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Arguably the hardest Exotic mission inDestiny 2’shistory is back with the Into the Light update. Zero Hour is set in the ruins of the original Destiny Tower, currently inhabited by House Salvation. They have stolen a piece of critical SIVA technology, and it’s your job to reclaim this device before they escape. It’s an intense mission that has some of Destiny 2’s most impressive jumping puzzles and difficult combat encounters.
But should you defeat House Salvation before they can escape, you’ll be rewarded with the craftable version ofOutbreak Perfected, one of Destiny 2’s strongest Pulse Rifles. This guide will cover everything pertaining to Zero Hour, including an in-depth walkthrough for both Normal and Legend, all Outbreak Perfected perk quests, and every vault puzzle solution.
Updated Jun 16, 2025, by Charles Burgar:The final set of secrets can now be uncovered in the Zero Hour Exotic mission. We have updated this guide to include the final Outbreak Refined quest, and we’ve added the final solution to the Cryptarch’s Vault, allowing you to get Outbreak Perfected’s third intrinsic upgrade and the Vimana Junker Exotic ship.
How To Start The Zero Hour Mission
You can unlock access to Zero Hour by speaking with Ada-1 in the Tower. She will give you the"Asset Protection" quest,requiring you to complete the Zero Hour mission on any difficulty. You can find the mission within the “Into the Light” node on the Director map. The mission doesn’t have locked loadouts or extensive modifiers, so you can bring virtually any loadout to this mission.
Zero Hour hasn’t seen many changes with this reprisal, but it does use Destiny 2’s more up-to-date Power scaling bands, and it has adjusted time limits for Normal and Legend.Normal and Legend use different parkour sections, with Normal taking a little longer. Don’t be alarmed if you run the mission on Legend and get lost. The layout is completely different. Complete the mission, speak with Ada-1, thenextract the crafting patternfrom the Outbreak Perfected she gives you.
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Fallen Vandals spawn web mines on death.
Zero Hour Changes
Similar to The Whisper, not much has changed with this version of Zero Hour.A second boss phase was added,but other than that, the mechanics are the exact same as before. Expect more difficult combat encounters, higher enemy density, and the same jumping puzzles from before. Normal and Legend still use different parkour puzzles, so keep that in mind when choosing a difficulty.
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Zero Hour Mission Walkthrough
Zero Hour starts in the ruins of the old Tower, the same hub area from the original Destiny and the first campaign mission of the Red War. You’ll have 45 minutes (20 on Legend) to reach the depths of the Tower and eliminate a two-phase boss.
Make your way to the end of the bazaar and look for an open air duct.These are scattered all throughout the mission. On the other side will be a small army of Fallen blocking the path to the Tower Plaza. Tear them apart with your weapons and abilities. attempt to get your Super charged here if you can.
In the plaza proper, you will face a handful of Shanks, Vandals, and aBrig miniboss.Most of these enemies don’t have weakpoints on their body, but they can easily be destroyed with an explosive weapon like a Wave-Frame Grenade Launcher. Try to save your Super here if you can; use Heavy ammo instead.Hide near the plaza stairs for cover, and focus on the snipers first. When ready, walk to the opposite end of the plaza and run through the debris to reach the hangar.
The Tower Hangar is a brutal combat arena with virtually no cover.If you have a Super, now’s the time to use it.Clear out the two Servitors and cluster of Shanks on the upper floor first, then eliminate the Vandals across from you. Once you’ve cleared out most of the enemies, you can jump down and face theFallen Walkerthat’s blocking the exit. You’ll need to kill every enemy in the room to proceed, so don’t be afraid to use your Heavy here.
Destroying the Walker and its allies will open the path forward.Run up the stairs behind the Fallen Walker to enter the Tower.The path is completely linear and guarded by a few packs of Fallen, nothing particularly dangerous. Use this time to stock up on ammo and recharge your Super. Once you’ve cleared out the last of the Fallen, you should enter a destroyed room that leads to an elevator shaft, marked with an “M” icon next to the wall. Jump down to reach the landing pad.
