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Everything New In Destiny 2's Season Of The Chosen

Destiny 2's 13th season, Season of the Chosen, began on Feb. 9 and will run until May 11, 2021. While Destiny 2 players were initially furious over Beyond Light and the previous season that launched with it — Season of the Hunt — things are already looking better for the latest release. Kotaku's Ethan Gach had mostly positive things to say, though he was hesitant about what's in store, warning that "it hasn't shown any signs of doing anything bold to change up the game's underlying formula."

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Whether or not you've grown tired of the typical Destiny 2 offerings, you may want to embrace everything new in the upcoming season, because Destiny 3 likely isn't happening anytime soon (if ever). With that said, there's plenty of fresh and exciting loot, modes, and other content that Gach stated will likely offer "as many good reasons for Destiny players to keep playing Destiny as any previous season."

This is everything new coming to Destiny 2 in Season of the Chosen.

New Season of the Chosen loot

What would a new season be without fresh loot? Destiny 2's Season of the Chosen is coming in hot with more than 25 new weapons for you to add to your collection.

The highlight of this seasonal set is an exotic bow called Ticuu's Divination. With this weapon, you can shoot several homing arrows that, according to Bungie's Senior Design Lead Robbie Stevens, "[deal] Solar damage and [strike] a blow for humanity."

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Those who own a season pass will have access to a broader range of resources and content, however, free users can still obtain some of this seasonal loot, including an armor set and Ticuu's Divination.

Gamespot put together a breakdown of the gear, armor, and loot you can get during Season 13. A few items on the list include the Praefectus gear, Brass Attacks legendary sidearm, and Exotic engram in the free loot category. For pass holders, some notable items include Legatus gear, Shield Slam Finisher, and Challenger Exotic Ghost shell.

New Season of the Chosen Battlegrounds and the H.E.L.M.

Season of the Chosen introduced a new Battlegrounds mode: a matchmade activity that involves three players at a time. For those who are unfamiliar with what that means, VG247 described a "matchmade activity" as an opportunity for Destiny 2 users who favor single-player to join other gamers in a series of "multiplayer activities." This saves them from the trouble of having to look for other users beyond the main game.

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Two of the four Battleground areas are already available: Behemoth and Hailstone. The former is located within Nessus' Arcadian Valley, while the latter is right in the middle of Europa. You cannot reach Hailstone until you accomplish two tasks. First, you must wrap up Behemoth, and then you need to gain access to H.E.L.M., which is the new spaceport hub that provides a War Table and houses the Hammer of Proving.

What is the Hammer of Proving? According to Gamespot, It will not only help you keep a record of your accomplishments throughout Season of the Chosen, but you can use it to smash special chests that release unique perks. 

The last two Battlegrounds, Cleansing and Oracle, are due out on Feb. 16 and Feb. 23 respectively. While Bungie's senior community manager clarified that there is an "introductory experience" fans can play for free, Battlegrounds is exclusive to season pass holders.

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Season of the Chosen Seasonal Challenges

Bungie introduced a new feature near the tail end of Season of the Hunt that carried over to Season 13: Seasonal Challenges. Essentially, Seasonal Challenges offer a more manageable way to obtain seasonal content. Challenges are no longer tied to specific weeks, meaning you have the freedom to complete them at any point during a season. You can also begin a challenge without having to find a vendor. Vendors will still be around, however, they won't be as essential as they previously were.

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Destiny 2 fans will no longer miss out on XP or Bright Dust just because they skipped a week here or there. Instead, players are given a list of daily/weekly goals, with a clearer understanding of what is available each week.

The developers at Bungie believe this new system will open the door to "some interesting or more difficult Challenges." As you play through Season of the Chosen, you'll find that the greater the risk, the greater the reward. You still have to wrap up your challenges before the season ends, but at least you now have more leeway in your quest to acquire seasonal content.

Umbral Engrams return in Season of the Chosen with something new

For all the gamers out there who missed Umbral Engrams, the good news is that Destiny 2 is bringing back this popular feature. While they aren't necessarily new to the series, their return comes with a brand new accessory.

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Umbral Engrams, which are now a permanent addition, enable Destiny 2 players to attain season-specific loot — much like your typical loot box — only now Prismatic Lenses have been thrown into the mix. Using Prismatic Lenses, gamers can hone in on a "narrower collection of gear" and "specific armor stats." This way, your odds of winning something you want will greatly increase.

There are fewer activities that yield Umbral Engrams and you won't see them as often as you did when they debuted in Season of Arrivals. The reduction of Umbral Engram frequency was implemented for game-balancing purposes.

This is an exciting update that promises to enhance your experience with Destiny 2 going forward.

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