The Encore Exotic mission in Destiny 2 has seven secret chests for you to collect. Like some of the other Exotic missions, unlocking these chests will ultimately reward you with the different catalysts for the Choir of One Exotic Auto Rifle.
However, just like raids this Exotic mission is unique in many ways because apart from being one of the most complex missions in the game, the secret chests are locked behind a few objectives.
So, here’s where you can find these secret chests the Encore Exotic mission and how you can unlock them in Destiny 2.
How to unlock secret chests in Destiny 2 Encore mission
Before being able to unlock the secret chests in Destiny 2 Encore mission, you’ll have to meet the following requirements:
- Complete any variant of Encore at least once.
- Complete the “Specimen: NES007” quest.
- Obtain a Choir of One quest from Banshee-44 in the Tower.
It’s worth noting that the Encore mission has three different variants, namely Overture, Concerto and Coda, that keep rotating on a weekly basis.
Once you’ve met the requirements mentioned above, the chests will start spawning for you. Of all the variants, the Overture part has three secret chests while Concerto and Coda have two each.
So, here’s where you can find all these chests and the puzzles that you need to solve to unlock them in Destiny 2.
All secret chest locations in Destiny 2 Encore Exotic mission
| Mission | Chest location | Where to find | Reward | Puzzle solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overture | Nexus | In the area after the first major jumping puzzle (Nexus), head left instead of right | Triumph | Shoot the large cube with a small glowing cube under it. |
| Overture | Planetary Core | In the area with the first Planetary Piston, after the Partition module puzzle | Commander Frame II Intrinsic Upgrade | Follow the lasers leading from the Conflux and shoot five Vex objects. |
| Overture | Ishtar Research Facility | The lab on the Ishtar Research Facility, where you hear Maya and Chioma Esi talking. | Subsistence Refit Catalyst | Each portal reaches to a specific node. You need to use these portals to reach the nodes above you and destroy them. |
| Concerto | Planetary Core (Same location as the second Overture chest) | Take the middle portal in the Ishtar Research Facility. | Specimen ID: NES008 quest Commander Frame III Intrinsic Upgrade | Reach the portal with a node above it and then shoot the Conflux with the node in front of it. |
| Concerto | Ishtar Research Facility (same area as the third in Overture) | Take the left portal in the Ishtar Research Facility. | Destabilizing Rounds Refit | Collect four unknown specimens around the area using the Deletion, Access, and Partition buffs. |
| Coda | Planetary Core (Same location as the second Overture chest) | Go through the left portal just like in Overture | Commander Frame IV Intrinsic Upgrade | Kill the Minotaurs within the time limit. |
| Coda | Ishtar Research Facility (same area as the third in Overture) | Go through the last Overture portal and take the teleporter on the right | Onslaught Refit Specimen ID:NES009 quest | Use the Connection buffs and the Arc Cranium to connect the conduits. |
All secret chest puzzle solutions in Encore: Overture
Chest 1
Location: Before the Vex node puzzle
To get to the first chest, you need to make your way across the jumping puzzle and drop down into a purple room.
Instead of heading forward, take your left till you come to a room with dormant Vex portals and interact with the conflux here. After a brief period, you’ll see four Vex cubes spawn on the ceiling out of which one will have a smaller cube under it.
Shoot the cube with the square underneath it and repeat till all the cubes have been destroyed. Once you’ve done it for two sets, the chest will spawn in the middle.
Chest 2
Location: Right before you get to the boss encounter.
To get this chest, you’ll need to use the portals that you find in the big room before the Tormentor and Subjugator encounter.
This room has an active Vex pillar, that you need to interact with. Once you’ve done so, you’ll see a portal forms, that you can use to get to the start of the Encore mission in Destiny 2.
When you get here, you’ll have to find and shoot Vex plates within 90 seconds. You’ll see thin lines of light reaching out into the air. Follow these lines to find the plates.
Chest 3
Location: Ishtar Collective Research Facility
This is one of the trickiest puzzles that Bungie has designed till date. For this puzzle, you’ll have to use portals to reach platforms and destroy a few cubes.
Each portal has a line that leads out from the top of the portal. To solve this puzzle, look at the cube with a small glowing square below it.
You’ll see that this glowing square emits a line which leads to a specific portal. Enter this portal and then head to the other level to destroy the cube. Repeat till all cubes have been destroyed.
All secret chest puzzle solutions in Encore: Concerto
Chest 1
Location: Right before the Tormentor and Subjugator boss encounter.
Once you’ve made your way to the Nexus, interact with the pillar in the middle to activate the portal to the Planetary Core. Here you’ll have to fight a Vex Minotaur boss, but he’ll be immune and you’ll have to make him vulnerable.
To do so, you’ll have to destroy Vex cubes with small glowing squares below them and to reach these cubes you’ll have to make your way through the portals.
Defeat Vex majors to collect the buff they drop, and now take a note of the glowing cube and follow the line it emits. It’ll show you the portal that you need to activate.
Go through the portal and then destroy the cube, and the Minotaur will lose its shield. Once you’ve depleted 33% of its health, the shield will return and you’ll have to repeat the process.
Chest 2
Location: Ishtar Collective Research Facility, but take the portal on the left this time.
For this chest, you’ll have to collect four Specimens from a maze while evading deletion walls and killing Vex minotaurs.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the easiest path to this puzzle:
- Head straight from the spawn and get to the end of the tunnel and take your right. At the end of the room, you’ll find a Vex minotaur that you need to kill. Collect the red module that he drops and then look for a gap in one of the walls here. Head into the gap and collect the first specimen.
- Make your way back to the spawn and you should see a red plate here. Deposit the module and then kill the Minotaur to pick his red buff. Head to the plate and deposit the module. Head inside and collect the Vex specimen.
- Now, grab the module again and then head down the stairs to activate another plate that you see here. Kill the Minotaur that spawns in this room to get a blue module and use it to activate the portal here.
- Use the portal and then head into the new room where you get to kill a Minotaur that drops a yellow buff. Collect this and deposit it on plate which will take you back to the starting area.
- Backtrack to the last red module that you deposited next to the plate, and dunk it beside the yellow partition plate. Now, head back to the entrance and get the other red module, and dunk it on the other red plate beside the yellow plate.
- Collect the final Vex specimen and you’re done with this puzzle.
All secret chest puzzle solutions in Encore: Coda
Chest 1
Location: Planetary Core
For this chest, you’ll have to make your way to the Planetary Core, but instead take the left portal this time to get to the area.
When you’re here, interact with the pillar in the middle and you’ll get a timer within which you will have to destroy five Vex Minotaurs.
These enemies can be found on the edges of the arena, so just use your radar to find them, and you’re done with this.
Chest 2
Location: Before the Dread boss encounter in the Encore Exotic mission.
This is a light-bouncing puzzle that you’ve encountered at the start of the Echoes mission. When you’re at Maya’s lab, head into the right portal and you’ll come into a portal with a green orb.
Kill everything and pick up the green orb and deposit it in the designated area. Then pick up an Arc cranium and stand on the glowing plate.
Here, you should see glowing plates that you need to bounce the arc beam of. After you’ve successfully done it once, another set of enemies will spawn. You need to do this four times in total and you’ll have completed this puzzle.