At this point,the mission will change based on which difficulty you’re playing on.The parkour portion of this mission is completely different on Normal and Legend difficulty. Expand the section below that matches the difficulty you intend to play on.
Covert Passage (Normal)
Make your way to thedocked shipon the lower part of the landing pad. You’ll see a grate next to the nose of the ship that you can enter. Slide into the gap and run inside the open air duct. It’ll lead you into a storage room with two exits.Use the air duct to your left.
Crawl through it until it splits into multiple paths.Take the first exit.You’ll see a chasm with six grates you’re able to land on. Land on the one directly under you, and run inside as fast as you can; the platform breaks when you touch it. If you landed on the right one, you should see a grate in the air duct that’s near you. Drop down to the grate and proceed.
You’ll now be on the outskirts of the abandoned Tower. Jump onto the yellow platforms and look down on the Tower. You should see a series of small platforms jutting out of the structure.Land on the platforms below you, but run inside immediately.As with the previous room, these platforms fall shortly after you touch them. Make your way to the large, static platform near the end of the Tower.
Now that you’re on stable ground, look off the platform and down towards the Tower again. You should see a small platform sticking out of the wall.Jump down towards that support sticking out of the wall.This will lead to another short jumping puzzle. Reach the end of it, then climb up the massive air duct when you’ve dealt with the Vandals.
You’re almost done. This next section requires you to climb up yellow platforms and find the right air duct to reach the exit.If you’re looking at the middle platform in the room, you want toclimb two floors to your right.The image gallery above showcases the exact direction. Destroy the grill, get inside the air duct, and run towards the exit. If you found the right one, you’ll be dropped into a shaft that’s filled with spinning fans.
Covert Passage (Legend)
Legend difficulty changes the entrance to theair ducts on the right side of the landing padarea. Head to the furthest air duct and slide inside. It’ll take you into a storage room with another air duct grill. Break it, thenhead left inside the air duct.Drop down the silo onto the catwalks below, and take out the two Fallen Captains guarding the area.
You will notice multiple switches along the walls of the silo.Look to the corners of the room, and you should see red pipes that lead into new areas. You want tolook at the wall without number decals, then jump to theright.You should hit a deadend with a switch. Activate it, then jump diagonally across the silo. Hit the switch and follow the path towards the waterfall.
If done correctly, you should see the hatch on Silo #03 open up. Climb up the waterfall and atop the hatch, then slowly climb up the shaft until you find another air duct. Enter the room, hop into the air duct on the opposite end of the room, and you should end up in a narrow chasm.
The chasm is guarded by a small group of Fallen Vandals. You mustjump onto the narrow platforms, eliminating the Fallen one at a time.The exit is at the very back to your left. Slide through the air duct and follow the red pipes. In the next room,exit through the sewer hole on your left.
You should now be on the outskirts of the Tower. Additional sewer grates line the outside walls.Jump towards these sewer holes until you hit a deadend.If you look up, you should see some narrow pipes you can jump on top of. You’ll then need to jump onto thered pipe near the corner of the Tower.You can use the platform nearby for support, but be careful: it will collapse after you step on it.
Jump around the corner to find some more platforms to stand on. This part of the Tower has rotating metallic platforms that shift positions every few seconds.Wait for a platform to stick out, then jump towards it.You might want to wait a few seconds to get the timing down. If you have Strand or an Eager Edge Sword, that works too. Once you get past the platforms, jump up the metal supports and enter the gap in the wall. Beware the Explosive Shanks.
You’re almost done.Enter the shute on your right, hugging the left wall to start. There will be two blockades that will attempt to kill you, one on your right and the other on your left.After you pass the right blockade, immediately start moving right.You should narrowly avoid the second trap before the shute launches you into a new room. Use your jump to break your fall.
In this new room, while facing the locked door, turn toward the right corner to find another air duct. Break the grill and get inside. You should end up in a dangerous puzzle filled with spinning fans.
Spinning Fans
This shaft is fairly easy to navigate if you take it slow.Land atop the center of the fan, then jump into the red pillar of light on the edge of the shaft.Jump atop of the next fan, and repeat until you reach the bottom. Be careful of Explosive Shanks as you descend.
