Episode Echoes delivers a strong new narrative about the Vex, heaps of new gear, and even a challenging new replayable activity, the Destiny 2 Enigma Protocol mission. With a fun secret objective to start Enigma Protocol early, as well as a strict timer, you’re going to want to know how to beat Enigma Protocol in Destiny 2.
Though it’s not home to any of The Final Shape Exotics, the Red Death, or even the Choir of One Seasonal Exotic, Enigma Protocol is incredibly fun if you’re up to the challenge. Coming in at 2005 Power, hiding 2020 Power level enemies, what a challenge it can be, indeed.
Destiny 2 Enigma Protocol Explained
Enigma Protocol is a new three-person, 2005 Power, matchmade activity in Destiny 2 Echoes (Episode 1). Set in the VexNet, you must complete ten platforming challenges and combat encounters to reach the end of the mission within the limited time window.
You will begin with just one minute on the clock but additional time can be earned by destroying the yellow security orbs hidden throughout the level. You will need to acquire this bonus time as the combat encounters can be challenging, especially if you are significantly lower than the required Power level.
Your goal in Enigma Protocol is to venture into the VexNet to disrupt the Vex from accessing and stealing a treasure trove of Golden Age data. This involves investigating clues in the network and taking out the Vex here.
How to Start Enigma Protocol in Destiny 2
You can start Enigma Protocol via a guided quest later in Episode Echoes’ story. However, you can unlock Enigma Protocol early by completing a secret objective. To do this, progress through Failsafe’s questline until you reach A Rising Chorus: Act 1, which will send you to Nessus to collect samples.
Travel to the Cistern on Nessus and you will see a strange purple Vex directly in front of where you spawn. Stand within the circle on the ground and you will be met with a string of scrambled letters and numbers directly below your minimap.
click to enlarge
+ 8Turn to face the center of the zone where you will see a blue Vex construct on the ledge nearby. Head here and interact with it to obtain the decoder protocol buff for 60 seconds. Then, head back to the circle near the spawn point and stand in it to decode scrambled code and receive the following message:
“//Broadcast intercepted… Access the grid… where canopy touches sky… atop the Tangled growth.”
This is a secret message to head to the Tangle. So, get on your sparrow and ride to the Tangle from the Cistern. Once you enter the Tangle, you will almost immediately see another odd purple Vex next to another code circle.
click to enlarge + 8Look up to the large tree nearby to find another blue Vex construct on a branch. Head up here to get the decoder protocol buff again and jump back down to the code circle to decode the text. You will then get the message:
“//Broadcast intercepted… Enter the grid… in a descent to a gateway… the echoing Well finds purchase in the Network.”
With this message in mind, you then need to head to the Well of Echoes to the northwest of the Tangle.
click to enlarge + 8Enter the doorway and continue through the halls and through the Vex portal. Then, continue on until you emerge in a large, circular room full of Vex enemies. Take out these enemies, including the boss which requires you to destroy various cubes hidden around the arena.
click to enlarge + 8Once you’ve done this, you’ll receive the message “A faint Vex signal activates nearby,” indicating that a large hole in the ground directly beneath where you entered the arena is now accessible. Jump down this hole until you reach the bottom, where you will find the Enigma Protocol activity flag.
After discovering the Enigma Protocol activity for the first time, it will be added as a node in the H.E.L.M map, opposite Breach Executable. It’s important to note that this is not the quest to unlock Destiny 2 Exotic class items - that would be Dual Destiny.
click to enlarge + 8How to Complete Enigma Protocol in Destiny 2
With a very limited time window and 2020 Power enemies, Enigma Protocol is a challenging mission unless you’re well-prepared. However, it does have matchmaking, meaning you don’t have to struggle alone.
Enigma Protocol begins with a platforming section and one minute on the timer, requiring you to move quickly and find ways to increase your timer. You can increase your time in Enigma Protocol by:
- Destroying Network Security nodes
- Defeating Archival Timekeepers
- Unlocking ‘Codebase Splice’ vendor upgrades
There are 10 main steps to complete Enigma Protocol in Destiny 2. These are:
- Find a Connection Portal 1
- Charge Radiolite Circuits
- Find a Connection Portal 2
- Destroy the Choral Denial Agents
- Find a Connection Portal 3 (Sparrow)
- Find a Connection Portal 4
- Break Vex Encryption Pods
- Find a Connection Portal 5
- Defeat Ainigmatos
- Find a Connection Portal 6
Destiny 2 Enigma Protocol Walkthrough
Below you will find a step-by-step Enigma Protocol guide to beat this activity in Destiny 2 Echoes.
click to enlarge + 8Find a Connection Portal 1
Jump across the platforms, defeating deadly enemies like Hobgoblins and destroying the handful of Network Security nodes as you go, to reach the portal directly ahead of where you spawn.
click to enlarge + 8Charge Radiolite Circuits
Head through the portal and you will find the first combat encounter. Here, you will have to charge Radiolite Circuits using various Vex charging pools around the arena. To do this, kill the first group of enemies and collect the Radiolite Circuit orb. Carry this to one of the many yellow pools around the room. Standing in these pools will charge the orb, though you will be vulnerable, so make sure you or your allies are protecting the orb carrier while they charge. These pools move periodically, so chances are you will have to relocate at least once.
