Destiny 2 Splicer Gauntlet explained: Ether charges, Key Codes and Conflux Chests explained

How the Splicer Gauntlet works in Destiny 2 in brief

To start using the Splicer Gauntlet, you need to progress through The Lost Splicer, which is the introductory seasonal quest.

This starts as soon as you log in Destiny 2's Season of the Splicer for the first time. You'll have to search for Mithrax in Europa, followed by a visit to the Vex network. It's a rather straightforward quest that shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes, depending on your skills and current gear (the requirement is 1150 Light).

By the end, after defeating a boss, you will stumble upon the Paradrome Cube. This is picked up automatically, so don't worry about missing it. Go ahead and finish the quest, which is done at the upgraded H.E.L.M. space. Interact with the Splicer Servitor, acquire the Paradrome Cube, and the quest will be over. Path of the Splicer will kickstart immediately after, which will grant you the Splicer Gauntlet.

Here's an overview of how to use the Splicer Gauntlet:

1. Collect Ether from playlist activities, public events, and by defeating enemies across the Solar System
2. Use Ether to craft Key Codes (you can do this by inspecting the Gauntlet on the quest screen)
3. Join an Override playlist from the Destinations tab (this activity requires the season pass)
4. After defeating the boss, look for a new chest that will appear just at the side of the usual boss chest. Use a Key Code to open the Conflux Chest to obtain additional loot, which is done just by interacting with it

That's the essentials - but if you want more specifics, the following sections on gathering Ether, creating Key Codes, farm limitations and Splicer Gauntlet upgrades can help.

Destiny 2 Splicer Gauntlet - How to get Ether and Ether drop chance

By definition, you can get Ether for the Splicer Gauntlet from pretty much anywhere. Playlist activities, public events, and even just defeating enemies can grant you this currency.

When this happens you will see an icon on the right side of the screen, in a similar fashion to how Synthstrand works. The key difference is that Ether doesn't appear in your inventory - instead, you have to navigate to the quest tab, look for the Splicer Gauntlet task, and hover over it to see how much you have gathered.

Unlike the arduous farming process needed for transmog, the Ether drop chance is far more kinder. For us, completing public events granted 23 Ether, while one strike gave 65 Ether after defeating the boss.

All in all, the chance is fairly generous, and you'll be crafting Key Codes in no time.

How to craft Key Codes in Destiny 2

Gathering Ether isn't just for leisure, as this currency serves a unique purpose. Key Codes are a craftable item that can only be used during Override, the new seasonal activity. In order to craft them, you will need 50 Ether.

The process is fairly seamless. Go to your quest tab, look for the Splicer Gauntlet task, and inspect it. We will revisit this screen in detail later in this guide, but for now, just hover over the grey icon at the bottom and hold the interact button to craft Key Codes.

How to open Conflux Chests in Destiny 2

After gathering at least 50 Ether and crafting a Key Code, you are all set to open Conflux Chests. This new type of chest appears only in Override activities, which can be accessed from the H.E.L.M. Destination tab. Once you're in you don't have to worry about missing the chest, just enjoy the activity until the very end.

Once you and the party take down the boss, you will see the boss chest appear as per usual, only that now a more shiny chest will spawn alongside it. All you have to do is get close to it to trigger the 'Use Key Codes to open Conflux Chests' prompt.

Press the interact button, and the chest will open. Along with loot, you'll also be rewarded with Decrypted Data, which is used to purchase upgrades for the Splicer Gauntlet.

The Season of the Deep is here alongside the Into the Depths quest. You can know go fishing too! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Lost Sector and King's Fall challenge rotation schedule!

How Splicer Gauntlet upgrades work and how to increase farming cap explained

There's more to the use of the Splicer Gauntlet than meets the eye, and the list of upgrades is proof of this. At the start there is a clear farming cap for Ether and Key Codes: you can only hold 100 Ether at a time, along with three Key Codes. Considering that you can hit the cap fairly easily, you either have to end up prioritizing Override activities as soon as possible to free these slots, or just hold onto your inventory. Ether will cease to drop if you have reached 100, so if you suddenly stop seeing the icon on your screen, that's a clear signal of this.

Thankfully, Splicer Gauntlet upgrades allow you to increase both of these caps, as well as granting all sorts of bonuses and advantages in Override (such as increasing the rewards from Conflux Chests or receiving less damage from lasers in the map). You can obtain upgrades by interacting with the Splicer Servitor, located in the H.E.L.M. social space. The one that helps with these caps is fittingly called Memory Expansion, and costs 100 Decrypted Data. The first tier increases Ether capacity by 50, and Key Code capacity from 3 to 4.

There are three tiers for all Splicer Gauntlet upgrades with varying costs and increasingly better values. In the first batch, each upgrade costs 100 Decrypted Data a pop, the second has them at 300 each and the third is by far the most expensive at 500 each. It will take some time for you to gather all of them, so it's important to plan each purchase accordingly.

At first we recommend going for Override Efficiency, which increases the rewards of all chests found in Override. After you unlock it, Standard Vex chests will have a chance to drop seasonal gear. In addition, Conflux Chests will now have a chance to drop Umbral Engrams, with the possibility to drop 'up to 1 Focused Engram per week'. These engrams can be cashed-in at the Umbral Decoder, also located in the H.E.L.M. space.

Memory Expansion is tempting from the get-go, but chances are that you will be juggling Override with other playlists. Once you and your group decide to go on a Override farming spree, increasing the caps is advised. In addition, Ether Filter works as the perfect companion, as defeated enemies will have a higher chance to drop Ether once unlocked. Lastly, you will notice that some upgrades are locked behind a Corrupted Data message that indicates Mithrax is working on a solution - likely tied to the weekly Expunge mission. We're still finding out exactly how these unlock, so we'll update accordingly once we find out.