You’re staring at a shielded boss. Your bullets are bouncing off like pebbles against a tank. Your fireteam is screaming in local chat because someone missed a jump. If you’ve spent any time in the Edge of Fate campaign, you know exactly which nightmare I’m talking about. The Destiny 2 charge mission—officially titled "Charge"—is a notorious roadblock for players who try to brute-force their way through mechanics.
Honestly, it’s not even the combat that kills most runs. It's the Matterspark.
Bungie loves to introduce a new toy and then make you use it in the most stressful way possible. In this mission, that toy is the Matterspark, a mechanic that turns your Guardian into a literal ball of energy. If you’re coming back to the game after a break or just hitting the July 2025 content drop, the learning curve is steep. Here is the reality of how to actually beat this thing without losing your mind.
Breaking the Master Technician’s Shield
The mission revolves around a boss called the Master Technician (sometimes referred to as the Exile Overseer in earlier quest steps). This guy is a jerk. He sits behind an impenetrable shield while shanks swarm you from every angle. You can't just Thundercrash your way out of this one.
To drop those shields, you have to interact with the pylons scattered around the arena. This is where the Destiny 2 charge mission gets its name. You’ll find Arc Charges—glowing orbs dropped by specific mini-boss shanks.
Here is the sequence that trips people up:
- Kill the two mini-boss shanks that spawn after the first health gate.
- Grab the Arc Charge.
- Don't just run around aimlessly. Look for the metamorphs on the walls.
- You have to throw the charge at the correct machine. There are three: one at the back, one on the left, and one on the right.
If you throw it at the wrong one, nothing happens. You’ve just wasted a charge and now you’re standing in the open like a target. You have to match the charge to the side of the room it belongs to. Usually, the game gives you a faint HUD marker, but in the chaos of Mythic difficulty, it’s easy to miss.
The Matterspark Problem
Later in the mission, the game shifts gears. Instead of carrying physical orbs, you have to use Matterspark. This turns you into a ball of light that can travel through vents and pipes.
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I’ve seen so many players get "soft-locked" here. They aren't actually bugged; they just ran out of juice. Matterspark has a timer. If it hits zero while you're inside a vent, you get spat out or, worse, you just die. Use the refresh panels. They are those glowing squares on the walls. If you see one, hit it. It’s better to have a full meter than to realize you’re two inches short of the exit.
The real headache is the fourth reactor.
After you think you’ve finished the sequence, the exit won't open. This is the part that flooded Reddit with "is this mission bugged?" posts. You have to find a hidden terminal near the ceiling. You’ll need to use Matterspark to launch yourself upward through a specific vent on the right side of the room. If you’re just looking at the floor, you’ll never find it.
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Surviving the Mythic Difficulty
If you’re brave (or masochistic) enough to run this on Mythic, the rules change. The ads don't stop.
The best advice I can give you? Clear the shanks first. They seem weak, but when twenty of them are zapping you at once, your recovery stat doesn't mean anything. Use a build that triggers health regen on kills. Precious Scars for Titans or Getaway Artist for Warlocks are top-tier here. You need something that works while you’re busy carrying charges.
Also, save your Heavy.
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The Master Technician has a final "enrage" phase when his health is below 10%. The shield goes away for good, but he starts calling in orbital strikes. If you don't burn him down in about fifteen seconds, the floor becomes lava. Literally.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
Don't go in there with a generic loadout. If you want to finish the Destiny 2 charge mission on your first try today, follow this checklist:
- Bring an Arc weapon: Most of the shields in this mission are Arc. A good Pulse Rifle or the Choir of One exotic will shred the mini-bosses.
- Identify the Pylons early: Before you even start the fight, look at the three wall machines. Memorize where the "Back," "Left," and "Right" stations are.
- Watch the Matterspark meter: If you’re at 20% and you haven't entered the vent yet, go back to a refresh panel. It’s not worth the risk.
- Don't ignore the ceiling: When the objective says "Locate the Second Generator," look up. The path is almost always vertical.
- Stick to the back-left corner: If you’re getting overwhelmed by shanks, there is a small area near the fungus growth in the back-left of the boss room where spawns are limited. It’s a great place to catch your breath.
Once you’ve slotted those charges and handled the final reactor, the exit will finally open. You'll get your Strangelets, listen to some Eido dialogue, and finally be done with one of the most mechanically annoying missions in recent Destiny history. Just remember: it’s a puzzle mission disguised as a strike. Treat it like one.