Once charged, deposit the Radiolite Circuit in the device on the wall near where you entered the arena. This will complete the first encounter.
click to enlarge + 8Find a Connection Portal 2
After the first encounter, you will once again have to find a Vex portal by delving deeper into the VexNet. Take the nearby launcher to be catapulted to another platforming section.
After the second catapult, head straight and crouch through a small passageway before heading right. Then, turn around to find a small ledge sticking out of the wall, which you can use to reach the next platform.
Continue ahead, defeating the Vex enemies in your path to find a series of catapults which will bring you to another simple platforming section. Follow the platforms and you will shortly find the Vex portal you need to head through.
This will take you to yet another platforming section, so continue along the path and kill the enemies in your way. After jumping across the large gap and emerging on the other side of a large platform, you will see the portal directly ahead.
Destroy the Choral Denial Agents
Next, you will have to destroy nine Choral Denial Agents in the second combat encounter. Defeat the Vex enemies and pick up the item they drop to destroy the shielded Vex in the air at the back of the arena.
Given how many enemies are in this area, it’s a good idea to bring add-clearing weapons or have one player dedicated to dealing with these enemies while the others take out the Choral Denial Agents.
Once you’ve beaten this encounter, you can head through the portal to enter the next stage.
Find a Connection Portal 3
After heading through the portal, you’ll have yet another platforming section. Remember, remain on the lookout for security nodes to increase your timer.
Ride the three catapults in success to reach the next floating island. Then, follow the path until you reach a drop. Jump down and stand in the circle to summon your sparrow.
Ride your sparrow down the track, taking care to avoid the gaps and obstacles in your way. There are still security nodes here, so if you’re short on time, have one player jump off their sparrow to destroy these.
The good news is that you’ll have a brief pitstop once you’ve finished this sparrow obstacle course. You will reach a large room with a reward chest at the center containing various resources like Enhancement Prisms and a Season of the Dawn weapon. Within this room, your timer will be paused.
When you’re ready, head through the portal to continue.
Find a Connection Portal 4
On the other side of the portal, you will have another platforming section to find a Vex Connection Portal. Run through this area, taking out as many enemies as you need to in order to survive. Eventually, you will reach the next encounter.
Break Vex Encryption Pods
In this third combat encounter, you need to break 20 Vex Encryption Pods and collect the Golden Age data they drop. These are the glowing purple orbs scattered around the arena. While you don’t need to kill the enemies to complete this objective, it’s a good idea to have one or two players keeping them under control while the rest find and shoot the Vex Encryption Pods. Take note that you can jump up to a higher level, where some of the pods are hiding.
Find a Connection Portal 5
Once you’ve destroyed all the Vex Encryption Pods, you guessed, there is another platforming section with several security nodes. With a tough final boss after this, you will need to be fast during this platforming section and make sure you break as many security nodes as you can for additional time.
Defeat Ainigmatos
You will then reach the final boss, Ainigmatos, the Indecipherable Proto-Mind. As the final combat encounter, throw everything you have at Ainigmatos to defeat them, including Supers, heavy ammo weapons, Transcendant if you’re using Prismatic, and precision-based weapons. You’ve only got limited time to kill Ainigmatos, so it’s best to focus on them rather than the weaker enemies.
Find a Connection Portal 6
Defeating Ainigmatos isn’t quite the end of Enigma Protocol, as you’ll have one final platforming section until you’re victorious - and you’re still against the clock. Head through the portal and you will be met by two different paths - an on-foot path and a sparrow path.
Take the on-foot path at first to find and kill the Archival Timekeeper for bonus time. Once you’ve done that, jump over to the sparrow path as soon as you can as it’s faster than the on-foot platforming section. Once you reach the end of this platforming section, you will have successfully completed Enigma Protocol.
Destiny 2 Enigma Protocol Rewards
Completing Enigma Protocol will reward you with a rare emblem and Legendary Season of Dawn weapons, which have been reprised in Episode Echoes. Yes, that does mean there aren’t any exclusive Exotics up for grabs from Enigma Protocol - at least right now.
With that, you know how to complete Destiny 2 Enigma Protocol in Episode Echoes and all the rewards you will get for doing so. If you’re still struggling, try using the best Destiny 2 Prismatic Titan build, Prismatic Hunter build, and Prismatic Warlock build for a power boost.