The Vault of Glass represents many things in the Destiny universe. It’s not only the game's first-ever raid, it's the first time everyone got to see the vision Bungie had laid out for its ambitious FPS/MMO/RPG. The Vault of Glass is so much more than just recycled content; it's a chance for new light guardians to experience the events that forged fireteams and friendships that will last a lifetime. The Vault of Glass changed the Destiny Universe, and now every Guardian can experience this defining moment during Season of the Splicer on May 22.
The Vault of Glass was the first six-person activity in Destiny's history. Raids cannot be accessed through matchmaking, and you must assemble a fireteam manually. This is high-level end game content that pits guardians against a dungeon filled with puzzles, challenging enemies, and boss fights. There are also wipe mechanics that force the fireteam to execute puzzles with flawless timing or risk instant death. Raids were designed to be the most challenging experiences Bungie ever created that put teamwork and mechanic execution at the forefront of the experience but combined it with fast-paced combat against hordes of enemies.
The Vault of Glass was also the first time we saw firsthand the power the Vex wield. The Vex are basically a remnant algorithm of the light and the darkness's battle to program the universe. They don't worship the darkness like Savathun and the Hive, but they operate the same methodology as the Sword Logic that governs the Hive -- strength, domination, and survival at all costs. The Vault of Glass stands at the height of the Vex's power to bend and warp time through their simulation technology. The Vex have such control over how time works within the vault that they can erase anyone who enters it from existence itself. The vault consists of an five-part challenge that wraps up with a boss fight against Atheon, Time's Conflux, the keeper of the Vault of Glass.
The first fireteam that tried to conquer the Vault of Glass knows all too well of its treachery. Kabr, Praedyth and Pahanin entered the Vault with a dream of conquering the Vex but instead became a terrifying tale of what happens when you underestimate them. After the three descended into the vault, they were quickly confronted with the Vex's might and each one succumb to it. Pahanin retreated from the vault but lived out his days swimming in paranoid delusions about the Vex erasing him from existence.
Praedyth was trapped in the Gorgon's maze, where guardians later discovered his corpse and the remains of his ghost. Kabr went mad within the vault and drank of the Vex Oracles. When Kabr consumed the radiolarian fluid within the Oracle, he was, for all intents and purposes, transformed into Vex and erased from existence. However, Kabr was able to leave a piece of his light in the Vault of Glass in the form of a shield crafted from a Vex frame. Future guardians will find this shield fundamental in their own quest to conquer the vault's challenges.
The Vault of Glass's return wouldn't be complete without its iconic loot returning with it. The vault brought some of Destiny's most iconic weapons with it, and they're returning in their former glory will new weapon perks. Fatebringer. Praedyth's Revenge, Vision of Confluence, Found Verdict, Corrective Measure, Hezen Vengence and the legendary Vex Mythoclast are returning as drops from completing Vault of Glass encounters.
The return of the Vault of Glass is a historic moment. Not only will day-one Destiny players get to chase the nostalgia dragon of their first raid completion, but new guardians will also get to experience the moment when Destiny went from a perceived flop to something more. It became a universe that players would help grow and an online community that fostered millions of friendships and countless hours of adventures. Destiny 2 provides a special and unique experience that no other game can replicate. The Vault of Glass allowed guardians to see the blistering potential Destiny had and whisked us away for seven years of evil god-killing, puzzle-solving, and humanity-saving space wizardry that changed many gamers' lives.