How to get the Superblack shader in Destiny 2

The path to obtain the shader is currently unknown.

A Guardian using all-black armor from Crota's End in Destiny 2.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

An all-black shader has been the Holy Grail for most Destiny 2 fashionistas, and Bungie finally delivered it with the Superblack shader in the Into the Light update.

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The Superblack shader hails straight from the first Destiny, and its resurrection fits with the theme of the update. Into the Light was a celebration of the franchise heading into The Final Shape, including classic weapons from the two games.

Superblack is the motherlode of all the black shaders. Unlike other shaders, Superblack lives up to its name by being fully black. Jacarina, for instance, has white and gray (plus random blue accents), and even popular choices such as Amethyst Veil, Skele-Ghaul, and Erebos Glance boast other colors in their palette.

How to unlock the Superblack shader in Destiny 2

The Mountaintop grenade launcher with Superblack, covering it in black, with darker accents.
Weapons weren’t the main issue, but this does help. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Superblack shader is currently unavailable but is expected to return sometime in the future according to a Bungie blog post in April 2024. Superblack “will return later on” after The Final Shape expansion lands.

You were originally able to get your hands on the shader via the free Into The Light expansion which saw guardians first engage with the Onslaught mode to finish quests for Lord Shaxx and Arcite 99-40 in the Hall of Champions. Given the two Superblack Keys, as well as the Hall, are no longer in the game, you won’t be able to unlock the shader.

The Superblack shader was locked behind two main keys. One was available from Lord Shaxx within the Hall of Champions and the other was tied to Arcite’s quests.

Superblack Key Alpha: Lord Shaxx and Onslaught

The first Superblack Key was a reward for resetting your rank with Lord Shaxx at the Hall of Champions (unrelated to your Crucible rank). You needed to get enough Hype with him to reset his rank, which will grant you Superblack Key Alpha once you reset your reputation rank with him.

The Superblack Key Alpha is the last item on Lord Shaxx's reward track. You can't reset reputation with him, however.
It’s a shame you can’t reset Lord Shaxx’s inventory. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Hype was available from Onslaught, Destiny 2’s new defense-based PvE mode. Guardians have plenty of reasons to dive into this activity, including picking up the weapons from the BRAVE Arsenal or even just a well-needed change of pace.

Superblack Key Omega: Arcite 99-40’s quests

The second key was tied to Arcite 99-40’s vendor quests in the Hall of Champions. Guardians got his Key by completing all BRAVE weapon quests. These weapons are still obtainable to this day via the Onslaught activity, but as Arcite is gone, you won’t be able to finish his quests or obtain his key.

The Superblack Key Omega is located within Arcite 99-40's inventory, under the "Special Rewards" section.
As if getting shiny, curated copies of each weapon wasn’t good enough. Screenshot by Dot Esports

What happens after getting both Superblack keys in Destiny 2?

Once you have both Superblack Keys from Shaxx and Arcite 99-40, guardians simply needed to interact with the door behind the two in the Hall of Champions. This opened the door behind them, leading into the symbiote-like blob that totally doesn’t look like it’ll swallow you.

A vantablack-like blob made of threads, similar to a jet-black tangle, may be the source of the Superblack shader in lore.
It’s probably safe, right? Screenshot by Dot Esports

After entering the room and making contact with the symbiote, (why would you have to make contact with a non-living thing?), guardians were given the Superblack shader in their collections.

Author
Image of Pedro Peres
Pedro Peres
Pedro is Dot Esports' Lead Destiny Writer. He's been a freelance writer since 2019, and legend has it you can summon him by pinging an R-301, uttering the word "Persona," or inviting him to run a raid in Destiny 2 (though he probably has worse RNG luck than the D2 team combined). Find his ramblings on his Twitter @ggpedroperes (whenever that becomes available again).
Author
Image of Nicholas Taifalos
Nicholas Taifalos
Weekend editor for Dot Esports. Nick, better known as Taffy, began his esports career in commentary, switching to journalism with a focus on Oceanic esports, particularly Counter-Strike and Dota. Email: nicholas@dotesports.com