Quick answer: fill a Bird Nest in southern Layali Grove with 6 Signal Flares (outer ring), 6 Chocolate bars (inner ring) and 4 Gold Bars (centre, last), then extract. The anniversary sequence “When the Stars Blaze” launches, and two commemorative rewards follow.
What you need
- 6 Signal Flares — placed around the nest's outer perimeter.
- 6 Chocolate bars — the inner ring.
- 4 Gold Bars — the centre. The gold-framed items arm the sequence, so they go in last.
Buy all sixteen items in the lobby and deploy with them in your backpack. You cannot build the pattern without the full set on hand.
Where the nest is
The event points at southern Layali Grove. Several nests qualify as long as they meet the location condition — common variants sit on a concrete wall or planter, at ground level under foliage, or at the base of a large tree. The area sees regular traffic, so post a teammate on overwatch while one player works the grid.
How to trigger it
- Open the nest's storage grid and clear whatever is already inside.
- Place the 6 Signal Flares around the outer perimeter, then the 6 Chocolate bars as the inner ring.
- Set the 4 Gold Bars in the centre. When the last one lands, an Extracting countdown appears at the top of the screen — that is your confirmation the event is armed.
- The placed items can be taken back afterwards, so you are not donating them.
- Extract through the green smoke as normal. The extraction carries you into the sequence instead of the lobby.
When the Stars Blaze
After extraction, a loading screen reading “WHEN THE STARS BLAZE” starts a playable commemorative journey: a cloud labyrinth with a Golden Bird Nest, a piano recital over a starry sea, a rooftop fireworks stage, a boss fight through a burning city, a flight past a black hole and a supernova, and a zero-gravity gallery of two years of milestones.
Rewards
- Piano Bird Nest Commemoration — a profile badge, applied in Profile Customization.
- Music Box Bird Nest — a craftwork keepsake delivered by GTI Central Command mail (“When the Stars Shine”). Value 2,026,626, weight 1.5 KG. Both keepsakes display in the Black Site Collection Room.
Sources: the publisher's 2nd Anniversary announcement (celebration window September 26 – October 25); the Easter egg steps from All Things How (egg window September 25 – October 15) — the in-page screenshots are All Things How's, credited under each one. Read October 11, 2026 and re-worded. See also: the Vigil Harmonica quest, the fishing rod unlock and the Ahsarah Mini Rocket.
Update Rule
This page is re-checked while the anniversary window runs. If the publisher extends or reopens the Easter egg, the dates at the top change with it.