Motes of Light have returned to Destiny 2: The Final Shape, but earning them isn’t as straightforward as grabbing a chest or completing a strike. These elusive collectibles fuel powerful upgrades and hidden rewards, making them one of the most sought-after resources in the game’s latest expansion.
In this Destiny 2 guide, I’ll walk you through where to find all Motes of Light so you can turn them into the Mote of Primordial Light.
What are Motes of Light in Destiny 2?
Motes of Light serve as collectible items in Destiny 2’s The Final Shape expansion. Guardians gather 17 of them-eight from Visions of the Traveler in the Pale Heart and nine from defeating unique bosses in the Overthrow activity across its three zones-to receive a Mote of Primordial Light. Players then take this item, along with the Legendary Khvostov 7G-0X, to a chest in the Pale Heart’s old Tower area to claim the Exotic version of the rifle. Originally a currency from the first Destiny for purchasing items from the Speaker, they now function solely as keys for this specific Exotic unlock.
Motes of Light are one of the oldest currencies in Destiny, having played a major role in the first game’s economy. In The Final Shape, they act as more of a collectible item.
Motes of Light come from two sources: Overthrow in The Pale Heart area, and the Visions of the Traveler collectibles. Upon collecting your 17th Mote of Light, it’ll automatically transform into the Mote of Primordial Light, which you can take – along with your Legendary Khvostov – to the old Speaker area in the Tower (where you first meet Cayde-6 in Final Shape) and unlock the Exotic version of Khvostov.
That is all easier said than done, unfortunately, as you need to get each of them in a specific way, which does involve a bit of luck.
How to get Motes of Light in Destiny 2
In Destiny 2: The Final Shape, players collect 17 Motes of Light in The Pale Heart to craft the Mote of Primordial Light and upgrade the Khvostov to its Exotic version. Eight Motes drop from Visions of the Traveler collectibles scattered across the region. The remaining nine come from defeating unique bosses in the Overthrow activity across three zones-The Landing, The Blooming, and The Impasse-where bosses rotate daily, so cycle through zones or team up via matchmaking after each clear.
As mentioned, you’ll get Motes of Light from two sources:
- Eight Motes of Light come from finding Visions of the Traveler collectibles
- Nine Motes of Light come from Overthrow, the endgame activity in the Pale Heart
Each time you collect a Visions of the Traveler collectible item in The Pale Heart, you’ll get a Mote of Light automatically deposited into your inventory. When you have all eight Visions, you should have eight Motes of Light.
If you need help finding the Visions of the Traveler, walk up to their podiums in The Lost City – shown in the image above – for a hint on where in The Pale Heart you can find them. Alternatively, our guide on where to find all Visions of the Traveler can show you exactly where to find each one.
Additionally, each time you defeat a new boss in Overthrow, you’ll get a Mote of Light. In theory, kill all nine Overthrow bosses and you’re done. It’s a bit more complicated in practice. There are three areas that spawn Overthrow, three bosses per area, and the boss who spawns at the end of an activity is completely random.
The best way to tackle this is to group up with some friends or like-minded players – the matchmaking node is only active for one area a day – to make the activity go faster. Once you clear an Overthrow, move to another in a different area of the map so you don’t waste time waiting for the activity to reset
Once you’ve killed all three bosses in The Landing, The Blooming, and The Impasse, you should have the Mote of Primordial Light, and will be able to get the Exotic version of Khvostov.
Where are the 8 Visions of the Traveler statues located in The Final Shape
Visions of the Traveler Locations
The eight Visions of the Traveler are collectible statues scattered across The Pale Heart in Destiny 2: The Final Shape, resembling miniature Travelers. Collecting all eight allows placement on podiums in The Lost City’s Speaker room for a reward chest tied to the Exotic Khvostov quest.
Vision #1: The Lost City
Spawn at the Lost City transmat, head down to Micah-10’s area, drop through the left hole, exit outside, and jump red-edged platforms to a waterfall ledge on the left.
Vision #2: The Landing
Load into The Landing zone facing north; jump into the waterfall next to the transmat.
Vision #3: The Refraction
In The Refraction (Dreaming City-like area), go northwest to a waterfall cave above it and enter to grab the Vision.
Vision #4: The Blooming
At The Blooming’s entrance to The Seclusion, climb the dead tree branches on the right tunnel side to reach it.
Vision #5: The Seclusion
From The Blooming, enter The Seclusion (Zavala’s house area); turn right at the Searing entry for the one around the corner.
Vision #6: The Divide
Climb to The Divide’s mountain summit; find it hidden behind a small radar dish.
Vision #7: The Impasse
Spawn at The Impasse, head left/east to pyramid buildings; it’s embedded in a ringed sculpture atop a temple halfway through.
Vision #8: The Transgression
From The Impasse, traverse east through The Transgression’s storms and pyramids to the end; it’s behind a dead tree near Paranormal Activity on a red-lit ledge.
Show a map of all 8 Vision of the Traveler locations in The Final Shape
Pale Heart Zone Map Overview
The eight Visions of the Traveler are spread across distinct zones in The Pale Heart destination. Interactive in-game maps are available on sites like Brayton or Destiny 2 Tracker, but textual overviews from guides mark them relative to transmats.
Zone-by-Zone Markers
-
Lost City: South-central, near Tower exit waterfall ledge.
-
Landing: Northwest edge, waterfall pool by transmat.
-
Refraction: Northwest cave above waterfall.
-
Blooming: East tunnel tree branches to Seclusion.
-
Seclusion: Right corner post-Blooming entry.
-
Divide: Mountain summit behind radar dish.
-
Impasse: East temple sculpture ring.
-
Transgression: Far east dead tree by Paranormal Activity.
Visual Guide References
Video guides provide overhead maps and pins for precise navigation; search YouTube for “Destiny 2 Visions of the Traveler map” to view walkthroughs with overlays.
