Ready to unlock the rarest treasures in Destiny 2? Mastering the hunt for Exotic Ciphers is your ticket to legendary weapons and armor-but with new rules and tough grinds, knowing the best ways to score these coveted currencies is more crucial than ever.
In this Destiny 2 guide, we’ll walk you through where you can earn Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2, and what you should spend them on if you’re a new player or a Destiny veteran.
How to get Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2
Exotic Ciphers are a limited and highly valued currency in Destiny 2, used for acquiring past exotic weapons, focusing high-stat exotic armor, and other special purchases. Players can obtain them primarily through the current season pass-claiming one Exotic Cipher at rank 60 (free) and another at higher ranks (typically 101 or 180, depending on the season and pass type). Another reliable source is Xur’s weekly “Xenology” quest, which grants one Exotic Cipher upon completion each week, though this requires a significant grind. Additional ciphers may occasionally be available from special DLC packs, seasonal quests, or as one-off rewards from triumphs, but these are not as consistent or repeatable.
Exotic Ciphers are a limited currency in Destiny 2, meaning they aren’t an endlessly farmable resource, and you can only acquire so many each season. However, there are still plenty of ways to get Ciphers each week if you need a few of them to catch up at the Monument to Lost Lights or you just have a lot of armor to upgrade.
Here’s a quick glance at all the Exotic Cipher sources, which we’ll go into with more detail below:
- Season Pass free and paid track
- Reputation track for Rahool and Xur
- Weekly repeatable “Xenology” quest
- Random seasonal offerings and promotions
First, let’s touch on the passive ways to earn Exotic Ciphers. The Season Pass holds a number of Exotic Ciphers each season or episode (for example, Episode: Revenant has three in its 200 levels, with two on the free track and one on the premium track). As you play the season and complete challenges, you’ll level up your Season Pass and eventually gain access to these Exotic Ciphers.
There are also two different reputation tracks that regularly offer Exotic Ciphers: Master Rahool and Xur. By decoding Exotics with Rahool and spending your Strange Coins with Xur, you can earn reputation and eventually pick up a shiny new Exotic Cipher.
Second, there is only one real active way to farm Exotic Ciphers, and that’s with the “Xenology” quest. Each week, you can grab a “Xenology” Exotic quest from Xur, and he’ll ask you to complete 21 Vanguard/Exotic playlist activities or win PvP/Gambit matches. (More challenging activities or playing with clanmates offers bonus progress). You can do one “Xenology” per Xur visit to the tower (so once a week per account) and you get one Exotic Cipher out of it. This is a very slow grind if you’re actively pursuing it, but it’s worth having a “Xenology” on your person at all times, as you’ll inevitably complete it while doing other things in the game.
Finally, there are one-off or seasonal offerings for Exotic Ciphers. This includes stuff like Rahool stash offerings you get for pre-ordering expansion, or season-only items like the Exotic Cipher tonic in Episode: Revenant. While always worth taking advantage of, you can never really count on these methods, as they aren’t consistently available in-game.
What new players can buy with Exotic Ciphers
New players in Destiny 2 can use Exotic Ciphers to unlock a wide array of powerful Exotic weapons and armor that are otherwise difficult or impossible to obtain through normal gameplay. At the Monument to Lost Lights (the Exotic Kiosk) in the Tower, players can spend Exotic Ciphers-along with Glimmer and sometimes other materials-to purchase retired Exotics from previous seasons and expansions, as well as raid Exotics if they also have enough Spoils of Conquest. Additionally, Exotic Ciphers can be used to buy an extra Fated Engram from Xur each week, or, starting in The Final Shape, to add Artifice sockets to Exotic armor, further enhancing their utility for both new and veteran Guardians.
If you’re a new player who hasn’t collected every Exotic weapon and armor piece, your Exotic Ciphers will likely all go to Master Rahool or the Monument to Lost Lights, both of which are in the Tower.
If you’re looking for Exotic weapons you don’t own – which are typically more interesting and worth grabbing than armor – take your Exotic Ciphers, a massive amount of Glimmer (between 100,000-125,000), and the occasional Ascendant Shard to the Monument to Lost Lights, which is near the Vaults. Here, you’ll be able to exchange your currencies for any Exotic weapon that is from a retired piece of content and no longer available to get via traditional means. This includes old season pass Exotics and Exotics whose quests have expired. You can even pick up Exotics from old raids that are no longer in the game, although you’ll also need a whopping 240 Spoils of Conquest on top of your Exotic Cipher to get those.
Once you’ve grabbed all of the weapons you’re most interested in (or if you need an Exotic armor piece to put together a sweet build), bring your Exotic Ciphers over to Master Rahool. Once you fully level him up once in a season and prestige him, you’ll be able to focus any Exotic armor piece in the game with an Exotic Engram and an Exotic Cipher. This is the only way to get new Exotic armor pieces each season, and is a great way to fill out your collection as you grow your arsenal.
