Destiny 2 Lightfall Terminal Overload - Destiny 2 Guide - IGN (2024)

Terminal Overload is the public activity attached to Lightfall, and it's the source of some exclusive weapons like the Synchronic Roulette Strand submachine gun and Basso Ostinato Void shotgun. We'll help you get started fending off the Vex invasion in Terminal Overload, as well as show you how to unlock Terminal Overload Keys to get extra loot out of the public event.

SPOILER WARNING: Terminal Overload is available immediately, but we highly recommend following our Lightfall campaign walkthrough before attempting the activity. In order to unlock Terminal Overload Keys, you'll need to beat the story.

How to beat Terminal Overload

Terminal Overload is a rotating public event on Neomuna that cycles between the three main zones of the city daily. You can find where the Terminal Overload location is when you're playing by looking at the map in your Director. Although you can select the node to launch straight into the activity, it takes place in the public Neomuna zone, so anybody can join.

The public event has three waves. To start, locate the pulsating enemy in the Terminal Overload location for the day and destory three crystals around them. This will start Terminal Overload proper. During the first wave, defeat Shadow Legion enemies that spawn until you reach 100% on the objective.

After that's done, you'll need to capture a Vex plate. Follow the quest marker to reach the plate and defend it from Vex enemies. If they touch the plate, it will turn red and you'll lose progress.

Once you've captured the plate, several more Vex enemies will spawn. Immune nodes will also spawn in the sky, which you can't damage with your weapons. Locate the glowing Vex Minotaurs and defeat them. They'll drop an Arc Cannon, which you can pick up to destory the nodes. Once they're done, a large Vex boss will spawn. Defeat the boss to continue to the next wave.

The second wave is identical to the first, just moved to a slightly new location. Follow the quest marker to start the second wave and continue through it as you did the first.

The third and final wave has you facing off against two bosses, though thankfully not at the same time. The first boss has an immune shield, meaning you can't damage them with your weapons right away. Defeat the enemies around the area and keep an eye out for a glowing Shadow Legion troop. Once they're down, a small ring will show up on the ground where they fell, which you can stand in to deal damage to the boss' shield. With the shield down, proceed to damage the boss like normal.

After the first boss is down, you'll have to face the large Vex you fought in the first two waves, just with a lot more health. Deal damage until the boss goes immune, at which point Vex Hydras will spawn. At the same time, several nodes will spawn around the arena. Destory them with your weapons or abilities to expose the boss to damage. You'll have to do this process one more time to finally take down the boss.

Once the boss is gone, two chests will spawn. The first drops loot from the world pool, while the second drops weapons that are exclusive to Terminal Overload. You need a Terminal Overload Key to unlock the second chest.

How to get Terminal Overload Keys

Terminal Overload Keys unlock a second chest at the end of the activity that awards extra loot. You can't get them right away, though. You need to beat the Lightfall campaign and complete the Welcome to the Hall of Heroes quest that becomes available immediately after the story. Thankfully, the quest just requires you to listen to some lore about Neomuna.

After the story wraps, head to the Hall of Heroes to start the Welcome to the Hall of Heroes quest. It tasks you with listening to various terminals in the hall to learn about fallen Cloudstriders, as well as unlocks the city archivist, Quinn. Speak with them after finishing the audio tour to acquire the Stargazer quest. This quest takes you through the gameplay loop for Terminal Overload and unlocks the ability for keys to drop from Neomuna. It also starts a questline to unlock one of the new Exotic weapons in Lightfall.

Once you've finished the quest, you can acquire Terminal Overload Keys by doing almost any activity on Neomuna, including:

• Completing patrols
• Finishing public events
• Finishing bounties from Nimbus
• Looting regional chests
• Defeating high-value targets
• Finishing a Terminal Overload activity

Terminal Overload Keys drop randomly from these sources, so you won't always get one. The easiest way to grab them is by finishing patrols and public events.

Once you unlock Terminal Overload Keys, you shouldn't have to go out of your way for more to drop. If you're short, Nimbus has a daily bounty that guarantees a Terminal Overload Key once you reach rank 13 with the vendor.

Terminal Overload rewards and rotation

Terminal Overload rotates between three locations on Neomuna daily, and each location rewards a different weapon. Here's where you can get each weapon:

• Circular Logic (Strand Machine Gun) - Zephyr Concourse
• Basso Ostinato (Void Shotgun) - Liming Harbor
• Synchronic Roulette (Strand SMG) - Ahimsa Park

Before you start farming new weapons, make sure to increase your rank with Nimbus to at least level 15. This is what guarantees you'll recieve a Terminal Overload weapon from the extra chest at the end of the activity.