Destiny 2 is gradually getting closer to ending a 10-year-old story saga with The Final Shape. The expansion, releasing on June 4, isn’t the last we’ll see for developer Bungie’s online shooter, but it will close a few long-standing character arcs and story lines, like pitting you against The Witness, an entity that has been teasing its upcoming arrival for a few expansions now,
Much remains unclear about the future of Destiny 2 after the events of The Final Shape. Seasons will be replaced by episodic updates, for instance, and it’s uncertain what will come after this major expansion. But that’s still ways ahead. For now, there’s quite a bit of catching up to do before the expansion drops, especially around the Into the Light update. If you’re wondering how to spend the next few weeks wisely, the pointers below will be of help.
Pick up the Gift of the Thunder Gods
If you haven’t been investing time in increasing your Power level, don’t fret, as Bungie has made it extremely easy to get back into the game without having to worry too much about gear.
If your Power level is less than 1810, all you need to do is head to the Hall of Champions, the new area introduced with Into the Light, and open the Gift of the Thunder Gods, which is a chest close to Shaxx. You’ll find a whole set there, which will automatically put you up to speed and allow you to run the latest activities. There’s still more Power level to pursue afterward, but this should be enough for you to hit the ground running again.
As per usual, you can use upgrade modules to transfer the level from the gifted set pieces to any equivalent gear that you’re already using, in case you already have a favorite loadout or two. Remember to claim the gift with all of your characters to make the most out of this benefit.
Play Onslaught
Now that you’re all set in terms of Power level, it’s time to play Onslaught, the new activity that debuted with Into the Light. This horde-based mode is way more fun than it has any right being, and the rewards aren’t that bad either.
In Onslaught, a fireteam of three gets together to defend a specific structure on a map against waves of increasingly harder enemies. On occasion, you must jump into a portal to complete objectives or defeat stronger foes before you’re back into the fray. There are defenses you can purchase, such as turrets and wiretraps, that will aid you during matches.
The regular mode stops once you’ve finished the 10th wave, but you can take part in a longer, tougher version that can last up to 50 waves. If you’re trying to get your hands on Trophies of Bravery or multiple drops of Brave weapons, Onslaught is perfect for both.
Unlock all Brave weapons
Speaking of Brave weapons, a selection of 12 past guns—some of which had been sunsetted—makes a triumphant return to Destiny 2. There are a few ways of getting your hands on them:
- Spend Trophies of Bravery to open the Brave chest: As you progress through the “Feats of Bravery” quest, you’ll be introduced to the Brave chest. You can then return to the Hall of Champions at any time and spend the latest currency, called Trophies of Bravery, to open it. You’ll always get a random weapon, however.
- Playing Onslaught: You’ll see Brave weapons drop during Onslaught quite often, especially if you take on the additional challenge of aiming for 50 waves.
- Opening Brave Engrams: As per usual, opening the related Engrams will give you random Brave loot.
- Complete each weapon’s quest given by Arcite 99-40: Over at the Hall of Champions, Arcite 99-40 has a specific quest for each of the 12 weapons. Each has two possible objectives, and you only need to tackle one of them. You can claim these quests simultaneously, in case you want to maximize the chances of multitasking while you’re out there using different weapons.
Out of the three, I recommend tackling the Arcite 99-40 quests as soon as possible. Not only will you get a specific weapon rather than random loot, but you’ll also obtain two benefits. The first is attuning the gun, which allows you to craft your own version of it with the perks of your choice. The second is that the drop rate for that weapon will increase in the aforementioned sources, which is a huge help.
At the time of publication, only eight weapons are currently available in the game, as the Brave selection was divided into two batches. For now, you can get your hands on Elsie’s Rifle, The Recluse, Hung Jury SR4, Succession, Edge Transit, Falling Guillotine, The Mountaintop, and Midnight Coup.
