Struggling to open the locked door in Destiny 2’s Dark Academia quest? This quick guide walks you through everything, from finding the quest location to unlocking the barrier using Matterspark and locating all three charges. Whether you’re aiming to kick off the Ikora side quest or just want those Fated Ciphers, here’s exactly what you need to do to clear the path and claim your rewards.
How to Start the Dark Academia Quest
After you’ve made enough progress in the Edge of Fate campaign on Kepler and unlocked the Matterspark ability, the Dark Academia quest will show up in Augur’s Bethel. To get started, teleport to the Curtilage Divide. From there, follow the green-lit tunnel and your quest marker, it’s a mostly straight path. Just be sure to pin the quest so you don’t miss the left turn along the way.
Finding the Locked Door and the First Charge
Eventually, you’ll reach a zone crawling with Fallen enemies. Keep pushing forward until you spot a locked door next to a generator protected by a barrier. Above the door are three lights that aren’t lit, your goal is to find and destroy three charges nearby to open it.
From the door, turn around and take the first left. You’ll come across a bridge, drop down underneath it. There’s a pipe down there with a visible charge inside. No tricks here, just shoot it to get the first charge.
How to Get Matterspark and the Second Charge
The other two charges are tucked away behind obstacles that you can’t clear without using Matterspark . To get it, head to the back of the room and climb up a large, slanted pipe that’s connected to a pair of big, circular gears. Once you make it up to the second level, you’ll spot a glowing green pipe, don’t interact with it just yet. Instead, turn to your right and follow a thinner pipe that slopes upward. At the summit, there’s a group of luminous spores accompanied by the Matterspark hive. Grab a charge from the hive, then head back to the glowing pipe you saw earlier. Use Matterspark on it, which will shift the pipe just enough to reveal the second charge hidden inside. Take the shot to destroy it.
Final Charge and Unlocking the Door
To get the final charge, you’ll need to grab another Matterspark from the hive to reset the timer. Once you’re powered up again, head down to the area beneath the large pipe structure where you’ll see a stationary train. Directly to the right of the train, you’ll spot a glowing panel on the wall. Activate your Matterspark ability on it, and it will move aside to uncover the final hidden charge. Shoot it to destroy it. With all three charges down, make your way back to the locked door. Use Matterspark to activate the generator beside it. If you haven’t completed the campaign yet, you might also need to power up a nearby Matterspark pylon to fully unlock the door.
Once the door opens, interact with the item inside to trigger the next step. You’ll earn a Tier 2 Kepler weapon and 3 Fated Ciphers for your trouble.
