It’s the start of a brand-new year in Destiny 2 with the launch of Lightfall, and like previous years, there’ll be plenty of new activities to take part in, Exotics to collect, and weekly missions to engage in. We’re currently running down everything that you can expect to see and earn in Lightfall, which launches alongside Season of Defiance, including the new Exotics that you can unlock, the latest armor sets for Guardians, how you can change up your look with the latest ornaments, and a closer look at the new Strand subclass. A huge number of technical changes to Destiny 2 have also been made, and includes tweaks to Adept Difficulty, changes to Light subclasses, and much more.
Season of Defiance will run from February 28 until May 22, and this season will also see the return of the Guardian Games. One of Destiny 2’s big events alongside Solstice, Festival of the Lost, and the Dawning, Guardian Games is a showdown between Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters to see which Guardian subclass is the best of the best.
Lightfall Storyline
The penultimate chapter in the Light and Darkness saga, Lightfall introduces the hidden Neptunian city of Neomuna to Destiny 2’s collection of patrol zones. After Season of the Seraph ended with the Traveler backed into a corner–or low orbit around Earth to be specific–Lightfall sets the new story in motion with the arrival of the Witness and its Black Fleet of pyramid ships. Bad stuff is likely to go down, and while times look dark for humanity and its allies, salvation may lie on Neomuna as clues point towards the mystery of the Veil. What the Veil is exactly remains to be seen, but in the war against the Witness and its forces, it might just be the trump card that can push back the forces of the Witness.
At the same time, Season of Defiance brings a new war to Earth. Hellbent on turning the planet into a smoking crater, former Cabal emperor and now Disciple of the Witness, Calus, has unleashed his Shadow Legion and is preparing to conquer the planet.
Terminal Overload
Similar to other destinations, Neomuna will have its very own public activity to take part in. Terminal Overload will see both Cabal and Vex forces swarm your position, and it’ll be up to fireteams to repel the invaders before they overrun the city.
Seasonal Activity: Defiant Battlegrounds
Back on Earth, the new three-player seasonal activity Defiant Battlegrounds pits Guardians against Shadow Legion forces as part of the newly assembled Queensguard, while also focusing on search-and-rescue operations.
These missions involve bypassing the Shadow Legion’s security by entering their outposts via the Ascendant Plane, destroying any enemies that get in your way, and rescuing captives by completing rituals that open a gateway to safety.
Raid: The Root of Nightmares
Get the rest of your fireteam ready, because Lightfall’s The Root of Nightmares raid will go live on March 10 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. As usual, Contest Mode rules will apply as fireteams race to be the first team to complete the event and earn bragging rights for their efforts. As well as some cool real-world loot.
Raids aren’t just one of the most challenging PvE activities in Destiny 2; they’re also major chapters in the ongoing storyline of the game. While Bungie is keeping quiet on what to expect from this new raid, its official description teases “an unknown time and place” and the discovery of a “haunting presence” that will menace Guardians inside of what appears to be a Pyramid ship.
Strand Subclass
The first new subclass since 2020’s Beyond Light expansion introduced Stasis, Strand brings new abilities and gameplay mechanics to Destiny 2’s sandbox. This new Darkness subclass distinguishes itself with powers that can unravel enemies, creating tangles that can be used to deal further damage or as an anchor point for Strand’s unique grappling mechanics. Each Guardian subclass has a unique take on Strand and Supers that can be unleashed, and unlike the infamous grind to unlock new Fragments and Aspects for Stasis, Bungie plans to make unlocking more of your abilities less of a time-consuming activity.
For more details, you can check out our in-depth guide to Strand and see what this subclass is capable of.
Seasonal Challenges
Like previous seasons, Destiny 2 will motivate you to take on additional tasks and challenges in exchange for some sweet loot, a hefty amount of experience points, and bundles of Bright Dust that can be used to buy new cosmetic gear in the Eververse store. Each season usually has 10 weeks of objectives to pursue, and you’ll be able to complete them at your own pace. If you manage to complete every task on the list, you’ll earn an extra pile of Bright Dust in the process.
Seasonal Artifact: Ascendant Scepter
Similar to previous seasons, Season 20 will introduce a Seasonal Artifact that can unlock useful anti-Champion mods and weapon perks. The Ascendant Scepter is this season’s latest tool of power, and with Strand playing a key role in Lightfall, many of the abilities that you’ll unlock are geared towards maximizing the power of the new Darkness subclass. Improved efficacy for several weapon traits such as Noble Deeds, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, Tex Balanced Stock, and Ambush Origin can also be unlocked, and the key weapon types to wield this season include sidearms, pulse rifles, and auto rifles.
It’s worth noting that won’t need to equip these mods as armor mods either, but you’re limited in the number of upgrades you can have active. Fortunately, you can easily swap mods in and out, as the seasonal artifact can be reset for free.
New Weapons
The latest batch of weapons being added to the Destiny 2 arsenal include old favorites such as hand cannons, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers, but with a Neomuna twist.
Lightfall Exotics
Several new Exotics will debut in Lightfall, and Bungie has already revealed six of them. Final Warning is a sidearm that can unleash a volley of tracking rounds, Deterministic Chaos is a machine gun with a deadly cadence to its firing pattern, and Winterbite is a deadly glaive that can unleash chilling Stasis effects. For the season pass rewards, holders of the premium pass can unlock a new Exotic bow called Verglas Curve immediately.
On the armor side, Titans get the Abeyant Leap leg armor that makes their Strand barriers deadlier than ever, Hunters can weave extra protection from their new subclass with the helmet Cyrtarachne’s Facade, and Warlocks send out more Threadlings to chase down enemies with their fancy Swarmers boots.
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