How to summon the Nessus world bosses in Destiny 2

Though Destiny 2‘s Episode: Echoes made three Battlegrounds and two seasonal activities readily available to players, there is even more lurking beneath the surface. The Episode quietly delivered a secret world boss encounter to Nessus, rewarding Radiolite and two Triumphs. However, before players can test themselves against the encounter, they’ll have to complete several prior steps that involve the seasonal story and the new Battlegrounds.

Though Destiny 2 has shed its seasons for episodes, content and structure have initially appeared pretty consistent between the two models. Typically, alongside narrative missions and seasonal activities, a given Season (and now Episode) will hide a few secrets that lead to hidden encounters (like the Whetstone Exotic mission). The Nessus world boss encounter is similar, not outwardly advertising its existence to players.

Prerequisites

Before players can start hunting for the world boss encounter on Nessus, they’ll first need to do some work with Failsafe. While undertaking the Echoes story, players will quickly get access to a tool called the Planetary Piston Hammer. The Hammer is primarily used throughout Echoes activities and Battlegrounds to activate Planetary Pistons and spawn Radiolite. The Planetary Piston Hammer is actually the key to summoning the Nessus world boss, but it’ll need an upgrade first.

Alongside Echoes’ story missions, players can optionally tackle Research Specimen quests for functional upgrades and cosmetics to decorate the H.E.L.M. The NES006 Specimen is what players will need to prioritize before they can summon the Nessus world boss, as it becomes the Assimilated Torch Hammer and rewards the Combat Protocol Override Research Instrument once completed.

Find the secret Assimilated Demolishers

With the Assimilated Torch Hammer in hand, players can head into the three new Echoes Battlegrounds in search of secret enemies. Each Battleground has a Vex waygate tucked away somewhere that initially did little else than provide ambiance. Now, with the Torch Hammer upgrade, approaching the gates summons an Assimilated Demolisher mini-boss. 

• In Battleground: Delve, the Vex gate is just before players enter the arena with the final boss encounter against Kalliks, Baron of House Dusk and Hypolydron, Captive Mind. The path leading to the encounter splits just before the final chamber on the left. If players go right, they’ll stumble upon the waygate.

• For Battleground: Conduit, the Vex portal can be found just after the first Planetary Piston in the open cistern chamber with circular passages out. The waygate in question is actually just around the corner to the right side of the room. An easily identifiable path of rubble leads to this Vex gate.

• The final Vex gate is in Battleground: Core, near the end of the Battleground. As players approach the boss, they may spot a platform off to the right side. The Vex gate will be visible from the main path, making it one of the easiest to find by accident.

It should be noted that, with luck, players only need to defeat one Assimilated Demolisher in an Echoes Battleground. Players will complete the first step of the Assimilated Targets Triumph, but nothing else immediately happens when Guardians prove victorious. That said, the Assimilated Demolisher’s defeat ensures additional rewards at the Battleground’s end and offers players a chance to receive an Assimilated Beacon. Players are looking for these Assimilated Beacons as they’re the key needed to summon Nessus’ world boss encounter.

Showdown in Watcher’s Grave

After players earn an Assimilated Beacon, they can head to Watcher’s Grave on Nessus. Guardians will notice a large data pylon coming out of the ground just to the right of the transmat locale. This is where the Assimilated Beacon can be used, summoning three Assimilated Demolishers. 

These Assimilated Demolishers are a bit beefier than the ones fought during the Battlegrounds, and each is a different type of Vex: a Hydra, Minotaur, and Wyvern. Hopefully, players will be on a Fireteam or in a populated patrol zone with other helpful Guardians. After being summoned, players will have five minutes to defeat the trio before they depart. 

Players will be rewarded for their efforts if Guardians defeat the three Assimilated Demolishers within five minutes. Rewards always include a 400g Radiolite sample and may additionally present a red-bordered Echoes weapon. Additionally, the feat will unlock the secret Demo Squad Triumph.