The Menagerie
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The Menagerie was a six-player PvE activity in Destiny 2 introduced during Season of Opulence. Located aboard Emperor Calus's Leviathan, it challenged Guardians to prove their worth through various combat encounters inspired by raid mechanics. The activity was vaulted with the release of Beyond Light on November 10, 2020.
Contents
Overview
The Menagerie took place in the oldest deck of the Leviathan, described by Calus as his former home during exile. This forgotten undercroft served as an enclosure for various species collected during Calus's journeys, including Hive, Vex, and Arkborn. Unlike the opulent upper decks, The Menagerie featured a darker, more decrepit aesthetic reflecting its age and purpose.
Gameplay
Core Mechanics
- Teams accumulated points through encounter completion to reach the final boss
- Progress bar tracked overall advancement through the activity
- No fail state in Normal mode - failed encounters still contributed progress
- Each encounter had a three-minute time limit
- Respawn timer increased but no darkness zones (Normal mode)
Difficulty Modes
Normal Mode
- Power Level: 690
- Matchmaking enabled
- No darkness zones
- Unlimited attempts per encounter
Heroic Mode
- Power Level: 740
- No matchmaking (premade fireteams required)
- Darkness zones in every encounter
- Team wipe resulted in return to orbit
- Released June 25, 2019
Encounters
The Menagerie featured multiple rotating encounters, each inspired by classic Destiny raid mechanics:
Lamplighting
- Always the first encounter
- Kill mini-boss enemies to obtain sparks
- Deliver sparks to designated lamps around the arena
- Light all six lamps to complete
- Triumph: Each player lights one lamp
The Gauntlet
- Defeat Ultra enemies in central room
- Team teleported to timed platforming sections
- Navigate checkpoints before timer expires
- Three gauntlet runs total
- Second/third runs feature flame hazards
- Triumphs: All six players complete one/all runs
The Crystals
- Destroy immune purple crystals on multiple levels
- Kill Vex Harpies for special relic weapons
- Relics damage crystals (one relic per crystal)
- Ultra enemy spawns after each crystal set
- Complete all crystals before timer expires for Triumph
The Mockery
- Based on The Blind Well mechanics
- Safe zones shrink over time
- Kill Wizards for orbs to restore havens
- Dunk orbs in receptacles to maintain bubbles
- Three bubbles must be kept active
- Triumph: Defeat Ogres with all havens preserved
The Hunted
- Survive against waves of Knights
- Stay near designated player to avoid damage
- Rotate safe zones throughout encounter
The Riposte
- Three players stand on plates to lower boss shield
- Remaining players damage shielded boss
- Coordinate plate activation and damage phases
The Arkborn
- Capture sync plates while defeating enemies
- Maintain control percentage above threshold
- Arkborn enemies provide significant opposition
Bosses
Three rotating final bosses challenged fireteams:
Hasapiko, Beloved by Calus
- Massive Vex Minotaur
- Projectile attacks and deletion wall mechanics
- Required coordinated movement and positioning
Arunak, Beloved by Calus
Pagouri, Beloved by Calus
Rewards System
Chalice of Opulence
- Central reward mechanism for The Menagerie
- Combined Runes to determine loot drops
- Upgrades allowed more reward slots
- Enabled targeted loot farming
Loot Pool
- Weapons: Beloved (sniper), Austringer (hand cannon), Imperial Decree (shotgun), etc.
- Armor: Opulent armor sets for each class
- Guaranteed drops based on Chalice configuration
- Heroic mode provided additional rewards
Triumphs and Titles
The Menagerie featured numerous Triumphs:
- Encounter-specific challenges
- Flawless runs
- Speed completions
- Contributing to the Shadow title
Reception
The Menagerie was praised for:
- Accessible "raid-lite" experience
- Matchmaking for six-player content
- Deterministic loot system via Chalice
- No fail state reducing player frustration
- Variety of encounters maintaining freshness
Legacy
The Menagerie influenced future Destiny 2 activities:
- Inspired matchmade six-player activities
- Demonstrated viability of simplified raid mechanics
- Established precedent for player-directed rewards
- Showed demand for accessible endgame content
Trivia
- First six-player matchmade activity in Destiny 2
- Encounters directly referenced mechanics from Leviathan raids
- Normal mode completion always guaranteed rewards
- Some players farmed the activity by leaving before completion
- The chest room featured multiple reward chests initially
