How to get Xenophage: The Journey Exotic Quest (2024)

The Journey is an Exotic quest from the Shadowkeep expansion that begins near Sorrow’s Harbor on the Moon.

Once completed, you’ll gain access to Xenophage, a powerful Exotic Machine Gun that every so often dominates the Meta.

Name: Xenophage

Type: Machine Gun Archetype: Exotic

Ammo: Heavy Element: Solar

Craftable: No Released: Season 8

Source: Pit of Heresy Dungeon Requires: Shadowkeep Pack

How To Get Xenophage: The Journey Quest

To begin the quest, you’ll need toreach the area called the Enduring Abyss. Continue down the path and keep an eye out for a ledge on the right side of the hallway. Jump up here to find yourself in a place you may find familiar from the Shadowkeep campaign. This is the balcony overlooking the first pyramid ship that we discovered.

Around this balcony, you will notice four Hive statues. You need to activate these statues in the correct order to begin your quest. The order is as follows:

1. The right statue nearest the pyramid ship
2. The left statue furthest from the pyramid ship
3. The left statue nearest the pyramid ship
4. The right statue furthest from the pyramid ship

Once you activate the statues in the correct order, a chest will appear containing the beginning of your quest for the exotic heavy machine gun Xenophage.

🚨 Requirements: You must own the Shadowkeep Pack to access this quest.

Step 1: Emerge from the Darkness

After you have successfully begun your quest, fast-travel to the Sanctuary transmat location on The Moon, mount your Sparrow, and immediately head down the right path toward Anchor of Light. Once you reach Anchor of Light, head left toward the Fallen outpost built on the cliffside.

Inside this outpost, you will find a mount of what appears to be Hive growth. Interact with this mount to pick up the Light, and you will receive the buff Torch Bearer, which will begin a countdown timer. Your objective now is to seek out braziers located in the area and light them. The first one can be found in the very same room where you picked up the ball of Light.

From the first brazier, head north and take the path toward the center of the Anchor of Light area. Before you reach the triangle-shaped Fallen outpost draped in purple tarps, turn left to find an alcove that drops into a pit. On the ledge near this pit is your second brazier to light.

From the second brazier, head back towards the initial outpost, but look for a small building quickly to your left. You will find your third brazier to continue lighting your path inside this room.

The next brazier is tucked away in the upper levels and criss-crossing bars of the initial outpost. Head back to that outpost, jump up to the fourth brazier, and light it.

Next, follow the cliffside of the initial outpost until you notice a short ramp half-buried in the sand to the top of a cubic structure. At the top of the ramp will be your fifth brazier.

The sixth brazier is fairly simple to find. Jump onto the top of the central circular building in Anchor of Light and it can be found right in the middle of the roof. Lighting this sixth brazier should grant you the new buff Torch Bearer.

With the Torch Bearer buff in hand, head back towards the initial outpost where your path began, but before you reach it, look for a small Hive pylon with an opening on it. Here is where you will deposit your ball of light and “emerge from the dark”. Congratulations on completing the first step of your quest towards obtaining Xenophage!

Step 2: Find the Fragments

The next step in your quest will have you navigating to four Lost Sectors around The Moon. After you complete each Lost Sector, you will find a set of Hive runes laid out in 3 rows and 3 columns that will be the key to securing these fragments. You need to shoot these runes in a particular order. Wait for the flame animation over the runes to complete after each shot to ensure your selection is locked in. Once you correctly shoot the sequence of runes, a chest will spawn containing the required Path Fragments for completing this quest step.

In the K1 Communion Lost Sector, you will need to complete the Lost Sector and shoot the runes found here in the following order:

1. Bottom Left
2. Bottom Right
3. Top Middle
4. Top Middle

In K1 Crew Quarters, your sequence of runes is a bit longer. Complete the Lost Sector and shoot the runes in the following order:

1. Top Right
2. Middle Left
3. Middle Middle
4. Bottom Left
5. Bottom Left
6. Bottom Middle
7. Bottom Middle
8. Bottom Middle

In K1 Revelation, the order for shooting the Hive runes is as follows:

1. Middle Right
2. Middle Left
3. Middle Middle
4. Middle Middle
5. Middle Left
6. Top Middle
7. Bottom Middle
8. Middle Middle

If you are following this guide in order, only K1 Logistics remains. The sequence is as follows:

• Top Left
• Bottom Left
• Middle Right
• Middle Middle

Step 3: The Pit of Heresy

The next quest step will require you to jump into the Pit of Heresy Dungeon. Progress through the dungeon as normal until you reach the infamous crevasse with many doors on the other side. With Fireteam Finder, you should find a fireteam to help you complete the initial parts of the dungeon, while more skilled players are likely to be able to navigate to this part of the dungeon solo.

Jump to the ledge just to the upper left of the doorway directly across the abyss. You will need to jump straight up to the next ledge directly above you. Continue repeating this to scale the wall. Once you get some good height and reach the next level of doors, begin heading further left, hugging the wall. There will be an open door with some rubble inside. Near the rubble will be one Hive rune you can interact with to “Reveal Path’s End.”

Step 4: The Pit of Heresy Continued

After securing the next step of the quest from the room of many doors, continue through the dungeon as normal until you reach the encounter where you must hide and avoid the Hive Ogres. Head towards the cliffside and drop down to the lower level found there. You will find a plate covered in Hive runes near the cliff’s edge on this lowest level. Interact with this plate to reveal the path forward.

Platforms will rise out of the abyss below. Carefully begin platforming across them to pick up the Light ball from the furthest platform. Once you have the ball of Light, head back towards where you entered the Ogre encounter. From the point where you entered the encounter, turn right and look for the second door on the right and deposit your ball of light there.

This door will open the path to a secret boss, Volmar, The Tempted, who is the obstacle between you and your precious Xenophage. To defeat this boss you will need to leverage various damage types. Ensure you or your fireteam have weapons or subclasses that generate Solar, Arc, Void, and Kinetic damage.

Before you enter the boss room, you’ll encounter a group of Thrall. Dispatch them and then take a look around the room. You’ll see Hive runes and below them, an elemental type. You’ll also notice you have a buff such as “Fiery Dread”, “Thunderous Dread”, “Neutral Dread”, or “Abyssal Dread”. The core mechanic in this encounter is to pay attention to the buff that you have in the bottom left and dunk the Light ball at the rune that corresponds with the buff that you have active. Memorize the runes and elements in the room before the boss, and you should be golden. Upon depositing the Light ball, you will receive a damage buff, and you should quickly switch to your weapon of the same element and begin dealing damage to the boss.

Defeating Volmar, The Tempted will grant you the final step in your quest for Xenophage. Whether you complete the rest of the dungeon is up to you, as the final step only requires us to return to Eris Morn via the Sanctuary transmat location and pick up your glorious new Exotic Heavy Machine Gun!

How good is Xenophage

Xenophage features the following Exotic Perks:

• Pyrotoxin Rounds: Fires high-powered explosive ammunition.
• Rangefinder

While Xenophage was once at the top of the damage rankings, it has been tapered down quite a bit with nerfs. You’ll find that other Exotics, such as Thunderlord and Heir Apparent, will out-damage it, but its uniquely high range and fire rate still give it a useful role in the sandbox.

Plus, this Exotic Machine Gun can deal good boss damage and provide unique utility in encounters such as the Oracles in The Vault of Glass.

Before you go…

Ready to tackle other challenging (but rewarding) Exotic quests? We cover how to get Forerunner by completing The Strange Key Quest here.