History of The Menagerie

Overview

The Menagerie was a six-player arena activity aboard Emperor Calus's Leviathan, introduced in Season of Opulence and vaulted with Destiny 2: Beyond Light in November 2020. The launch path began with the Chalice of Opulence questline from Benedict 99-40.

Modes and structure

Normal matchmaking used revives with an extended respawn timer and no darkness zones. Heroic Menagerie launched June 25, 2019 as a premade-fireteam mode with darkness zones; a full team wipe returned the team to orbit. Heroic encounters did not repeat within a run, so a team that failed to fill the progress bar before exhausting the available encounters returned to orbit. Its 740 recommended Power and other 2019 difficulty details are historical, not current-level guidance.

Runs began with Lamplighting, then selected encounters filled the progress bar until the final boss. There was no fixed order for the rotating encounter set.

Encounter walkthrough

• Lamplighting: defeat the Lamplighter and dunk its charges into the six lamps to open the route.
• Arkborn: collect the green souls, carry up to three at a time, and deposit them in the cores before the timer expires.
• Mockery: stay within the shrinking havens; defeat Wizards and dunk their orbs to restore the safe zones.
• Crystals: defeat Vex Harpies, take their craniums, and use them to destroy the immune crystals.
• Gauntlet: clear the center, run the course through its hoops, and avoid the flame jets on later passes.
• Hunted: hold the marked plates against Hive waves until each plate completes.
• Riposte: defeat Darkblades for their swords, then use the swords to break the shields on Knights and Ogres.

The rotating final bosses were Hasapiko (Vex Minotaur), Arunak (Hive Ogre), and Pagouri (Vex Hydra). In Heroic, prioritize survival because encounter deaths are consequential and a full wipe ends the attempt.

Rewards

Chalice runes determined the final chest's weapons and armor. The activity also offered Opulent gear and triumph rewards.

Sources

• The Menagerie (activity structure, encounter objectives, rotating bosses, normal-versus-Heroic revive behavior, and vaulting).
• Destiny 2: Season of Opulence – The Menagerie guide (encounter mechanics and run progression; published in 2019).
• How to beat Heroic Menagerie (Heroic launch date, premade-fireteam requirement, encounter non-repetition, wipe consequences, and historical 740 Power; published in 2019).