The final section requires you to cross a massive chasm inside the Tower.Jump to the dimly-lit platforms on the edge of the chasm.Slide down the ramp at the end of the path, and flip the switch on the nearby wall to help your fireteam bridge the gap. Enter yet another air duct to reach the infamous TR3-VR maze.
TR3-VR’s Maze
Before you reach the Cryptarch’s Vault, you’ll first need to navigate the Arc Subsystem. This is the underbelly of the Tower Hangar and where TR3-VR lives. This is a nightmarish cleaning bot that sweeps through the inner workings of the subsystem. Make note of the monitor next to the overlook. Your goal is toactivate four switches on the edges of the subsystem.Drop down the nearby air duct to get started.
You can track TR3-VR’s location by looking for its blinding red light. It also makes mechanical noises when near.
The Arc Subsystem is a claustrophobic labyrinth with little room to maneuver. The only exit is directly across from your starting point. But before you’re able to leave, you’ll need to flip those switches first.If you’re playing in a team, split up.You want to send people to each side of the maze to get this done as fast as possible. Hug the outside wall until it opens up, then follow the path to flip the switch. You’ll need to repeat this four times.
But you’re not alone in this maze. TR3-VR will attempt to kill you by ramming itself into your Guardian.You must look for square gaps in the wallthat you’re able to crouch into. TR3-VR can’t get you in here, but it will eventually loop back and run past you again, so it’s best tomove immediately after TR3-VR passes you.Flip the four switches, reach the opposite end of the subsystem network, and avoid TR3-VR at any cost.
Reaching The Cryptarch’s Vault
Now that you’ve cleared the maze, it’s time to reach the Cryptarch’s Vault where Outbreak Prime was being kept.Look for metal supports along the wall and jump on top of them.The elevators beside you are broken and don’t work particularly well. Keep climbing until you see a narrow catwalk near the top. Climb onto the catwalk, then enter the air duct to slide down a fairly long ramp.While sliding down, stick to the middle.Veering off to the side will get you killed.
After you get flung into a new room, turn around andwalk through the doorway on your right.Instead of running down the stairs, slide through the open air duct. This will drop you into a vault filled with gold. Looking at the massive vault door, turn around and look towards the wall. You should see a series of L-shaped pipes with a diamond symbol next to them.Interact with the wallto open the hidden path to the Crypartch’s Vault.
You are now at the final puzzle. The floor is broken up into a 6x5 grid that is rigged to incinerate trespassers.You must walk along the correct path to reach the other side.If you attempt to bypass it in any way, you’ll be burnt alive in an instant. As with the parkour section, the puzzle solution differs based on your chosen difficulty. Past this is an optional vault puzzle and the final boss.
The floor pattern rotates every day. you may tell the current day’s pattern based on Zero Hour’s active elemental surge. Paths are listed based on surge type.
(Legend) Floor Patterns
Fighting The Boss
you’re able to deploy a Rally Flag in the shallow water just before you enter the final air duct. Be sure to stock up on ammo before starting.
Outside the Cryptarch’s Vault isSiriks of House Salvation.This is a massive Fallen Vandal with a timid personality.Siriks will repeatedly teleport around the hangar bay throughout the fight.Focus on the adds before you fight Siriks, as the adds donotdespawn until you’ve completed both phases of the encounter.
The first phase will spawn a small army of Fallen Dregs, Vandals, and two Turrets positioned on elevated ground on the same side as Siriks.Destroy the turrets immediately.These emplacements will shred your Guardian in seconds, even if you’re in a Super.Grenade Launchersand Rocket Launchers work best here.
Every time you remove a chunk of Siriks' HP,they will teleport counter-clockwise around you.This will also trigger a new wave of adds.
Upon reaching 20% HP, Seriks will retreat and spawn two Fallen Walkers on elevated platforms, one on each side. If you haven’t destroyed the turrets yet, this is the time. Destroy the Fallen Walker’s leg to expose its core, then destroy it. Repeat until every add is slain.
