The Final Shape and its upcoming episodes have brought back several Destiny 1 exotics to Destiny 2. This year alone, players have seen the return of Red Death Reformed, Khvostov, and finally the iconic sniper rifle Ice Breaker. While Red Death Reformed was tied to a specific season and Khvostov featured an elaborate hidden quest, players were left wondering how they would obtain Ice Breaker upon its announcement. To acquire Ice Breaker now that it’s back, Guardians must navigate the mystery of the Vesper’s Host dungeon.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Destiny 2’s Vesper’s Host Dungeon.]
Ice Breaker is categorized as a Solar sniper rifle that uses special ammo, and its design has been slightly updated since its introduction in D1. Its curated roll features Corkscrew Rifling, Accurized Rounds, Composite Stock, and its unique exotic perk, Ice Breaker. This exotic perk allows enemies defeated by this weapon to explode; additionally, scoring precision final blows or eliminating frozen targets triggers a fiery ignition. This is a great example of the developers’ efforts to blend Prismatic elements, incorporating interactions from both Stasis and Solar subclasses, especially with the unlocked Prismatic fragments. To get this refreshed yet classic exotic, players will need to receive a quest from Spider to access the Vesper’s Host dungeon.
Vesper’s Host has received positive feedback from players since its launch, and you’ll require a Dungeon Key to access it. Once you gain entry, a new quest marker will guide you to speak with Spider in the Last City, who will direct you to a mysterious station he discovered orbiting Europa. You can team up with a maximum of two other guardians, but if you’re feeling bold, tackling the dungeon solo is also an option.
If you preordered or purchased the Deluxe Edition of The Final Shape, you’re good to go. However, if you haven’t, you can buy the dungeon key from the Eververse store where DLCs are managed.
As you begin, you’ll encounter remnants of an old Braytech station, an abandoned AI, and several Fallen House of Salvation deserters led by the mutated Atraks. In the dungeon, your objective will be to track down Atraks through the ruins of the Vesper station, aiming to uncover the Anomaly, a massive structure resembling the Vex that is connected to the station. To get a comprehensive understanding of the dungeon mechanics, you can check out a full guide from Datto on YouTube. To obtain Ice Breaker, you must defeat Atraks in the final showdown, but keep in mind that it’s not guaranteed to drop, even if you succeed.
There are several strategies to enhance your chances of securing Ice Breaker from the dungeon, the simplest being to repeat the dungeon runs until you finally get it. Having experienced numerous dungeon and raid grinds for exotics like Euphony, Hierarchy of Needs, and Buried Bloodline, I understand the frustration, but your probability of obtaining the weapon increases with each successful dungeon clear. This “pity system” resembles mechanics found in many gacha games, requiring you to build up that pity for higher drop chances.
In addition to repeated runs, completing certain triumphs can also boost your drop odds. The three relevant triumphs that improve your chances are:
Triumph | Description |
|---|---|
Alone in the Dark | Complete all encounters in Vesper’s Host solo without leaving the activity. |
Stationmaster | Complete Vesper’s Host on Master difficulty. |
Buried Secrets | Find all collectibles in Vesper’s Host. |
You can follow Esoterickk on YouTube for guidance on collectible locations within the dungeon. The other two triumphs might be more challenging, and given that Atraks, The Corrupted Puppeteer has nearly 16 million hit points, you’re in for a tough fight in both instances. However, it wouldn’t be a true Destiny 2 dungeon without tricky bosses and punishing challenges, so prepare your best build and jump in.
Source: Datto/YouTube, Esoterickk/YouTube
