As Bungie teased throughout the past few months, Season 13 was going to be a big one for the hit shooter, Destiny 2. Not only was Bungie planning on making numerous changes to the overall experience, Season of the Chosen was bringing with it plenty of new content for players to sink their teeth into. In addition to new gear to chase including legendary weapons, adept variants, and new exotics, classic Destiny Cosmodrome strikes also made their long awaited return.
However, the big addition this season seems to involve the remnant of the Cabal Empire, led by new Empress Caiatl. After a failed alliance, players now take up arms against the Cabal once more in a brand new activity called Battlegrounds. This matchmade activity weaves itself through most of the new content this season including the Hammer of Proving seasonal quest, the Hub for Emergency Logistics and Maneuvers location, and as a major source for loot. Needless to say, it's a major component of the Season of the Chosen and based on the reaction from most of the fanbase, it's a hit.
Based on the Destiny 2 seasonal calendar, Bungie has big plans for the Battleground activity with plenty more on the way for it in the months to come. Since it's such an integral part of Season 13, here's everything that players should know about the latest addition.
What are Battlegrounds?
Introduced inside of Season of the Chosen, Battlegrounds are a brand new Destiny 2 matchmade activity for up to three players. They can be accessed either from the various maps or from the Vanguard menu of the director. Essentially, three Guardian players take on swarms of Cabal enemies through three phases of the fight that task players with not only taking out all combatants, but adding in small tasks such as destroying generators using explosives dropped by champions and majors.
The final phase of the Battleground mission introduces a boss fight known as the Rite of Proving. This named boss character periodically shields themselves from damage, which triggers special shieldbearer enemies that need to be taken care of before the boss can be damaged again. Once the boss is finished, players earn loot as well as a special chest if the Hammer of Proving is equipped. When the season first began, players only had two different ones to select from: Hailstone on Europa and Behemoth on Nessus. However, Bungie has two more Battleground activities on the way launching throughout the month of February.
Season 13's Defining Mode
The biggest reason that people seem to be enjoying themselves in the Battlegrounds is because it's a matchmade PvE activity right from the start. Last season, the major activity involved hunting down enemies, but as a solo activity, it forced people to try and group up using the Destiny 2 app or other methods outside of the game. From the start, it harkens all the way back to fan favorite seasonal activities like the Sundial or even the Menagerie in terms of unique experiences that have matchmaking enabled by default.
Outside of that, Battlegrounds offer something fresh for players looking for PvE experiences outside of typical Strike playlists. Not only are Battleground activities shorter in length than the majority of strikes, they're not as technical as a PvE dungeon requires from a fireteam. Players get in, fight through Cabal enemies through a zone and may have to satisfy a simple task as well. Ultimately, Battlegrounds get players to the action quicker, don't over stay their welcome, and offer plenty of rewards for the time invested.
Battleground activities are also the primary way players can obtain loot in Season 13. While all players receive loot at the end of a fight, players can take things a step further with the heirloom known as the Hammer of Proving. Not only does this quest track season progression, but players can upgrade it to unlock even more loot at the end of a Battleground match. When inside of the H.E.L.M. players can use a new resource called Cabal Gold to forge Challenger Medallions that can be equipped into the hammer. At the end of a Battleground match, the hammer can then be used to open another locked chest to earn a Season 13 piece of loot as well as a Hammer Charge.
These charges can then be used at the Prismatic Recaster to focus down loot, letting players target specific gear that they want. Better yet, the Hammer of Proving can be upgraded by unlocking new War Table Reputation, which gives players all sorts of perks from increased Cabal Gold amounts, to giving the hammer more charges to use at one time. While Battlegrounds certainly fill a void, it's also worth noting that the major downside is that they're only available to those who purchase the season pass.
What's Next?
When Season of the Chosen began at the start of February, only two Battlegrounds were made available, one on Nessus and the other on Europa. However, throughout the rest of February, Bungie is planning on adding more to the Battlegrounds playlist. Starting this week, players will get access to the Cleansing Battleground which appears to take place inside of the Cosmodrome on Earth. Next week brings about the Oracle Battleground which takes players back to Nessus for a new experience there. These two new locations will also open up the next phases of the Challenger's Proving quest lines and helping push towards finishing new triumphs as well.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.