Destiny 2 Garden of Salvation Raid Guide
Garden of Salvation is a free Year 3 raid that gates the Divinity quest. Here is how the tether relays and the final encounter work
Garden of Salvation is the Year 3 raid that shipped with Shadowkeep in October 2019. It is free to play, set inside the Black Garden, and it is the raid half of the Divinity quest. The raid is built around relay and tether mechanics, so it rewards teams that communicate.
Garden of Salvation encounter breakdown
The Consecrated Mind is the opening relay fight where you pass a buff around the arena. The Sanctified Mind layers on the same ideas with tighter timers and a strict positioning check. The final encounter is a race against a contest clock, with a tether chain that punishes anyone out of position. The relay buff decays when it is not passed, so teams must rotate it on a rhythm rather than holding it. Divinity is not a random drop — the raid carries six tether puzzles that are one step of the Divine Fragmentation quest, which is why most teams still run it.
Preparing for the Garden of Salvation
Bring a boss-damage weapon and a support subclass. Power level is not the wall here — the mechanics are. Clear the soft cap and you will not feel under-levelled in the opening encounter. The relay buff is the whole raid, so learn to pass it without dropping it. Assign a relay owner before the encounter starts, because unassigned buffs die in the arena. There is no matchmaking, so your group has to agree on the final race route before anyone loads in.
Relay and tether mistakes in Garden of Salvation
- Dropping the relay buff.
- Breaking the tether chain.
- Ignoring the contest clock on the final encounter.
- Dropping the tether mid-race.
FAQ
Is Garden of Salvation free? Yes. No expansion is required — Shadowkeep going free-to-play put the raid in everyone’s Director.
What is the exotic? Divinity, a trace rifle that cages targets for bonus team damage. You do not farm for it: it comes from finishing the Divine Fragmentation quest, which ends inside this raid.
Can it be matchmade? No. No Destiny 2 raid has matchmaking. Build a fireteam of six first, or use the in-game Fireteam Finder.
Garden of Salvation run checklist
- Pass the relay buff cleanly.
- Stay in the tether chain.
- Clear the six Divinity tether puzzles.
- Learn the final race route.
What Power do you need? The raid prints its requirement on the launch card, so check it before you queue. Being ten levels short makes every phase feel twice as long.
Divinity is why most teams queue for it, and the Divinity guide walks the puzzle chain that unlocks it; the raid preparation notes cover the loadout side.
Related guides
Sources & References
This guide is verified against the game's own data and official communications. For patch notes, current balance, and authoritative specifics, consult the references below. Where a precise number cannot be verified, we explain the mechanic rather than invent a figure.
- Destiny 2 on Bungie.net — patch notes, current season, and authoritative game data.
- Destiny 2 Wiki — community-maintained mechanics, maps, and item data.