How to complete the Maelstrom quest in Destiny 2

Players diving into Destiny 2‘s Lightfall expansion may find themselves at odds with some of Neomuna’s objectives. Namely, the Maelstrom quest has caused some confusion. But Maelstrom is well worth Guardians’ effort, leading to weekly Pinnacle rewards and a step towards an Exotic glaive.

Maelstrom is a multi-step endeavor that occurs as part of Lightfall‘s post-campaign. Completing the quest rewards players with the ability to undertake Neomuna’s Weekly Mission. These can be launched at varying difficulties and offer Pinnacle rewards every reset. These Pinnacle rewards are vital for players to continue growing their power, and the more opportunities there are, the better. Additionally, completing Maelstrom is a prerequisite for obtaining the Winterbite Exotic glaive.

How to start the Maelstrom quest

Before players can start the Maelstrom quest, there are a few things they’ll need to take care of first. Most importantly, Guardians must have already completed the Lightfall campaign, though difficulty doesn’t matter. After toppling Calus’ invasion of Neomuna, players can visit the Hall of Heroes and begin helping Quinn Laghari.

The city archivist will task Guardians with restoring the Cloudstrider monuments within the Hall of Heroes. And the process even kicks off with the Welcome to the Hall of Heroes quest. This assignment simply has players exploring the Hall of Heroes and interacting with the ruins of the Cloudstrider memorials.

Quinn’s next quest, Stargazer, involves a little more boots-on-the-ground work. First, players must participate in a Terminal Overload event and loot its chest. Terminal Overload’s location rotates on Neomuna, but it should still be shown on the map. From there, Guardians are directed toward the Esi Terminal to defend it from Vex attackers. 

The next step requires a Terminal Overload Key, which you can earn from Public Events, Patrols, or destination chests. With a Key in hand, Guardians must complete another Terminal Overload. Players can return to Quinn for the Maelstrom quest after looting the event’s second chest using the Terminal Overload Key.

Completing the Maelstrom quest

Quinn’s first task is to bond with Strand sources and engage in various activities like public events or patrols. Specifically, these activities need to occur within the Vex Incursion Zone. Neomuna’s Vex Incursion Zone can be located using the quest marker, but its position changes daily. It can be quickly spotted on the map if players are ever in doubt. One location on Neomuna will show multi-colored lines moving over an area: the Vex Incursion Zone.

While finding the quest area is a breeze, Strand sources can be a tad elusive. These appear as winding green columns of Strand energy and can spawn in a number of different spots. More annoyingly, they seem somewhat sporadic and only appear for short periods. The best advice here is simply for Guardians to keep an eye out. 

The next stage of the Maelstrom quest asks players to complete a Lost Sector in Neomuna‘s Vex Incursion Zone. Because the Incursion Zone changes its location daily, Guardians could be asked to traverse any of Neomuna’s three Lost Sectors. Luckily, this rotating system can work in Guardians’ favor too. If players have trouble finding or completing a Lost Sector, they can just wait for it to swap to another.

Lost Sectors won’t appear on players’ maps until discovered. But there’s a decent chance Guardians have passed by one or two during their travels. You can identify Lost Sectors by looking for an icon of arched lines somewhere in the environment. This symbol means players are close to the Lost Sector, and a little further investigation will likely reveal an entrance.

After completing the Lost Sector, players can head back to the Hall of Heroes. There, they can interact with the Cloudstrider monument to reveal some intriguing lore about Neomuna’s protectors. And finally, Guardians can revisit Quinn, who will reward players with Powerful gear and grant access to the Bluejay quest. This, of course, also opens up Neomuna’s Weekly Mission.

Where does Winterbite come in?

After completing the Maelstrom quest, Guardians will be asked to undertake the Bluejay quest. Like Stargazer and Maelstrom before it, Bluejay ultimately culminates in restoring another Cloudstrider memorial. Guardians will chat with Nimbus, defeat Vex Incursion Zone enemies with Strand, and complete the Partition activity. Once the Bluejay quest is complete and the monument rebuilt, players can embark on the quest that rewards Winterbite: Strider.

Quinn’s final quest, Strider, will first ask Guardians to complete a Terminal Overload event in each area it can occur. Players must use a Terminal Overload Key at the end of the event for progress to count. Next, players must conquor the Ahimsa Park Lost Sector and eliminate the Shadow Legion Cabal. Thankfully, you can accomplish these tasks in tandem. Finally, Quinn will direct players to Maya’s Retreat to eliminate Vex and scan confluxes.

With that last task complete, Guardians can return to Quinn and reap their reward: the Winterbite Exotic glaive.