Destiny 2 Exotic Cipher: How To Get and Use

Destiny 2 isn't the most accessible game to get into. There are plenty of different mechanics to understand, not to mention the wide array of strange crafting materials and resources that you may not initially know what to do with. Exotic Cipher is one of these strange yet valuable currencies in Destiny 2, which you can use to get new Exotic weapons and armor. It may be a bit confusing exactly how it works in the beginning. Don't worry, that's why they created guide writers. Read on for our complete guide that explains how to get and use Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2.

What Are Exotic Ciphers In Destiny 2

Exotic Ciphers serve as a rare form of currency in Destiny 2 that enables Guardians to acquire Exotic gear such as weapons and armor. More specifically, they remain the only way to claim exotics obtains from quests which have now been sunset. For instance, players can acquire Exotic gear from past Destiny 2 expansions like Forspoken, Beyond Light, The Witch Queen, and Lightfall.

How To Get Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2

There are currently two ways to obtain Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2:

Season Pass

Simply reach rank 55 on the season pass. You don't have to pay either, since this can be accomplished through the game's free season pass track. If you want to speed things up, make sure to complete daily and weekly bounties as well as seasonal challenges as they become available.

Farm The Xenology Quest

A more frequent option to obtain Exotic Ciphers is through Xur. Every week, Xur offers a quest called "Xenology" which can be completed by finishing Vanguard Ops or gaining Crucible and Gambit victories. You will need a total of 21 wins, but playing with clanmates and completing Nightfalls or Trials of Osiris matches can help you progress faster. Unfortunately, you can only complete Xenology once a week, and there is no way to farm Exotic Ciphers at the moment.

How Many Exotic Ciphers Can You Hold

Previously guardians could only hold one Exotic Cipher at a time. However, in Season 21(Season of the Deep) this was increased to five Exotic Ciphers in line with further changes to Exotic Armor focusing.

How To Use Exotic Cipher in Destiny 2

At the time of writing Guardians can use Exotic Ciphers in three different ways:

Monument to Lost Lights

First you can use the Exotic Cipher to get Exotic weapons and armor from the Monuments to Lost Lights kiosk. This gold-plated Exotic Archive can be found in the Tower's Courtyard, next to the Vault. It's not far from where you find Commander Zavala. From the kiosk you can buy exotics from old quests and raids, costing oneDestiny 2 Lost Sector Rotation Today (July 2023): Season Of The Deep Schedule Exotic Cipher apiece. Do note, if you want raid exotics you'll also have to pay 240 Spoils of Conquest, which you can earn from doing raids.

Xur’s Fated Engram

Alternatively, players can use Exotic Cipher's to purchase Xur's Fated Engrams. Each week players can purchase the first Fated Engram from Xur using legendary shards, but after that you'll need to spend your Exotic Cipher's to obtain another Fated Engram.

Precision Exotic Armor Decryption

With the release of Destiny 2 Season of the Deep, Master Rahool now sells exotic armor focusing. The more expensive 'Precision Exotic Armor' deception will cost 60,000 Glimmer, 3 Ascendant Shards, and one Exotic Cipher but allows players to directly focus the Exotic armor they want. Do note that you can't get new pieces of Exotic armor from focusing, so you’ll need to collect them from the Vex Strike Force event or Lost Sectors in the meantime. In the future, we are looking to move acquiring new armor to a more accessible location.

For more Destiny 2 news, be sure to check out our dedicated section or take a look at some of our Guides & Tutorials just below: