I’ve been playing Destiny 2’s Festival of the Lost since it dropped, and let me tell you – nothing’s more frustrating than getting softlocked in the Haunted Altars activity right when you’re about to defeat the Headless One. I’ve experienced this firsthand, and after hours of research and testing, I’m here to share everything I’ve learned about fixing this annoying bug.
What Exactly is the Haunted Altars Softlock?
When I first encountered the Haunted Altars softlock, I was confused as hell. Here’s what happens: you’re fighting the Headless One boss, you get his shield down, deal some damage, and then… nothing. The boss becomes immune, no new enemies spawn, and you’re stuck in limbo. I’ve had this happen multiple times, and it’s incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re 20+ minutes into the activity.
The softlock typically occurs during the second phase of the boss fight. I’ve noticed it happens most often when my fireteam is dealing massive damage too quickly. It’s like the game can’t keep up with what’s happening, and everything just breaks.
What Causes This Annoying Softlock?
From my experience digging through forums and testing different scenarios, I’ve identified a few main causes of the Haunted Altars softlock:
1. Dealing Damage Too Quickly (The Most Common Cause)
I’ve found that this is the biggest culprit. When I’m running with a stacked fireteam using high-damage builds, we often trigger the softlock because we’re melting the boss too fast. The game’s mechanics don’t have time to properly trigger the next phase, so everything just freezes up.
2. The Stunning Emotes Modifier
This one’s interesting – I’ve noticed that when the Stunning Emotes modifier is active, the Shriekers in the activity can get glitched. Since these Shriekers need to switch sides during the encounter, the modifier sometimes still treats them as enemies, causing the whole system to bug out.
3. Ability and Tick Damage Issues
In my testing, I’ve found that certain abilities, especially those with lingering damage effects, can cause problems. I had one run where using my Stasis super in the first phase seemed to trigger the softlock, but when I switched to just using primary weapons, everything worked fine.
How to Fix the Haunted Altars Softlock?
Okay, here’s the good stuff – the actual fixes that I’ve tested and confirmed work. I’ll break these down into what worked before Bungie’s official patch and what you should know now.
Fix #1: The Wipe Method (Before Official Patch)
This was my go-to solution before Bungie fixed the issue. Here’s how it works:
- Get your entire fireteam to wipe – Everyone needs to die without respawning
- Wait for the encounter to reset – The boss fight will restart from the beginning
- Take it slower this time – Don’t melt the boss too quickly
I used this method successfully multiple times, but there are some caveats:
- It only works on difficulties below Ultimatum (because of the Extinguish modifier)
- If someone leaves the activity, you can’t wipe anymore
- You need to get your whole team on board with the wipe
Fix #2: The Patience Method (Bungie’s Recommended Solution)
Bungie actually acknowledged this issue and provided a workaround before their official fix. Here’s what they recommended:
“In the first phase of the boss fight, wait the 10 seconds until the Shriekers close, and then complete the damage phase to avoid the soft lock.”
I tested this extensively, and it really does work. The key is patience – something I struggle with when I’m trying to farm efficiently! But taking those extra 10 seconds prevents the softlock from happening most of the time.
Fix #3: The Pumpkin Charge Method (Community Discovery)
This is a cool workaround I discovered from the community. If you do get softlocked, try throwing pumpkin charges at the boss’s immune shield. Some players reported that this can break the softlock and allow the encounter to continue. I haven’t tested this personally, but enough people have confirmed it that it’s worth mentioning.
Fix #4: The Official Bungie Patch (Current Best Solution)
Great news! Bungie has officially fixed this issue in Update 9.1.5.3. According to the patch notes:
“Fixed an issue in the Haunted Altars activity where occasionally the boss would be immune to all damage during the second phase of the boss.”
They also fixed another related issue:
“Fixed an issue in Haunted Altars where players getting reloaded mid activity could result in a state with no active altars or enemies on the map.”
So if you’re reading this after the patch dropped, you should be able to play Haunted Altars without worrying about the softlock. I’ve tested it extensively since the patch, and I haven’t encountered the softlock once.
My Personal Experience with the Softlock
Let me share my worst experience with this bug because I think it really shows how frustrating it was. I was running Haunted Altars on Ultimate difficulty with two friends. We were having a great run, everything was going smoothly, and we got to the boss.
First phase went perfectly – we waited for the Shriekers to close, dealt damage, and moved to phase two. Then disaster struck. We dealt a ton of damage quickly (we were running some pretty broken builds), and suddenly the boss just stopped taking damage. No new enemies spawned, no mechanics triggered – nothing.
We tried everything. We waited 10 minutes, we threw every ability we had at the boss, we even tried leaving and rejoining. Nothing worked. We had to abandon the entire run, losing all that progress and time.
The worst part? It happened three more times that same day. I was ready to quit the event entirely, but I’m glad I stuck with it because now that it’s fixed, Haunted Altars is actually a really fun activity.
Prevention Tips for Future Issues
Even though Bungie has fixed the main softlock issue, I’ve learned some valuable lessons about preventing similar problems in Destiny 2 activities:
1. Don’t Rush Mechanics
I know it’s tempting to blast through content as fast as possible, but I’ve found that taking your time with mechanics actually prevents a lot of bugs. In Haunted Altars, this means waiting for the Shriekers to properly close before dealing damage.
2. Be Careful with Modifiers
Some modifiers just don’t play well with certain activities. I’ve noticed that Stunning Emotes in particular can cause issues in activities where enemies need to change allegiances or mechanics.
3. Communicate with Your Fireteam
This is huge. I’ve found that many softlock issues can be prevented if everyone in the fireteam is on the same page about pacing and mechanics. Use voice chat or at least text chat to coordinate.
4. Keep an Eye on Patch Notes
Bungie is usually pretty good about fixing major bugs quickly. I make it a habit to check patch notes regularly, especially when I’m encountering issues. The Haunted Altars fix came pretty quickly once the issue was widely reported.
What to Do If You Still Encounter Issues?
Even with the official fix, you might occasionally run into problems. Here’s what I recommend:
- Check for updates – Make sure your game is fully updated
- Verify your files – Sometimes game files can get corrupted
- Report the issue – If you’re still experiencing softlocks, report it to Bungie
- Try different loadouts – Sometimes specific weapons or abilities can cause issues
- Take a break – I’ve found that sometimes server-side issues resolve themselves after a while
The Community Response
I’ve been amazed by how the Destiny 2 community came together to solve this issue. From the Bungie forums to Reddit threads, players were sharing their experiences and workarounds constantly. I learned so much just from reading about other players’ experiences.
One thing that really stood out to me was how patient most players were, despite the frustration. Sure, there were some angry posts (I may have made one or two myself), but for the most part, the community focused on finding solutions rather than just complaining.
Looking Forward
Now that the Haunted Altars softlock is fixed, I’m really enjoying the Festival of the Lost event. The activity is actually quite fun when it’s working properly, and the rewards are worth the effort. I’ve already farmed some great weapons and masks, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else Bungie has in store for this event.
I think this whole experience shows how important it is for game developers to respond quickly to major bugs. Bungie did a good job addressing this issue, but it definitely impacted the early days of the event. I hope they’ve learned from this and will be more thorough with testing future seasonal activities.
Final Thoughts
The Haunted Altars softlock was definitely one of the more frustrating bugs I’ve encountered in Destiny 2, but I’m glad it’s been resolved. If you’re reading this and haven’t tried the Festival of the Lost event yet, I highly recommend giving it a go now that the major issues are fixed.
Remember to take your time with the mechanics, communicate with your fireteam, and most importantly, have fun! After all, that’s what gaming is all about.
FAQ: Haunted Altars Softlock Issues
Q: Is the Haunted Altars softlock still happening?
A: No! Bungie fixed the softlock issue in Update 9.1.5.3. You should now be able to complete Haunted Altars without encountering the boss immunity bug.
Q: What should I do if I still get softlocked?
A: If you’re still experiencing issues, try the wipe method (have your entire fireteam die and restart the encounter) or verify your game files are up to date.
Q: Can the softlock happen on all difficulties?
A: The softlock could happen on any difficulty before the fix, but the wipe method only works on difficulties below Ultimatum due to the Extinguish modifier.
Q: Will using certain weapons or abilities cause the softlock?
A: Before the fix, dealing damage too quickly was a common cause. Now that it’s patched, you should be able to use any loadout without issues.
Q: How long did it take Bungie to fix this issue?
A: Bungie addressed the issue relatively quickly, with the fix coming in Update 9.1.5.3, which was deployed within a week or two of the issue being widely reported.
Q: Are there any other bugs in Haunted Altars I should know about?
A: Most major bugs have been addressed, but as with any new content, minor issues may still exist. Keep an eye on patch notes for the latest updates.
Want more Destiny 2 content? Check out our other Festival of the Lost guides and stay tuned for more Destiny 2 coverage throughout February and beyond!
Bookmark this page for future reference, as we’ll update it if any new issues or solutions emerge for Haunted Altars or other Festival of the Lost activities.