Bungie axes Destiny 2's Niobe Labs puzzle requirement, will open Bergusia Forge later today

Update 2: The Destiny 2 community has been trying to solve a puzzle for the past 27 hours in order to unlock the final Lost Forge in the Black Armory DLC for all players, but due to mounting complaints about new content being locked behind a time-consuming activity, Bungie has opted to essentially abandon the puzzle and open the Bergusia Forge for all players (who own the annual pass) today, January 9, at 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm BST. Bungie also released a statement regarding the ill-fated community event: 

"While coming together as a community to solve puzzles can be fun, setting this puzzle up as a gate between you and new content that you want to play has not been an ideal experience. As such, we will be decoupling the puzzle from the final offering of the Black Armory. All Annual Pass owners will be able to experience the Bergusia Forge when the puzzle is solved or when the deadline expires - whichever happens first.

"We realize that many of you have been working hard to solve the puzzle of the Niobe Labs. Whatever the outcome, it will remain open for Annual Pass owners who still want to test their problem solving skills. There is a Ghost and an Emblem to earn as evidence that you completed the challenge.

"We love trying new things with Destiny, but we’re also flexible enough to pivot when you point out room for improvement. We’ll continue to monitor the conversation about this event and learn from your feedback as we create future content releases."

I'm excited to play the Bergusia Forge for myself, but I also feel for the streamers and brainiacs who've been bashing their head against this puzzle non-stop for over a day. The players that have been on the frontlines can still clear Niobe Labs to earn a Ghost shell and emblem, but that can't be as satisfying as unlocking new content for the community Last Wish-style. This puzzle was an exciting surprise when it was revealed, so it's a shame to see it fizzle out this way. 

Update: Yesterday, a surprise Destiny 2 update abruptly kicked off a race to complete a new puzzle which will unlock the final Lost Forge in the Black Armory DLC for all players. Destiny streamers and raid sleuths alike piled in, but despite their best efforts - with some streamers playing straight through the night - the puzzle has yet to be solved. 

At the time of writing, it's been exactly 24 hours since the Niobe Labs puzzle was released - and while players have reached what's believed to be the final wave of the puzzle, the Bergusia Forge is still locked. To put that in perspective, the race to complete the first raid in Destiny, the Vault of Glass, took 14 hours. The first raid in Destiny 2, Last Wish, took players 19 hours. Hell, the Black Armory raid Scourge of the Past took players a scant two hours. So when the best minds in the Destiny community can't crack something even after a full day of work, you know it's tough. 

You can read a nice roundup of players' discoveries over on the Destiny Raid Secrets subreddit. Niobe Labs is filled with the same type of rune puzzles seen in previous forges, requiring players to stand in certain places and shoot specific symbols using Black Armory weapons. However, the Bypass stage of the encounter is also overflowing with high-level enemies.  Basically, it's like trying to solve a crossword puzzle written in code while standing in the middle of a mosh pit, and that's where players are currently stuck. 

Wave six of the Bypass was handily the biggest roadblock so far. Players were stuck on this wave alone for roughly 12 hours - so you can imagine their dismay when, rather than the end of this brain-draining gauntlet, a seventh wave spooled up when it was finally cleared. Naturally, the solution to wave seven has been the subject of much debate, with suggestions ranging from allusions to Arthurian legend to full-on Charlie Day from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia connections between obscure lore fragments. 

Nevertheless, players are definitely close. The biggest clue to completing wave seven may be the special ammo crates that spawn toward the end of the wave. No other wave had these crates, and as Destiny streamer Gigz pointed out on Twitter, the symbol which appears in wave seven seems to connect to the different elemental damage types available on special weapons. 

When streamers were still stuck on wave six, Destiny 2 narrative lead Guillaume Colomb said on Twitter that players are just overthinking things, and it's possible that's the case for wave seven as well. Of course, you can hardly fault people for being a bit rattled after grinding the same activity for 24 hours straight. At the time of writing, Destiny streamer xGladd - who was part of the first fireteam to clear Last Wish - is carrying the torch. Gladd reckons the puzzle will be solved in the next 12 hours - even if it's not his team that does it - and with Bergusia Forge on the line, all Destiny 2 players are hoping he's right. 

Original story:

The fourth and final Lost Forge in Destiny 2: Black Armory arrived today, but rather than another grindy questline, Bungie revealed on Twitter that the Bergusia Forge must be unlocked through a lengthy puzzle connected to the mysterious runes players have been poring over for weeks. Here's the kicker: once someone clears the puzzle, the Bergusia Forge will be unlocked for all players, just like how the first Last Wish raid completion expanded the Dreaming City. 

The puzzle is centered around an area in the European Dead Zone, Niobe Labs, which can be accessed via a broken bridge located near Sojourner's Camp in the Outskirts. Niobe Labs is plastered with the same runes dotted around the other three forges, but how they're connected is anyone's guess. Different runes are visible when viewed through the sights of different Black Armory weapons, and there are multiple symbols and codes at play. 

It's not as flashy as the races to complete the Last Wish and Scourge of the Past raids, but the Bergusia puzzle is every bit as exciting. It was a total surprise, for starters, and it will also unlock new content for everyone. Hell, the fact that we don't have to grind out another Forge quest is reason enough to celebrate, and besides that, the Bergusia Forge likely holds the solution to Black Armory's ongoing Mysterious Box Exotic quest. It's going to be an exciting week for Destiny 2, that's for sure. If you want to watch the puzzle race live, head to Destiny 2's Twitch directory. (Personally, I'd recommend tuning into Teawrex, a well-known and well-spoken Destiny puzzler, and Destiny YouTuber Datto.)

Destiny 2: Black Armory is a pretty fun grind, and as always, Destiny 2 is at its best during tense moments like these.