What veteran players can buy with Exotic Ciphers
Veteran players in Destiny 2 who already possess most or all Exotic weapons and armor can still make good use of their Exotic Ciphers by purchasing additional Fated Engrams from Xur-allowing for duplicate Exotics and a chance at better armor rolls-or by using them to add Artifice sockets to Exotic armor, which unlocks valuable customization slots for mods. As of The Final Shape expansion, Exotic Ciphers also enable advanced armor focusing at the Cryptarch, letting veterans target high-stat Exotic armor specific to their builds. These options ensure that even those with extensive collections can continue to optimize their loadouts and make the most of this limited currency.
Once you have all of the retired Exotic weapons in the game and all of the Exotic armor pieces, you have two uses for your Exotic Ciphers, both of which were added in 2024’s Final Shape expansion.
First, you should hold three Exotic Ciphers for the next season or expansion. Each new content drop adds one Exotic armor piece per class, and most expansions bring two per class for a total of six. If you’re getting close to a new drop and you regularly play all three classes, it’s a good idea to hold onto your Exotic Ciphers until these new armor pieces come out, so you can immediately upgrade Master Rahool, buy the new stuff, and start putting together cool new builds. Just make sure to bring 5-10 Exotic Engrams into the new content launch with you as well, as you’ll need them to both level up Rahool and focus the new armor pieces.
Second, you can spend your Exotic Ciphers to upgrade your Exotic armor pieces into Artifice Exotic armor. This causes your Exotic armor piece to function just like a piece of Artifice armor that you can get from Master Dungeons, and allows you to slot a free 3 stat mod into your Exotic. This is invaluable for late-stage build-crafting, as it’s very common to be just three little stats away from a breakpoint. Just remember that Exotic Ciphers are very rare, and this process can’t be undone, so make sure to only use the Artifice Unlock slot on well-rolled Exotic armor pieces that you use frequently.
What secret methods can I use to farm Exotic Ciphers quickly in Destiny 2
There are no true “secret” methods to farm Exotic Ciphers quickly in Destiny 2, as most sources are time-gated or limited by design. However, some lesser-known or underused tactics can help maximize your gains:
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Season Pass and Previous Rewards: Always claim Exotic Ciphers from the current and past season passes. If you missed rewards from previous seasons, use browser extensions like “Season Pass Pass” to claim them retroactively on Bungie.net.
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Xur’s Xenology Quest: This is the most reliable weekly farm-complete Xur’s quest for one Exotic Cipher per week. The quest requires 21 activity completions (Vanguard, Crucible, or Gambit), and progress can be accelerated by playing more challenging activities or teaming up with clanmates.
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Reputation Resets: Rahool (the Cryptarch) grants an Exotic Cipher upon a full reputation reset. This is a slow method but can be combined with other activities for passive progress.
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Tonic Farming (Limited-Time): With the introduction of enriching tonics (such as those available during the Revenant episode), you can purchase legendary (purple) tonics at the Tonic Table in the Last City. These have a chance to yield Exotic tonics, which can reward Exotic Ciphers. This method is not always available but can be exploited when it is, as it is not limited by weekly quests or reputation ranks-though it is subject to RNG.
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Special Deliveries Terminal: Occasionally, Exotic Ciphers appear in the special deliveries terminal at the Tower, especially tied to pre-orders or bonus packs. Check this terminal regularly for unclaimed rewards.
Currently, there are no hidden exploits or shortcuts outside these methods. The most consistent way is to stay on top of Xur’s weekly quest and claim all available season pass ciphers. The tonic method, while not guaranteed, is the closest to a “secret” farm when available.
What hidden tricks can I use to maximize my Exotic Cipher gains weekly
There are no truly “hidden” tricks to bypass Destiny 2’s strict limits on Exotic Cipher acquisition, but several underutilized or overlooked strategies can help you maximize your gains each week:
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Always Complete Xur’s Xenology Quest: This is the most consistent weekly source. Pick up the quest from Xur between Friday and Tuesday, and complete 21 playlist activities (Strikes, Crucible, or Gambit). Progress counts across all three modes, so mix activities to avoid burnout.
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Claim All Season Pass Ciphers: Each season’s pass often includes Exotic Ciphers at specific ranks (typically rank 55, 60, or higher). Make sure to claim these as soon as you reach the required rank.
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Check the Special Deliveries Terminal: Occasionally, Exotic Ciphers appear here due to pre-orders, bonus packs, or other promotions. Check this terminal at the Tower every week for unclaimed rewards.
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Reset Rahool’s Reputation: Each full reputation reset with Rahool (the Cryptarch) grants an Exotic Cipher. Focus on activities that reward Cryptarch reputation (such as decrypting engrams) to make progress toward this reward.
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New Light Triumph: New players can earn a one-time Exotic Cipher by completing a specific Triumph in the New Light Gear tab.
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Stack Activities: If you’re working on multiple objectives (such as bounties or seasonal challenges), choose playlist activities that count toward Xur’s quest to maximize efficiency.
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Don’t Let Inventory Cap Block Progress: You can only hold up to 5 Exotic Ciphers at a time. If you reach this cap, you won’t be able to complete Xur’s quest, so spend your Ciphers before picking up the quest again.
By following these strategies, you’ll ensure you’re getting every possible Exotic Cipher available to you each week. There are no secret exploits, but these methods represent the most efficient ways to maximize your gains within the game’s established limits.
