Everything we know about the Vault of Glass raid returning to Destiny 2

Destiny diehards are getting a blast from the past in 2021 when the franchise's first-ever raid, the Vault of Glass, arrives in Destiny 2. Leading up to the release of Destiny 2: Beyond Light in November, Bungie confirmed that the Vault of Glass raid, one of the franchise’s most beloved activities, is returning.

The Vault of Glass is one of the most complex activities in Destiny to this day. The six-person raid requires tons of coordination to take down a series of massive Vex bosses. Completing the raid in the first Destiny game netted players some of the best weapons in the game, so for those raid-specific guns to arrive in Destiny 2 is exciting for long-time fans.

While Bungie hasn’t revealed full details, there’s plenty we do know about what the new Vault of Glass will look like and which weapons are coming back.

When is the Destiny 2 Vault of Glass release date?

While there’s no firm date yet, Bungie confirmed that Vault of Glass is coming in 2021. Considering that raids tend to drop within seasons as opposed to right alongside big updates, it’s hard to pinpoint a probable launch. In truth, Bungie could casually drop Vault of Glass in the middle of an upcoming season.

That said, some lingering rumors might give us a better idea of when to expect it. Popular Destiny content creator WishYaLuckk shared a possible leak that says that the raid is coming in either Season 13 or 14. At the moment, the game is in its 12th season, which ends in February. If that rumor is true, it would put Vault of Glass’ release anywhere between late winter and early summer. That’s only a rumor, but the window does seem plausible given how much open Bungie has been about sharing progress on the raid.

What Vault of Glass weapons are coming to Destiny 2?

Good news for fans of the original raid: It sounds like its old loot is coming back in some form. Destiny 2 Assistant Game Director Joe Blackburn has already started teasing what weapons might return. One January 4, 2021 tweet seemed to hint that the beloved Fatebringer legendary hand cannon is returning to the game.

In addition to the teases, Blackburn has been vocal about discussing how Vault of Glass’ weapons will return. In a December 2020 interview with Polygon, Blackburn name-checks Fatebringer and Found Verdict, saying that the team is working on balancing keeping these previous raid weapons faithfully while updating some of the perks.

There’s still plenty of other guns that have yet to be mentioned, including Atheon’s Epilogue and Corrective Measure. It’s not clear if every piece of gear will return to Destiny 2 at the moment, but it sounds like most of the big names will return.

Will Vault of Glass be different in Destiny 2?

Judging by the information Bungie has given so far, the new Vault of Glass sounds like it’ll be relatively faithful to the original. However, Blackburn notes that the team is making changes to the raid, while still preserving the feel of the original.

“I think the ultimate goal here is to make it feel like Vault of Glass felt when the first time you did it, which is probably pretty different than if we just did a straight port of Vault of Glass.”

Blackburn notes that enemies in the original raid feel weak compared to Destiny 2’s standards, so the team is working on making it more challenging for current players. Judging by his quotes so far, it seems that every encounter will still be intact, with slight mechanical tweaks to modernize the experience.

The Vault of Glass should come to Destiny 2 sometime in 2021.