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During the “The Variable” Exotic quest for the Vexcalibur in Destiny 2, Guardians are tasked with the objective: “Follow the digital traces.” Whether you are struggling to clear this objective or are at a loss of where to begin, the entire portion of the mission takes place within The Gulch. For those unfamiliar, this sector sits between Firebase Hades and The Sludge. Your goal here is to search for digital traces, which appear as bright holographic cubes floating at fixed points across the landscape.
Following the Digital Traces in Destiny 2 The Variable Quest
To complete the “Follow the digital traces” task in “The Variable” quest of Destiny 2, you’ll need to find and collect white, glowing cubes within The Gulch. After interacting with the first cube-shaped node, a 30-second timer will begin. Before the half-minute runs out, you need to discover another digital trace to reset the timer. Finding all six nodes grants access to a cave where you can progress the quest.
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Based on gameplay footage by Destiny 2 content creators This Week In Video Games and GuidingLight, the digital traces that appear in The Gulch during “The Variable” will always spawn in the same spots. However, we noticed that the glowing cubed nodes are much easier to see after nightfall compared to daytime. Nevertheless, their bright luminescence should always be enough to reveal their positions, regardless of the time of day.
As noted above, you must follow and collect six digital traces in Destiny 2 to proceed with the quest. The order in which you find them does not matter, but it is essential to know where they spawn if you aim to beat the 30-second timer. Using your Sparrow to traverse from Point A to B will make this challenge much more manageable than on foot.
All Digital Trace Locations in The Variable of Destiny 2
The first digital trace can be found between the two antennae of a device that sits atop a ridge opposite The Gulch’s crumbled bridge. The second is located directly beneath this same bridge. After collecting these two, mount your Sparrow and ride to the center of the spacious marsh to discover the third at the center of several broken tree stumps.
Check above the “Salzwek” road sign to find the fourth digital trace in Destiny 2. The fifth sits between two trees directly ahead of the destroyed trees in the central bog. Finally, investigate the elevated densely wooded area beside the ruined paved road to locate the last node.
Destiny 2 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PC.
