Guardians have plenty to celebrate this week as Bungie drops a massive content update for Destiny 2. Act II of Heresy has officially launched with the Court of Blades activity, while Guardian Games continues with the new Rushdown mode. The latest This Week in Destiny (TWID) also reveals upcoming PvP tuning, an accidental early release of Rite of the Nine, and exclusive rewards both in-game and through the Bungie Store.
Act II of Heresy Introduces Court of Blades
The second act of Destiny 2's Heresy saga has arrived, bringing with it the challenging Court of Blades activity. This new endgame challenge features over 20 unique bosses for Guardians to defeat, alongside five new Heretical Arsenal weapons to add to your collection. For those who've been wielding the Barrow Dyad Exotic, you'll be pleased to know a new catalyst has also dropped, allowing you to further enhance this powerful weapon.
Bungie has confirmed that Act III is less than three weeks away, so Guardians should dive into the current content while it's fresh. The Court of Blades also brings Moments of Triumph with both in-game rewards and real-world collectibles for those who complete specific challenges.
Guardian Games Heats Up with Rushdown Mode
The annual class competition is in full swing with this year's Guardian Games introducing the adrenaline-pumping Rushdown mode. This new activity puts a fresh spin on the competition, challenging Guardians to adapt to rapidly changing modifiers while racking up points for their class.
Competing Guardians can earn a new Trace Rifle reward exclusive to the event, while the Lotus-Eater Rocket Sidearm is available through Nightfall completions. Speaking of Nightfalls, they're currently offering doubled rewards and increased reputation, making this an ideal time to grind for those elusive god rolls.
Class Items Getting Major Upgrade
In a welcome surprise for Guardians participating in the games, Bungie announced that all Guardian Games class items will be upgraded to Artifice Armor in Update 8.2.5.1, scheduled for next Tuesday. This upgrade adds an extra mod slot that allows players to increase a stat by three points, giving these event items lasting value in your Guardian's build beyond the festivities.
Accidental Early Release of Rite of the Nine
In an unexpected twist, an early version of the Rite of the Nine activities accidentally went live with Update 8.2.5. This premature release contained placeholder content including temporary art assets and what Bungie described as "fake perk rolls" on weapons.
The good news for early birds who managed to obtain these weapons: you'll keep them in your inventory. However, Bungie will be updating the perk rolls when the activity officially launches to prevent rule-breaking combinations like Incandescent or Chill Clip appearing on Void weapons. The full Rite of the Nine event will bring "twists to fan-favorite dungeons" and their associated weapon rewards when it properly debuts.
PvP Tuning Coming Soon
Crucible enthusiasts should prepare for several upcoming balance changes. The infamous Warlock "Snap Skating" movement technique will be addressed in a future patch, while the Closing Time perk is getting tuned, especially on Special weapons where it's proven particularly potent.
Hip-fire Exotics like Tommy's Matchbook are also in line for adjustments. Additionally, Dead Man's Tale and The Last Word will be re-enabled to work with Radiant Dance Machines, albeit with limited buffs. Speaking of these exotic boots, their precision angle threshold will be normalized between controller and mouse/keyboard inputs for more consistent performance across platforms.
What's Happening with Map Lighting?
Bungie acknowledged that the Solitude map has lighting issues that can blind players or make enemy barricades difficult to identify. As a result, this map won't be featured in Trials of Osiris (the weekend sweatfest where Guardians test their PvP mettle) for the remainder of the Episode while the team investigates similar lighting issues on other maps.
PC Changes: Exclusive Fullscreen Going Away
PC Guardians should note that the exclusive fullscreen option will be removed when Codename: Frontiers launches. Windowed fullscreen (to be renamed simply "fullscreen") will become the primary display option. Bungie explains this change offers comparable performance while providing faster Alt-Tab switching and better integration with modern display features.
Rewards and Events
The Middle East team (SpecialHero, Qweizar, and IlReverence) won the Sundered Doctrine Showmatch with an impressive time of 11:26. Their prize includes Sundered Doctrine Bungie Rewards items and 200 Tier 1 Twitch gift subscriptions each.
Bungie Store Updates
Several new physical rewards are available through the Bungie Store:
- Guardian Games Jersey - available to players who complete the Gold Triumph during Guardian Games 2025 (deadline: April 1, 2025)
- Willbreaker Long Sleeve Shirt - available to players who earn the Efficient Challenge Triumph in Court of Blades (deadline: May 6, 2025)
- New Sprayground collaboration backpacks featuring First Light and Generalist Ghost Shell designs
Women's History Month Celebration
The Women@Bungie Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Association is celebrating Women's History Month with the Empowered Voices emblem. This unique in-game cosmetic is available to anyone making a $10 donation to Women in Games International through the Bungie Foundation campaign until March 31, 2025.
Bungie Bounty for Good
The first Bungie Bounty for Good event of 2025 is scheduled for Wednesday, March 19 at 10AM PT on the Bungie Foundation Twitch channel. This event supports Women in Games International, and players who help the team win matches or manage to defeat them will earn the Bounty of Good emblem.
.jpg)
Known Issues
Bungie is tracking several known issues affecting Destiny 2 currently, including vendor ambient dialogue problems, Ionic Sentry Chain Lightning malfunctions, quest completion issues for Drowning Labyrinth, and the Taken relic falling through surfaces in the Derealize Exotic mission. Guardian Games has its own set of specific issues with waypoints, bounties, and UI elements.
For a complete list of known issues and workarounds, check the Known Issues List or visit the Help Forums.
Community Highlights
This week's Artist of the Week features a stunning Arc Warlock piece by Calebcreates:
The Movie of the Week captures a heartbreaking moment that every Destiny 2 player fears—a Titan failing a flawless run at the very last moment. We've all been there, Guardian. We feel your pain.
