Unlocking the Parasite Exotic in Destiny 2: The Witch Queen

It’s one thing to obliterate hordes of enemies in Destiny 2: The Witch Queen with a single shot. But it’s a whole different level of satisfaction to do so using their own exploding larva. Enter Parasite, an incredibly powerful exotic grenade launcher that ingeniously weaponizes larva in a darkly humorous manner. This is a weapon no self-respecting guardian should be without. In this guide, we’ll take you step-by-step on how to unlock Parasite in Destiny 2.

Of Queens and Worms

To begin, you must first complete the main Witch Queen campaign. Once that’s done, make your way to the Enclave and seek out Ikora Rey. She will assign you the quest “Of Queens and Worms.” Next, locate Mara Sov, who can be found near the Artifact in the Enclave. Approach the dying worm and she will assign your first mission: completing the Birthplace of the Vile strike.

After defeating the boss, don’t leave right away. There is a hidden chamber at the back of the room, which can be revealed by activating your Deepsight ability. Inside, you’ll find an altar where you can place the worm.

Fun with Cryptoglyphs

Head to the Quagmire in Savathun’s Throneworld and visit Fynch. He will give you the task of locating a Cryptoglyph. Follow the marker on your map to the Temple of Cunning (it’s quite a journey) and eliminate the enemies at the marked location to acquire the Cryptoglyph.

The Cryptoglyph needs to be charged, and true to hive fashion, that involves violence. In this case, you must slay 100 scorn. They are easy to find in the Quagmire, especially during public events.

Once the Cryptoglyph is charged, you need to find more altars. These altars are located in the Throne World’s lost sectors. Start by visiting the Sepulcher lost sector in the Florescent Canal. After completing the lost sector, activate your Deepsight to uncover a hidden room with an altar.

Next, complete patrols in Florescent Canal. Any patrol will do, but the “kill” patrols tend to be the quickest.

Now it’s time to gather another Cryptoglyph, this time in the Queen’s Bailey. Just like before, follow your objective marker to a distant location on the map and eliminate waves of enemies.

Take the Cryptoglyph to the Metamorphosis lost sector, located in the Miasma region of Savathun’s Throne World. Clear the lost sector, activate your Deepsight, and locate the hidden room with the altar.

The final Cryptoglyph can be found in Alluring Curtain. Eliminate the enemies at the end as usual, but you won’t receive the Cryptoglyph right away. Activate your Deepsight, and several platforms will appear. Look for three platforms with torches on top. Shoot the torches to light them up, and a chest will appear. Open the chest to acquire the Cryptoglyph.

Extraction, located in the Quagmire, is the final Lost Sector you need to visit. Clear the enemies, defeat the boss, and use Deepsight to locate the hidden room with the altar.

Make the Worm Work for You

Return to Fynch, and he will provide you with the Hive Casing. This acts as a placeholder in your heavy weapon slot, so make sure you have enough space before receiving it from Fynch. Once you have the Hive Casing, head to the Florescent Canal and launch the newly added Parasitic Pilgrimage mission.

The beginning of the Parasitic Pilgrimage is essentially an agility puzzle. The Worm is dying, and you’ll need to sprint through a series of glowing pools before time runs out. Watch out for deadly traps around the pools and avoid getting distracted by the enemies, as they will keep spawning endlessly.

Eventually, you’ll reach Mara Sov, who will grant you the Parasite exotic grenade launcher. You’ll need the weapon to defend her while she completes a ritual. Waves of enemies will continuously spawn, so keep an eye out for glowing pools of light to refill the Parasite. Launch those larvae with reckless abandon. Eventually, Mara will finish the ritual, and the Parasite will become yours to wield.