Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Crota’s End Raid: How To Complete The Abyss Encounter

Difficulty Level: Pendulum

Destiny 2 Crota's End Raid
Image Source: Bungie.net

The Crota’s End Raid has returned to Destiny 2, and it came back swinging, literally. Kicking off the Raid is the first encounter, the Abyss, where players must venture through the bottom of the Hellmouth and make their way into Crota’s Throne World. However, players are confused about how to correctly complete this encounter, as it has been thoroughly updated since Destiny 1. So today, we’re going over how to complete the Abyss Encounter of the Crota’s End Raid in Destiny 2.

Destiny 2 Crota’s End Raid Abyss Encounter Breakdown

When you first drop down into the Abyss, you’ll bet met with the main mechanic of the Raid, the Chalice of Light. Claiming the Chalice will give the user a gauge that will fill over time, and killing enemies will help speed up the process. Meanwhile, you must begin running to a nearby lamp, which can be seen in the upper right hand corner of the image below.

Destiny 2 Crota's End Raid, Chalice of Light
Image Source: Bungie via Twinfinite

When you begin running from the initial plate, you will be met with two different debuffs: Weight of Darkness and Engulfing Darkness. If the Weight of Darkness debuff reaches x10 stacks, you will lose the ability to sprint and jump. Meanwhile, the Engulfing Darkness debuff will begin a 60 second countdown, and if it reaches zero, everyone dies. So how do you get rid of them?

To get rid of the debuffs, the person who initially claimed the Chalice of Light must fill their gauge until it is full. The gauge will fill up automatically, but you can speed up the process by defeating enemies.

When it fills up, the user will receive another debuff, Engulfing Light, which will start a 10-second countdown. If someone else on the Fireteam does not take the Chalice of Light from the person who initially grabbed it before their countdown reaches zero, they will die.

When someone else claims the Chalice, they will have a gauge to fill up as well. Meanwhile, the player who had the Chalice taken from them will receive a new buff called Enlightened. Being Enlightened allows the player to walk up to a Lantern and illuminate it, removing the Weight of Darkness temporarily, and resetting the Engulfing Darkness timer.

Enlightening a Lantern in the Abyss encounter in Destiny 2's Crota's End raid
Image Source: Bungie via Twinfinite

Some things to keep in mind regarding Enlightened. First, if a player takes the Chalice of Light from another player before their gauge is filled, nothing will happen, so make sure to coordinate how much of the meter they have left before it is filled and ready to be taken.

Second, when a user becomes Enlightened, they can no longer claim the Chalice of Light from another player until they use their Enlightenment. Players who use their Enlightenment on a Lantern to remove the Weight of Darkness from them and reset the Engulfing Darkness timer will be hit with another debuff, Drained of Light. Drained of Light is a 45-second timer that prevents the user from claiming the Chalice of Light. Ideally, when a player becomes Enlightened, they should use it as soon as possible so they become Drained of Light and then able to claim the Chalice once more when the countdown is over.

Preserving Chalice of Light in Destiny 2's Crota's End raid
Image Source: Bungie via Twinfinite

Finally, when things become too hectic, at “some” of the Lanterns, there will be a small canister on the side where you can “preserve” the Chalice of Light. Whoever preserves it will become Drained of Light, but it allows the team to stop and catch their breath for a second until they are ready to move forward again. This encounter is super chaotic and very team-focused, but if the team takes their time and goes through it one lantern at a time, they will eventually make it to the bridge.

When the team makes it to the bridge, they must stand their ground on the plate until the bridge is formed. Players will continue swapping the Chalice from one another, but instead of using their Enlightenment on a Lantern, they will use it on the bridge itself. This will speed up the forming process of the bridge until a message appears: “The path forward is clear,” which signals that the team can now cross over and complete the encounter. Be wary when standing your ground, as Unstoppable Ogres will appear to try and kill you before you can escape.

One final warning is to be wary of the various trapholes and swinging pendulums throughout the abyss. If a player falls in a hole, they will instantly die. Getting hit by a pendulum doesn’t kill immediately, but it will leave the player in harm’s way if they have a bunch of Thrall behind them. Otherwise, just take things slow and steady, and you will complete the Abyss with ease.

Now that the Abyss encounter is all done and dusted in Crota’s End, you’re onto the next step of this Destiny 2 raid, which is the Bridge Encounter.

About the author

Joe Thomaselli

A fresh college graduate with a passion for Destiny 2, Joe has only been writing professionally for a short time. That doesn't stop him from covering everything regarding the looter shooter, and more.

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