A comprehensive guide to Destiny 2’s groundbreaking solo Gatekeepers achievement with expert strategies and practical insights
The Historic Achievement
TL;DR: The Groundbreaking Solo Run
In January, content creator TheSnazzzyRock accomplished what many considered impossible: completing Destiny 2’s Gatekeepers encounter entirely solo. This six-person raid segment, part of the Vault of Glass, had never been conquered by a single player until this historic moment.
The gaming community was stunned when a YouTuber demonstrated that Destiny 2’s Gatekeepers encounter could be completed without any teammates.
On January 21st, TheSnazzzyRock secured his place in Destiny 2 history by finishing the Gatekeepers segment solo, marking the first documented completion of this notoriously team-dependent challenge. This achievement came after extensive practice and refinement of strategies.
Destiny 2’s raid encounters are designed around six-player coordination, with mechanics that force teams to split responsibilities while managing relentless enemy assaults. The Gatekeepers section amplifies these requirements with simultaneous portal defenses and tight timing windows.
While other sections of the Vault of Glass raid have seen solo completions, the Gatekeepers encounter remained unconquered due to its demanding multi-tasking requirements and punishing failure conditions.
TheSnazzzyRock’s footage reveals incredible speed and precision, with the player constantly rotating between objectives that normally distribute across an entire team. His commentary during tense moments highlights the razor-thin margins for error.
Urgent calls to eliminate Minotaurs demonstrate how quickly situations can deteriorate when managing all mechanics simultaneously. A single missed enemy can cascade into failure within seconds.
This extraordinary accomplishment represents approximately 200 hours of dedicated practice, according to the creator’s description. The commitment required to master every aspect of this encounter solo cannot be overstated.
Gaming commentator Jake Lucky described the feat as “impossible,” reflecting widespread community disbelief that one player could manage all the encounter’s simultaneous requirements.
This is @TheSnazzzyRock, and he did something never before done in Destiny 2, completing the World’s First Solo Gatekeepers run. A 6 man raid done by one guy, which many thought it was impossible to do
Might be the best gaming clip I’ve covered this year 😂 pic.twitter.com/pchlpAtE82
Community responses ranged from astonished admiration to disbelief. One commenter expressed: “Absolutely insane. Huge W.”
Another viewer noted: “The commentary and his reaction make it so much better,” highlighting how the creator’s genuine excitement enhanced the viewing experience.
Understanding the Gatekeepers Challenge
Gatekeepers serves as the penultimate encounter in the Vault of Glass raid, presenting what many consider the most difficult segment to attempt solo. Players must defend two active portals while defeating the initial gatekeeper to obtain the Relic shield, creating a perfect storm of multitasking demands.
The encounter unfolds across two distinct phases that utilize portals connecting to locations designated as Venus and Mars. These aren’t literal planets but rather distinct combat arenas with unique visual themes and spawn patterns.
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For a standard six-player team, Phase One executes with specific role assignments:
- Two guardians immediately occupy and defend the activation plates to open both portals simultaneously. Meanwhile, remaining team members engage the first gatekeeper to secure the Relic shield
- One player claims the Relic while two others traverse the portals to protect confluxes from advancing Vex forces. The final member remains in the throne room to assist with plate defense against spawning gatekeepers
- Praetorian Minotaurs spawn at portal locations. The Relic bearer must enter the correct portal and eliminate the Praetorian before it sacrifices itself at the conflux
- This player then deposits the Relic, allowing another guardian to transport it back through the portal to the throne room
- As additional portals activate, the current Relic holder must sequentially address each Praetorian attempting sacrifice at corresponding confluxes
- Six Praetorians total require elimination before progressing to Phase Two
Critical reminder: This coordinated sequence normally involves six players executing specialized roles.
- All team members converge on the newly spawned central conflux within the throne room to defend against advancing Vex units
- Three additional Praetorian Minotaurs appear, vulnerable exclusively to Relic attacks
- Following Minotaur elimination, three Wyverns spawn requiring immediate attention
- Upon completing these waves, the conflux dissipates and a reward chest materializes nearby
Completing this encounter with a full team represents a significant accomplishment. Defending two separate portals against charging enemies (whose conflux contact results in failure), constantly transferring the Relic to maintain progression, and surviving overwhelming enemy numbers tests even coordinated groups.
