot, the scanner needs to pay attention.

With one fireteam member holding the scanner augment, travel to the nodes, and you’ll notice they softly beep and turn white on the minimap in the upper left-hand corner. If the node stays white on the map, instruct the person carrying the operator augment to shoot it. If it disappears, do not shoot it – you will die. Successfully shooting the right nodes will open the door to the next area.

Head through the airlock, and pass the enemies. Shoot the yellow-bar vandals and jump down the hole in the floor to the back of the room. This will reset your kill timer if any fireteam members have died, and restore your revive tokens.

There’s another short traversal area – shoot the tripmines before jumping otherwise they’ll kill you. You’ll soon find yourself outside a room with more sniper vandals. Take them out and follow the wall to the right, then head through the door before dropping down a shaft (carefully) which has more tripmines inside it. After this section, you’ll notice a rally banner.

Vesper’s Host – Activation

The first main encounter has a very short countdown timer of six minutes in contest mode. You will have to be exceptionally quick at clearing this area. Head to the large circular object in the front middle of the room and interact with it to “Reboot system”. A large brig will spawn, kill it and other enemies until another scanner augment carrier spawns. Kill it, pick up scanner, and head into any of the three doors that have opened at the side of the room. There’s a yellow brain room, red heart, and blue lungs.

Rush through, killing all the enemies. You’ll need to refresh your augment at the various stations as it has a 59-second countdown timer that kills you when it expires. You’ll reach a room after a short platforming section with more nodes. Carry out the same method as above to shoot the relevant nodes which will spawn a nuclear core. Grab it quickly, refresh your augments if necessary, and rush back to the main room. A brig will have spawned again, which casts a barrier over the vestibules that you need to dunk the core in. The core also has a timer that creeps up, and you will need to juggle it between fireteam members to avoid being exploded.

Repeat this process for the three rooms, bearing in mind that you have two minutes per room, to clear the Activation encounter.

This guide is a work in progress and is being added to throughout contest mode.