Hammerhead and Forbearance will become available starting April 23, while Blast Furnace and Luna’s Howl will join the pool a week later, on April 30.
The Superblack Shader is leaving soon
The Superblack Shader (a legendary shader that looks incredibly sick) is becoming unavailable on June 3 of this year, right before The Final Shape launches. To get your hands on it, you’ll have to complete all of the Brave weapon quests we just mentioned, as well as reach Rank 17 with Lord Shaxx.
Once you’re done with both objectives, speak to Shaxx and claim the Superblack Key Alpha item from the rank rewards list. By the time you’re done with the quests, which will likely have taken you through multiple matches of Onslaught already, your rank with Shaxx should be quite high already. If anything, don’t forget to pick up bounties before you set off to face the enemy waves to make the most out of your time in the seasonal activity.
Build a collection of Holofoil weapons
Brave weapons are already a novelty of sorts. Their holofoil iterations, however, add a special extra on top. These “shiny” versions of the 12 guns have a distinct look that’s immediately eye-catching. Moreover, they come with four perk options instead of the regular two.
The catch is that, well, in good-old Pokémon fashion, holofoil variants are quite rare. You get a guaranteed version of them by completing the Brave quests from Arcite 99-40, but the perks are already pre-selected, and may not be the ones you seek. If you’re looking for a specific combination, your best bet is to hit activities like Onslaught and open Brave Engrams, as well as some luck on your side.
Remember that completing Brave quests increases the drop rate of the corresponding weapon, so if you’re looking for a specific gun, make sure to tackle the objective first to increase the chances.
Don’t Miss the current Exotic weapons
This item might sound superfluous, but in case you aren’t aware, there are two reprised exotic missions as part of Destiny 2’s Into the Light update.
The first is The Whisper, which rewards you with the Whisper of the Worm exotic sniper rifle, as well as its pattern so you can craft your own version of it. The same applies to the Outbreak Perfected exotic pulse rifle — for this weapon, you’ll have to complete the Zero Hour mission, which will become available on May 14.
Play Pantheon before it’s gone
A new mode called Pantheon introduces a challenge against multiple bosses, starting with four and increasing up to eight toward the second half of the duration of the activity. Pantheon will be available from April 30 to June 3, so you best don’t miss it.
The mode isn’t for the faint of heart, though, as there are random modifiers for the enemy encounters and a scaling power level system that will exponentially increase the difficulty. Rewards will vary depending on your performance, too, like how fast you and the rest of your fireteam can complete a run, for example.
Use your Legendary Shards
As Bungie announced back in late September, Legendary Shards will be permanently removed once the expansion launches. If you’ve been saving them for the right occasion, well, here it is. Head over to the Tower and talk to Master Rahool. There, you’ll be able to access the Materials Exchange option to trade them for Glimmer or other materials.
There are quite a few other options, such as raid banners from Suraya Hawthorne and upgrade modules from Banshee-44, depending on the activities you usually take part in. Just make sure to actually go ahead and spend all of them before The Final Shape. In case you’re wondering, yes, you can still get more of them until June 3.
Gather Phantasmal Fragments
Related to the point above, but worth highlighting on its own. Phantasmal Fragments, which can be purchased for 10 Legendary Shards a pop, can be exchanged for 10,000 Glimmer. If you’ve already hit the maximum amount of Glimmer but want to start saving up for future use, this is a great method to do so. You can purchase the item from the Lectern of Enchantment over at the Moon.
Oh, also, pick up Bright Dust for free
From now until the launch of The Final Shape, Bungie is giving away 700 Bright Dust in Eververse, Destiny 2’s in-game store, on a weekly basis.
Even if you aren’t consistently playing every week, make sure to take at least five minutes to log on and claim the free bright dust before the usual Tuesday reset. You can then use this currency to get shaders, items, emotes, and more.
There you have it, all the stuff you should check off your list before Destiny 2: The Final Shape drops later this year. You have some time.
