Destiny 2 Dead Messenger: How to get, craftable God Roll, Catalyst, Vox Obscura

Kurt Perry
Dead Messenger Exotic Grenade Launcher from Vox Obscura Exotic Mission Rotator in Destiny 2.

Vox Obscura is back and with it comes Dead Messenger, the only Exotic Wave-Frame Grenade Launcher in Destiny 2. This is everything you need to know about the Void GL including how to get it, what its craftable god roll is, and where to find its Catalyst.

Back in Season of the Risen, Destiny 2 players could acquire Dead Messenger by completing the Vox Obscura Exotic Quest. Unfortunately, this mission was removed with the arrival of Lightfall leaving many Guardians empty-handed.

However, Season of the Witch changed that by introducing the Exotic Mission Rotator. Now lost Exotic weapons and quests can make their return like Revision Zero and Dead Messenger.

Getting your hands on Dead Messenger in Destiny 2 will require some additional knowledge so here’s everything you need to know about the Exotic Grenade Launcher.

Contents

Dead Messenger Exotic weapon overview in Destiny 2.
Overview of Dead Messenger’s stats, perks, and intrinsic trait.

How to get craftable Dead Messenger in Destiny 2

To acquire the craftable variant of Dead Messenger you need to complete one run of Vox Obscura on Normal difficulty. This Exotic quest can be accessed through the Legends section of the Destinations tab when it’s the featured weekly mission.

After finishing Vox Obscura for the first time, you will be given a Red Border variant of Dead Messenger. Extract the pattern from Dead Messenger through the Weapon Mods interface and it will be available as a craftable weapon at The Enclave in Savathun’s Throne World.

How to get Dead Messenger catalyst in 2023

To obtain the Dead Messenger catalyst you need to complete one run of Vox Obscura on Legend difficulty. Legend difficulty is set at 1830 Power, has Equipment Locked, and will require players to defeat both Barrier and Unstoppable Champions.

Once the catalyst is obtained as a drop, you can apply it to Dead Messenger by adding Turnabout as a perk at The Enclave in Savathun’s Throne World. Those who have already obtained the catalyst prior to the Exotic Mission Rotator’s release will already have access to it.

Dead Messenger changing elements.
Turnabout has natural synergy with the Dead Messenger’s ability to switch elements.

How to get Trinary Vision upgrades for Dead Messenger

The Trinary Vision upgrades can be acquired by completing runs of Vox Obscura on any difficulty after obtaining the pattern for Dead Messenger.

After acquiring the catalyst, it will require two completions of Vox Obscura to acquire the remaining upgrades with each completion rewarding one extra tier up. The tier upgrades are not time-gated and can be earned in one go.

How to unlock fourth slot Trait Upgrades on Dead Messenger

The fourth slot traits can be unlocked by completing subsequent runs of Vox Obscura on Legendary difficulty after obtaining the Catalyst.

Once unlocked players can choose from either Thresh, Unrelenting, and Demolitionist with each offering something of interest given Dead Messenger’s prowess at add clear and taking out multiple combatants in one shot.

What is the Dead Messenger God Roll for PvE & PvP?

With it now being craftable Destiny 2 players are free to create their Dead Messenger God Roll of choice making the Exotic Grenade Launcher much more versatile.

Since Blast Radius has no effect on Wave-frame Grenade Launchers it’s best to prioritize Velocity and Handling for both PvE and PvP.

Our recommended Dead Messenger PvE God Roll is:

  • Intrinsic: Trinary Vision III
  • Barrel: Quick Launch
  • Basic Trait 1: High-Velocity Rounds
  • Basic Trait 2: Demolitionist
  • Unique Trait: The Fundamentals
  • Catalyst: Turnabout
  • Stock: Short-Action Stock

Our recommended Dead Messenger PvP God Roll is:

  • Intrinsic: Trinary Vision III
  • Barrel: Quick Launch
  • Basic Trait 1: High-Velocity Rounds
  • Basic Trait 2: Demolitionist
  • Unique Trait: The Fundamentals
  • Catalyst: Turnabout
  • Stock: Short-Action Stock

That’s everything you need to know about the new craftable variant of Dead Messenger in Destiny 2. For more info consider checking out some of our other guides:

Destiny 2 Dead Man’s Tale: How to get, craftable God Roll, Catalyst, Presage | Deepsight Harmonizers: How to farm, use, and what weapons to convert | Exotic Mission Rotator: What it is, how to access, schedule, loot table | Best Exotic weapons | Best PvP Weapons | Best PvE Weapons | Destiny 2 Season of the Witch: Release date, raid, power cap, & more | Best Titan Builds | Best Warlock Builds | Best Arc 3.0 Builds | Best Solar 3.0 Builds | Best Void 3.0 Builds  |  Best Stasis Builds

About The Author

Kurt Perry is a British games writer who started at Dexerto in April 2023. He graduated from Staffordshire University in 2019 with a BA in Games Journalism and PR. Prior to joining Dexerto, Kurt contributed 900 articles for PC Invasion including over 350 guides. He's an all-rounder who is particularly knowledgeable about Call of Duty, Destiny, and Pokemon.