How to get Essence of Desire in Destiny 2

Power up your Tome of Want to secure the powerful Heretical Arsenal weaponry

Essence of Desire serves as a primary economic resource within Destiny 2: Heresy, the concluding chapter of the Light and Darkness narrative arc. This valuable currency works alongside supplementary resources such as Metastasized Essentia to help Guardians obtain formidable new gear for confronting The Taken King in his resurrected threat.

This comprehensive Destiny 2 resource explains the multifaceted applications of Essence of Desire, reveals optimal acquisition techniques, and details Metastasized Essentia collection methods.

Essence of Desire fulfills two critical gameplay functions: activation energy and access keys.

Primarily, Essence of Desire serves as the activation fuel for your Tome of Want artifact within Destiny 2: Heresy. The Tome enables precise loot targeting, allowing you to narrow reward pools to specific categories like Heresy weapon sets or individual items such as the episodic Watchful Eye heavy machine gun. After selecting your desired reward through scripture insertion, the final activation step requires Essence expenditure. Insufficient currency—with costs varying by invoked spell—completely prevents Tome activation, making strategic resource management essential. Advanced players should note that higher-tier focusing options consume 3-5 Essence per activation, requiring careful planning.

Additionally, you can expend Essence of Desire to unlock supplementary cache containers scattered throughout the Dreadnaught. These slender containers, reminiscent of King’s Fall raid chest designs for veteran players, demand two Essence as tribute for access. Successful unlocking guarantees a Heresy weapon drop, Sigil Shards, and universal upgrade materials like Enhancement Cores. Savvy Guardians should prioritize these chests during high-value activity weeks when drop rates for god-roll weapons increase significantly.

Essence of Desire appears as general activity rewards throughout Heresy content, obtainable through various sources including playlist completion with an active Tome and Dreadnaught objective clearing. However, these standard methods prove significantly less efficient compared to a hidden mechanic the game never explicitly reveals: the sacrificial altar within Eris Morn’s personal quarters.

Image: Bungie via Polygon

Positioned along the left wall inside Eris’ chamber, you’ll discover an unusual stone formation containing a floating Taken sphere at its center. Approaching this structure prompts an interaction option requesting Metastasized Essentia contribution—if available—or notification of insufficient currency with a 10-unit requirement. Completing the sacrifice ritual consumes the currency and rewards two reissued weapons from Season of Arrivals, various materials, and a substantial 10 Essence of Desire payout.

Image: Bungie via Polygon

The altar offering represents by far the most efficient Essence acquisition method, but demands substantial Metastasized Essentia accumulation—detailed in the following section. New players often waste time on passive farming when the altar provides 5x faster currency generation. Ensure you complete at least three Dreadnaught patrols daily to maintain Essentia stocks for consistent conversions.

Image: Bungie via Polygon

Metastasized Essentia functions as the regional economic token for the Dreadnaught, Oryx’s colossal warship reintroduced in Heresy. This location serves as your primary operational theater throughout the episode, hosting repeated excursions into The Nether—the roguelite activity mode set within familiar environments with enhanced healing mechanics.

Metastasized Essentia acquisition peaks during Nether completions, with successful runs yielding 3-5 units depending on performance metrics. Secondary sources include public events (1-2 Essentia), patrol missions (1 unit), and hidden cache discoveries (2-3 units). Elite players can optimize farming by combining Nether speed runs with targeted public event participation during increased reward periods. The most efficient strategy involves completing Nether runs in under 20 minutes while coordinating with fireteam members to trigger back-to-back public events in adjacent zones.

Understanding the conversion economy between Metastasized Essentia and Essence of Desire creates a powerful gameplay loop: farm Essentia through Dreadnaught activities, convert at Eris’ altar for massive Essence gains, then utilize both currencies for optimal gear progression. This cycle becomes particularly crucial during final episode weeks when limited-time weapons become available.

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