Destiny 2 Season of the Wish: How to Get and Use Lair Keys

It wouldn’t be a new season if there weren’t new consumables to earn. Lair Keys are a vital part of progressing in Season of the Wish, as they’re one of the best ways to get Engrams and gear drops. Here’s how to get and use Lair Keys in Destiny 2.

How to Get Lair Keys in Destiny 2 Season of the Wish

There are a few ways to get Lair Keys in Destiny 2 Season of the Wish, but by far the most consistent way I’ve been able to find them is to do activities and exploration tasks in the Dreaming City. In my testing, the four things to do are:

• Open randomly appearing world chests.
• Heroic Public Events.
• Riven’s Lair.
• Gambit, Crucible, and Vanguard Ops.

Like other Keys, you can only hold five Lair Keys at any one time, so you will eventually need to leave the activities and go do something else to get more. What you do is, as with everything in Destiny 2, up to you.

Random World Chests

These chests have set spawn points, but there are literally dozens of them in each of the Dreaming City’s three sections, so your best bet is to wander the area until you find one. I wish I could pinpoint them for you, but that’s the nature of RNG.

Heoric Public Events

Heroic Public Events are an even better source of Lair Keys, but you need to be able to complete them for the best chance. The first I got from an event was somewhat random. I happened to pass through on my way somewhere else and when the other Guardians completed it, bam, Lair Key. Don’t take that as an invitation not to help your fellow Destiny players with Heroic Public events, but that’s a possibility.

Riven’s Lair

A third and topical way to get Lair Keys is to play the seasonal activity, Riven’s Lair. Doing so not only has a chance to award a Lair Key, but you also get a generous amount of seasonal vendor reputation, a chance at Wish Engrams, and other seasonal gear.

Gambit, Crucible, and Vanguard Ops

And, if the rest of that doesn’t sound appetizing, you can always default back to that old seasonal standby: the Gambit, Crucible, and Vanguard Ops ritual playlists. Yes, for the thousandth and first time, the core ritual activities have a good but not guaranteed chance to award the Lair Key seasonal consumable.

How to Use Lair Keys in Destiny 2 Season of the Wish

Unlike getting them, using Lair Keys is a simple process. Simply open any Lair chest at the end of a Season of the Wish activity, specifically Riven’s Lair and The Coil. Note that because the Coil is an internally repeatable activity (a roguelike), you can spend as many Lair Keys as you hold and then keep going.

That’s how to get and use Lair Keys in Destiny 2. For more on Bungie’s neverending live service FPS MMO, check out our guides on the 13 Exotics you need right now, how to catch up on the story, and more in our D2 guides hub.