Losing your favorite weapon or piece of armor in Destiny 2 can be frustrating, especially if it was hard-earned or carefully crafted for your build. Fortunately, Destiny 2 offers several methods for players to reacquire gear they may have dismantled, infused, or accidentally deleted. Whether you’re looking to get back a powerful exotic, a trusted legendary weapon, or even cosmetics like ornaments and shaders, understanding how to reacquire gear in Destiny 2 is essential to maintaining your Guardian’s strength and style. This guide will walk you through the different systems available for gear recovery across all categories.
Using Collections to Reacquire Gear
Accessing Your Collections
Destiny 2’s Collections tab is the main way to reacquire most gear you’ve previously obtained. To access it:
- Open your Character menu (default key isF1on PC).
- Select theCollectionstab from the top navigation bar.
- Navigate through the categories: Weapons, Armor, Exotics, Emblems, Ships, Sparrows, Ghost Shells, and more.
If you’ve collected an item before, it should appear here, allowing you to reacquire it for a set amount of in-game resources like Glimmer, Legendary Shards, or Enhancement Cores.
Limitations of Collections
It’s important to understand that items reacquired from Collections typically do not retain their original rolls. Legendary gear will have random rolls, and curated rolls are not preserved unless it’s an item with a fixed roll. This means you might not get the exact same perks as your original piece. Additionally, Masterworked items will return in their base form.
Reacquiring Exotic Gear
Through the Collections Tab
Exotic weapons and armor you’ve unlocked can be reclaimed from the Exotics section of the Collections tab. Each reacquisition will require:
- Glimmer
- Legendary Shards
- Sometimes Enhancement Cores or Ascendant Shards (for armor)
Reacquired exotic armor will roll with new, randomized stats. This can be a good way to try for better rolls on exotic gear you like to use often.
From the Monument to Lost Lights
If you are trying to get back an exotic weapon that came from a past expansion or quest, head to the Tower and visit the Monument to Lost Lights, near the Vault terminals. Here, you can reacquire legacy exotic weapons that are no longer obtainable through their original quests.
These weapons typically require the following materials:
- Glimmer
- Spoils of Conquest (from raids)
- Ascendant Shards
- Planetary Materials
Make sure you’ve already unlocked the weapon before it must be in your collection for it to appear at the monument.
Retrieving Legendary Weapons and Armor
Legendary Gear from Collections
You can reacquire previously unlocked legendary weapons and armor from the Weapons and Armor sections of your Collections. Keep in mind:
- Most reacquired legendary items have randomized perk rolls.
- Reacquired items are not always power cap viable, especially if they are from older seasons.
This method is useful for nostalgic weapons or to fill out cosmetic armor sets. For functional builds, reacquiring legendary gear is better handled through world drops or targeted focusing.
World Drops and Target Farming
If an item isn’t available in Collections or you want a specific roll, you’ll need to earn it again in-game. Here are a few methods:
- Focusing engramswith vendors like Banshee-44, Zavala, or Shaxx.
- Nightfall, Crucible, or Gambitrewards for activity-specific weapons.
- Seasonal vendorsfor weapons tied to seasonal activities like Battlegrounds or Override.
Many vendors allow you to focus engrams into specific weapons or armor types you’ve already unlocked, increasing the chances of regaining specific gear with better rolls.
Seasonal and Event Gear Recovery
Using the Season Pass
Each season includes a Season Pass with unique weapons, armor, and cosmetics. If you miss claiming an item from the pass, Bungie provides a system on their website (through Bungie.net) where you can claim rewards retroactively for the current and previous season.
Event-Specific Gear
During limited-time events like Festival of the Lost, Dawning, or Solstice, special gear becomes available. Once earned, much of it can be reclaimed from Collections under the relevant armor or cosmetic section.
If an event gear set is missing, you may need to wait for the event to return, as some items are time-locked to annual events.
Cosmetic Gear and Ornaments
Reacquiring Shaders, Emblems, and Ships
Almost all cosmetic items such as shaders, emblems, ships, and sparrows can be reclaimed for free or for Glimmer through the Collections tab. These items do not lose their original appearance or perks when reacquired.
Universal Ornaments
Ornaments purchased from Eververse or earned during past events can also be reclaimed from Collections. Once owned, they are available account-wide and can be applied to any armor piece of the same slot, as long as it supports ornament functionality.
Vault and Postmaster Considerations
Check Your Vault
Before assuming a piece of gear is gone forever, check your Vault. It’s common to stash items during loadout changes or when clearing inventory. Use the in-game Vault or access your gear via the Destiny 2 companion app or third-party apps like DIM (Destiny Item Manager).
Check the Postmaster
If your inventory was full during gameplay, items may have been sent to the Postmaster. Visit the Postmaster in the Tower to retrieve anything that was auto-sent. Be quick new items can overwrite older ones if the Postmaster fills up.
Third-Party Tools to Track Lost Gear
Using Destiny Item Manager (DIM)
DIM helps track and organize your gear across characters and the Vault. If you’re unsure whether you dismantled something, DIM can show your entire gear history and help identify missing pieces.
Using Braytech.org
This website provides a detailed breakdown of your Collections and triumphs. You can use it to verify whether an item has been unlocked on your account before attempting to reacquire it in-game.
Final Tips for Managing Gear
Lock Important Gear
Always lock weapons and armor you don’t want to lose by hovering over the item and selecting Lock (default key isL). This prevents accidental dismantling.
Maintain Clean Inventory
Regularly clear out old or unused gear to avoid Postmaster overflow. Transfer useful gear to the Vault and dismantle items that are underperforming or outdated.
Masterwork Carefully
Don’t invest Enhancement Prisms or Ascendant Shards into gear unless you’re sure it’s a keeper. It’s better to masterwork weapons and armor with solid rolls you plan to use long-term.
Reacquiring gear in Destiny 2 is a manageable process if you know where to look. Whether through the Collections tab, the Monument to Lost Lights, seasonal vendors, or activity rewards, Guardians have multiple paths to restore their favorite weapons, armor, and cosmetics. Keep your inventory organized, take advantage of the Vault, and be strategic when dismantling or infusing. With the right approach, you’ll never feel like a valuable item is lost forever. Destiny 2 rewards planning and knowledge, and now you have both when it comes to bringing your best gear back into the fight.