The second phase of the fight will begin.Seriks will return inside a Brig, surrounded by nearly two dozen adds.This section gets chaotic in seconds. If you have a Super, now is the time to use it. Clear out as many adds as you possibly can, using cover on the lower floor of the hangar when possible. Brigs are immune to critical hits, so try to use your abilities and explosive weapons (such as Grenade Launchers and Rocket Launchers) to damage the boss.
At around 30% HP, it’ll pop its headcase, exposing its weakpoint. Now is the time to use precision weapons like Sniper Rifles to finish the boss. The mission timer will stop as soon as Seriks is slain. Open the chest that Mithrax leaves you to claim your rewards. If this is your first time clearing Zero Hour, be sure to speak with Ada-1 afterward to claim your Outbreak Perfected pattern.
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Start Point
Outbreak Refined I
Outbreak Refined I is the first crafting quest tied to Outbreak Perfected.You can obtain this quest from Ada-1 upon completing “Asset Protection,“which requires you to complete the Zero Hour mission. The first objective is tocollect SIVA Clusters from slain Fallen in the Cosmodrome.You don’t need to use Outbreak Perfected to spawn SIVA Clusters from slain Fallen; any weapon works.
The next part requires you toactivate a set of switches in the Legend version of Zero Hour.The switches for this quest can be found right after you reach the Covert Passage. Enter the air duct as normal. When you enter the air duct in the storage room,head left towards the catwalks.After you kill the Fallen, you’ll need to activate a total of four switches:
If done correctly, you’ll finish this quest step.Clear the Zero Hour mission on Legend difficulty, then return to Ada-1. This will unlock Rapid Hit as a crafting option for Outbreak Perfected.
Outbreak Refined II
Speak with Ada-1 in the Tower once you’ve acquired Outbreak Perfected to start this quest. She’ll ask you toeliminate Fallen inside the Exodus Garden 2A Lost Sector in the Cosmodrome.You can find this Lost Sector directly south of The Steppes spawn point. Run through Dock 13 into The Divide, then enter the ruined building on the southeast corner.
Once you’ve slain enough enemies, you’ll need to flip another pair of switches inLegend Zero Hour; Normal runs don’t count. You’ll want to clear the mission as normal until you reach the narrow chasm just after you climb up the opened hatch. Once you’ve cleared out the Vandals on the narrow platforms,flip the switch near the entrance to the chasm, opposite to the air duct.You will have “Catalyst Switch Primed” on your HUD.
From there,exit the chasm by sliding down the air duct.You should now be in a tight space with red pipes.Walk around the red pipes to find the second switch.If done in time, you should finish this step in the quest. Complete a Legend Zero Hour run, then return to Ada-1 to unlock Rewind Rounds Retrofit on your Outbreak Perfected.
Outbreak Refined III
Outbreak’s third and final intrinsic quest is similar to the previous two. Speak to Ada-1, theneliminate enemies in The Devils' Lair strike,located in the Cosmodrome. you may simply boot up the strike from the Cosmodrome map and farm kills until the objective is complete. Once again, you don’t need to use Outbreak Perfected to make progress here; any weapon works.
With the SIVA Nanites collected, it’s time to find the final set of switches inLegend Zero Hour.Boot up the activity and play as usual until you reach theTower wall parkour section.This is where you exit the Tower from a sewer tunnel and have to traverse the outer wall to progress.Just before you exit outside, take therighttunnel exit,not the left one. From there, follow the path to your right. You should find a switch above a narrow platform.
Interact with the switch, thennavigate to the other end of the wall.Jump across the sewer pipes as usual until you no longer can, then jump up the two metal pipes above you. Once at the top, turn left and you should see the final switch. Jump across and activate it.
With the final switch flipped, simplycomplete a Legend run of Zero Hourand speak to Ada-1 to claim Outbreak Perfected’s final trait: Headseeker.
All Vault Puzzle Solutions
The Cryptarch’s Vault has a hidden puzzle your fireteam can solve to unlock components of the Virmana Junker, an Exotic ship that’s a variant of the original Zero Hour ship.You must complete three vault puzzles, one each week, to claim the ship.Puzzles rotate on a weekly basis, so it will take at least three weeks to earn the ship.
