Fireteams across the galaxy are on edge as Destiny 2’s next major challenge approaches – the Root of Nightmares raid. Bungie promises a confrontation steeped in cosmic mystery, where Guardians must push deeper into the aftermath of the Witness’s arrival to face horrors that twist light and shadow beyond recognition.
What time does Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares raid launch?
Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares raid launched on March 10, 2023, at the daily reset, which was 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. GMT / 6 p.m. CET. Contest Mode locked power levels 20 below the recommended cap and ran for 48 hours from that time. Players worldwide accessed it simultaneously after the reset.
Destiny 2: Lightfall‘s Root of Nightmares raid Twitter on March 10, 2023, at the same time around the world. Here’s when it goes live in your time zone:
- 9 a.m PST for the west coast of North America
- 12 p.m. EST for the east coast of North America
- 6 p.m. CET for western Europe/Paris
- 5 p.m. GMT for the United Kingdom
- 2 a.m. JST on March 11 for Tokyo
What to expect from Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares raid
Root of Nightmares introduces a new challenge within the haunting setting of a terraformed pyramid ship, filled with threats shaped by the powers of Light and Darkness. Fireteams will face mechanics that reward coordination and quick adaptation as they battle through visually intense encounters. Expect a mix of puzzle-solving, tight combat arenas, and unique boss fights that test movement and timing. The raid’s atmosphere and rewards continue Bungie’s tradition of combining storytelling with high-stakes multiplayer gameplay.
Bungie has been largely tight-lipped about what to expect from Root of Nightmares. Here’s the official description:
Ferried from an unknown time and place, a haunting presence has been detected. We must now confront the ancient threat growing at our doorstep.
Well, that sure narrows things down!
That text comes alongside a single piece of key art depicting six guardians staring at a cloudy void bearing a strong resemblance to the the scariest planet from Outer Wilds. (See: the pic at the top of this post.) The cryptic nature of Bungie’s reveal has naturally caused some fans to speculate. Of course, if you must know, data miners and leakers have revealed info about what’s apparently in Root of Nightmares, but we’re not sharing the particulars here. That would ruin all the fun.
How to prepare for Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares raid
Focus on finishing the Lightfall campaign on Legendary to raise your Power quickly, aiming for at least 1800 and pushing toward the Pinnacle cap before raid launch. Stock up on raid banners, ammo bricks, high-tier armor mods, and build a fireteam that can cover add clear, survivability, and boss damage roles reliably. Practice in other raids or dungeons to sharpen callouts and mechanics awareness, and refine loadouts built around strong Exotics like Izanagi’s Burden, Sleeper Simulant, Witherhoard, or Osteo Striga for solid single-target and crowd-control options.
As with all Destiny 2 raids, Root of Nightmares is a six-person activity. Before starting, you should at the very least ensure your fireteam is all at Power level 1800 – the current Powerful cap for Lightfall – though it couldn’t hurt to aim for the Pinnacle cap of 1810. We’d also recommend beating Lightfall‘s Legendary campaign.
For the first 48 hours, Root of Nightmares will also feature contest mode, wherein teams compete to see who can race through the whole thing first. Historically, contest mode has been a 24-hour window, but Bungie Twitter in 2022 to compensate for the possibility of connection issues. (Lightfall‘s rollout has generally been smooth, with reported login times of less than 30 minutes on launch day. Not bad for shattering its Steam concurrents record!)
Root of Nightmares raid boss guides
Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares raid features four encounters, with bosses in the third and fourth.
Guides emphasize team coordination for light/dark node chaining, ad clear, and damage phases.
Zo’Aurc, Explicator of Planets
This third encounter pits teams against a planet-moving boss in Macrocosm. Split into two groups of three per side (left/right); assign two planet handlers per cluster (planets 1-3 and 4-6) while one clears adds. Shoot Traveler orbs for Field of Light buff, grab matching seeds (light/dark), and deposit into roots to extend chains-complete both sides to spawn the boss, then match his shield color to plates for DPS.
Nezarec, Final God of Pain
The final boss requires extending nodes on both room sides amid heavy adds and debuffs. Two players handle nodes with Field of Light; others group to taunt Nezarec and pass “Nezarec’s Hatred” debuff by shooting his glowing crit spots (shoulders/chest). Pop all three spots to trigger damage phase-repeat 2-3 times, watching for light/dark wipes; use Well of Radiance for sustained DPS.
Key Tips Across Bosses
Loadouts favor Well Warlocks for supers, Hunters for mobility/invis on runner roles, and swords like Eager Edge for node traversal. Prioritize Psion melee, Tormentor kills to extend timers, and shielded enemies; challenges like Illuminated Torrent demand Field of Light kills on Tormentors.
Root of Nightmares loot table and drop chances
Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares raid offers six legendary weapons, class-specific armor sets, and the Exotic shotgun Conditional Finality.
Loot drops once per character weekly from four encounters, but becomes farmable during featured weeks or via Spoils of Conquest at the final chest (20 Spoils per item previously earned).
Loot Table by Encounter
| Encounter | Weapons | Armor |
|---|---|---|
| Cataclysm (First) | Briar’s Contempt (Solar Linear Fusion), Koraxis’s Distress (Strand Grenade Launcher), Nessa’s Oblation (Void Shotgun) | Helmet, Gauntlets, Chest |
| Scission (Second) | Mykel’s Reverence (Solar Trace Rifle), Rufus’s Fury (Strand Auto Rifle), Briar’s Contempt, Koraxis’s Distress, Escape Velocity (Strand Sidearm) | Gauntlets, Chest, Legs |
| Macrocosm (Third, Zo’Aurc) | Rufus’s Fury, Mykel’s Reverence, Hatchling (Strand Grenade Launcher), Hipshot (Void Shotgun) | Legs, Arms, Helmet |
| Nezarec (Final) | All six weapons + Conditional Finality (Exotic Shotgun, random chance boosted by triumphs) | Class Item, Arms, Chest |
Drop Mechanics
Deepsight Resonance weapons drop weekly (one per clear, or via Spoils/puzzles), with patterns craftable after five extracts; Master mode yields Adept versions.
No exact percentages are listed, but challenges raise Deepsight/Exotic odds; full clears maximize variety.
