Destiny 2‘s economy of resources and collectibles is never-ending, changing in an instant with the release of new content. That’s proven the case for Episode: Heresy, with many new resources added for Guardians to balance. Essence of Desire is one of those newcomers, but it requires some effort to earn lots.
With each new Episode (or Season), Destiny 2 often adds novel gameplay mechanics and progression systems to keep the game feeling fresh. With Heresy, that comes in the form of the Tome of Want and forrays into an activity players seem to like, The Nether. However, to use the Tome of Want and to open those locked chests in The Nether, Guardians will need plenty of Essence of Desire.
Where does Essence of Desire come from?
Thankfully, Essence of Desire isn’t too hard to come by on its own. Players can earn Essence of Desire while participating in activities on The Nether, but the drip feed can be painfully slow. That said, there is another way to earn Essence of Desire, and you’ll get a lot more for your troubles.
In Eris’ Flat in The Last City, Guardians will find a Taken Altar just to the left of the entryway. You can only interact with the Altar if you hold ten or more Metastasized Essentia, and doing so will consume the resources. In return, players will get a bunch of loot, including 10 Essence of Desire.
The Taken Altar is the most lucrative way to earn Essence of Desire, but that also means you’ll have to spend a lot of time in The Nether to accrue the 10 Metastasized Essentia needed per interaction. At least, in addition to the Essence of Desire, you’ll also get some reprised Season of Arrivals weapons and some upgrade materials with each pull.
What is Essence of Desire used for?
As mentioned earlier, Essence of Desire is the key to several rewards in Episode: Heresy. Most notably, each time Guardians activate a ritual using the Tome of Want, it costs two Essence of Desire. The Tome helps you narrow potential rewards down, allowing the ability to focus specific weapons, armor, or resources.
In addition to the Tome, Essence also comes up whenever players find locked chests while exploring The Nether. Each of these locked chests similarly costs two Essence of Desire to unlock. Inside, Guardians will be rewarded with Sigil Shards and a guaranteed weapon drop.
While there’s no requirement for players to stock up on Essence of Desire, they certainly help make The Nether all the more rewarding. Plus, if you’re already engaging with Episode: Heresy anyway, you’ll undoubtedly end up with some Essence of Desire to spend.
Published: Feb 6, 2025 09:02 pm