Before you can even start the vault puzzle, you must firstshoot three SIVA Holograms scattered across the Zero Hour mission with Outbreak Perfected.Each subsection showcases where they are for each puzzle; they move every week. Once you break all three Holograms, you should see the message “Sequence Accepted.” Continue with the mission as normal until you reach the vault.
How To Solve Each Puzzle
Each puzzle is solved in the same way. To the southwest corner of the room is a monitor that displays two things:
The shape refers to the room in question. If you look at the vault layout on the right-side of the screen, you’ll see gray boxes inside each room. If you connect the corners of each box together, you’ll create the shape listed on the top-right of the monitor. For example, the room in the bottom-left corner has four boxes in a square pattern, so that’s the square room.
Once you’ve discovered what each room symbolizes, you can start to solve the puzzle.Your goal is to enter the correct room and input the codes listed under the corresponding shape.For example, for the first column of symbols under the square symbol, you would enter the square room in the bottom-left corner of the Cryptarch’s Vault. You would then follow the arrows on your map, marked top to bottom, to input the correct code.
Arrows are color-coded based on which panel must be activated. Gray panels are found inside the shape room, while red arrows are found outside the room.
Input the correct code for the room, and your sequence will be accepted. Repeat this process for all three rooms to complete the weekly puzzle.The mission timer doesn’t pause here, so be quick. We suggest doing this on Normal difficulty to give yourself as much time as possible. you’re able to attempt the puzzles on both Normal and Legend.
Rewards
Intrinsic II Upgrade, Vimana Junker Schematic
Boot up the Zero Hour mission and make your way to theTower Plaza, the combat encounter with a Brig. Clear out the area, then grab Outbreak Prime from your Vault or Collections. You’ll want tohead up the ramp where you came from and interact with the terminal on the wall.This will spawn three SIVA holograms that you must destroy with Outbreak Perfected.
You must destroy the holograms in a certain order which rotates with every Zero Hour mission.You can figure out the order bylooking at the terminal interface.A nearby hologram (in this case, next to the hangar entrance) also tells you which hologram you need to shoot. For the mission I ran, my order was:
Randomized Order
The order might be different for you. Reference the hologram near the hangar entrance to figure out which symbol you need to shoot.
If done correctly, you’ll see “Sequence Completed” appear on your HUD. This means you can now unlock theSquare room in the Cryptarch’s Vault.The image above showcases how to complete the sequence. Punch in the correct code, and you’ll receive the first intrinsic upgrade for Outbreak Perfected.
Intrinsic III Upgrade, Vimana Junker Schematic
The second set of vault challenges will require you to destroy three holograms in theCovert Passagearea first. This is the landing pad you find just before the jumping puzzles diverge between Normal and Legend runs. Head over there and equip Outbreak Perfected.Slide into the open air duct behind the docked ship to start the challenge.
You must destroy three holograms.The order rotates; it isn’t set.For my run, I had to shoot the holograms in this order:
If done correctly, you’ll see the “Sequence Completed” message on your HUD. Travel to the Cryptarch’s Vault and enter the code sequence shown above. This will unlock Intrinsic III for Outbreak Perfected and progress towards the Vimana Junker ship.
Before you can complete the final vault puzzle, you must first shoot three holograms in theTR3-VR Mazetowards the end of the Zero Hour mission. You can do this on either Normal or Legend, so we suggest completing this particular vault set on Normal to give yourself as much time as possible.
The second you enter the maze, enter the cubby to your left.Interact with the terminal inside to spawn the holograms.Use the hologram near the bottom-left switch as a reference.Once again, the order is random. This is the order I had to shoot them in:
Once you’ve destroyed all three holograms, you’re able to now solve the third and final vault puzzle. Make your way to the Cryptarch’s Vault and enter the code showcased above. If successful, you’ll unlock the final intrinsic upgrade for Outbreak Perfected and the Vimana Junker ship.