Attempting this solo elevates the challenge exponentially. Solo success demands encyclopedic knowledge of enemy spawn locations, precise navigation timing, calculated damage output for specific targets, and executing everything flawlessly while managing extreme pressure.
Why This Is So Difficult Solo:
Simultaneous Objectives: Normally distributed across six players, all tasks must be handled sequentially by one.
Timing Windows: Portal defenses have strict failure conditions if not addressed immediately.
Resource Management: Ammo, abilities, and health must be carefully conserved across extended engagement.
Mental Load: Tracking multiple spawn timers, objective states, and enemy positions simultaneously.
Mastering Solo Gatekeepers: Advanced Strategies
Professional Insights for Solo Attempts
Based on analysis of successful runs and expert community knowledge, these strategies separate successful attempts from failed ones.
Loadout Optimization: Weapon selection makes or breaks solo attempts. Recommended setup includes a precision weapon for distant targets, an add-clear weapon for grouped enemies, and heavy weapon for priority targets. Specific exotic choices like Witherhoard or Anarchy provide area denial crucial for controlling spawn points.
Movement Patterns: Efficiency of movement between plates, portals, and confluxes determines success. Practice specific routes that minimize time between objectives. Utilize movement abilities (Icarus Dash, Shatterdive, etc.) to shave seconds off transitions—these seconds accumulate throughout the encounter.
Priority Targeting System: Not all enemies require immediate attention. Develop a hierarchy: Praetorians > Wyverns > regular Minotaurs > other Vex. Ignoring lower-priority targets temporarily can create windows to address critical objectives.
Ability Cycling: Coordinate your subclass abilities with encounter phases. Save powerful supers for the most demanding sections. Use grenades and melee abilities to control enemy movement rather than solely for damage.
Plate Defense Techniques: When defending plates solo, use environmental cover extensively. Peek-shoot techniques minimize damage taken. Deploy area-control abilities before transitioning to other objectives to buy additional time.
Relic Management: The Relic provides both offensive capability and defensive utility. Master the combos that eliminate Praetorians fastest. When not actively using it, position it strategically for quick retrieval.
Pro-Level Timing Strategy:
Successful solo runners develop internal timers for spawn waves. The first 90 seconds establish the encounter’s rhythm. If you’re behind schedule at any checkpoint, consider resetting rather than continuing with compromised positioning or resources.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Errors That End Solo Runs Prematurely
Learn from common failures to extend your attempt longevity and success probability.
Overcommitting to Add-Clear: Spending too much time eliminating regular enemies while Praetorians advance toward confluxes. Solution: Develop target discrimination—sometimes letting minor enemies live temporarily is necessary.
Poor Plate Transition Timing: Leaving plates undefended during critical spawn windows. Solution: Map specific audio/visual cues that indicate safe transition moments between objectives.
Resource Depletion: Exhausting heavy ammo or abilities before crucial encounter phases. Solution: Implement strict resource conservation rules—designate specific weapons for specific enemy types and stick to the plan.
Panic Decision-Making: Under pressure, choosing suboptimal actions that compound problems. Solution: Develop predetermined response protocols for common crisis situations (e.g., “When X happens, always do Y first”).
Ignoring Audio Cues: Missing important encounter sound indicators while focused visually. Solution: Practice with specific attention to audio landscape—certain sounds signal spawns or objective changes before visual confirmation.
When Things Go Wrong:
Even the best attempts encounter unexpected problems. Recovery techniques include:
- Controlled Reset: Sometimes returning to a previous phase is better than continuing compromised
- Priority Triaging: When multiple things need attention simultaneously, know which failure condition is most immediate
- Emergency Resources: Designate one heavy weapon reserve or super specifically for recovery situations
Mental preparation proves as important as mechanical skill. TheSnazzzyRock’s 200-hour journey demonstrates that persistence through failure is essential. Each attempt provides data—note what went wrong, adjust one element, and try again.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Destiny 2 fan pulls off “impossible” with world’s first solo Gatekeepers run A comprehensive guide to Destiny 2's groundbreaking solo Gatekeepers achievement with expert strategies and practical insights