Altered Element is one of the seasonal currencies new to Destiny 2 in Season of Arrivals, and it is mainly used to focus Umbral Engrams towards specific loot pools. While Twisted Energy is used to upgrade the Prismatic Recaster and unlock benefits for the player, Altered Element is absolutely necessary when it comes to getting the most of this season's loot drops.
So, with Altered Element being so important, what is the best way to get it? And is there any way to farm it indefinitely? The best way to get Altered Element is the most obvious way, the one that Destiny 2 points players to directly—daily bounties from the Prismatic Recaster. There are four daily bounties per day, offering 25 Altered Element each, making it possible to earn 100 Altered Element per day per character.
Altered Element can also be farmed by simply playing the game's core playlist activities. It has a chance to drop from playing strikes, Crucible, and Gambit. Players are also reporting that Altered Element is a guaranteed reward of the Nightfall: The Ordeal, so if players are willing to grind through the lowest difficulty of that activity, they can guarantee themselves Altered Element with each run. Altered Element can even drop from completing a patrol mission, but it is not guaranteed.
Players should also look out for weeks where Mayhem or Scorched is active as the weekly rotating playlist. These game modes are considerably shorter than a standard Crucible match, and they have long been a good way to grind out quests that require activity completion or in situations like this where it can drop the seasonal currency. If players can get The Bank Job quest past its first step and to the Filthy Lucre step, they can double their efforts by making progress on that quest as well as earning Altered Element.
The other way to earn Altered Element is a more passive way via Season 11 Triumphs. Do not forget to check the Triumphs page and claim any Triumphs that have been earned as they do grant Altered Element.
Players can start farming Altered Element now, but it won't actually be useful until players can unlock rank 32 on the season pass, which will unlock the second two rows of the Prismatic Recaster where Umbral Engrams and Altered Element can be used to focus Umbral Engrams into specific rewards.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.