Destiny 2 is currently experiencing that quiet moment in Season of Defiance, one where the majority of the story content has been completed and the chase to gradually increase your overall power continues. There’s still plenty to do in week 8 of the game, as a handful of new objectives are available to pursue.
This week, there are six Seasonal Challenges available. Similar to previous weeks, these are mostly focused on the Defiant Battlegrounds activity, and if you run through a few of these levels with a sword, bow, or glaive equipped, you’ll complete several of them in one go. You can earn some Bright Dust in Trials of Osiris if you win a few rounds, and if you feel like some Gambit, there’s a challenge there that’ll earn you some more rewards.
Week 8
Light of the Righteous
Complete “Mission: Retribution.”
Size Defying
Defeat Champions or bosses in Defiant Battlegrounds playlist. Bonus progress for those defeated on Legend difficulty.
Relentless Liberator
Gain bonus rewards using a Defiant key at the end of Defiant Battlegrounds playlist activities on both Normal and Legend difficulties.
Trial by Firing Squad
Win multiple rounds in the Trials of Osiris.
Defiant Gambit Ornament
Acquire the Gambit ornament for Ecliptic Distaff.
Defiant Calibration
Calibrate swords, bows, and glaives. Bonus progress for defeating Guardians.
Week 1
Righteous Defiance, Awaken, Queensguard, and Legion’s Bounty are the challenges you’ll want to grab first, which largely focus on the new Defiant Battlegrounds seasonal activity and the first week’s story mission.
The rest of this week’s challenges are designed to help break in the new Lightfall experience, as you’ll easily earn Challenger XP and Bright Dust by exploring Neomuna. Equip pulse rifles, bows, and trace rifles to your Guardian, experience everything that the new location has to offer through its lost sectors, patrols, and events, and you’ll be leveling up very quickly this week.
For Anti-Cabal Sweep, the best strikes to run include The Arms Dealer, The Insight Terminus, and Proving Grounds, as these activities are full of space-rhino enemies. On the PvP side, Rift is in play and spending some time in that mode will also earn you some XP and Bright Dust. This is usually a time-limited event, so you’ll want to play while you can or you’ll be waiting weeks for it to cycle back into the playlist.
Righteous Defiance
Complete Defiant Battleground: EDZ.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Awaken, Queensguard
Complete Week 1 of the We Stand Unbroken quest.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Silver Lining
Reach Rank 12 with Nimbus in Neomuna.
Legion’s Bounty
Spend a Defiant Key to earn bonus rewards at the end of a Defiant Battlegrounds playlist activity. Defiant Keys can be earned by completing Lightfall campaign missions, Terminal Overload in Neomuna, raids, Vanguard Ops playlist activities, Gambit matches, and Crucible matches.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Keycard-Operated
Use keys to unlock Terminal Overload key chests in Neomuna. After completing the quest Stargazer, Terminal Overload keys can be earned in Neomuna by completing public events, looting chests, and completing patrols.
Neptune Activities
In Neomuna, complete bounties, patrols, lost sectors, and public events.
Taking All Challenges
Complete weekly playlist challenges.
Anti-Cabal Sweep
Defeat Cabal combatants in Vanguard playlists or strikes. Earn bonus progress for defeating tougher combatants.
Spark Defender
Score points in Rift. Bonus progress is awarded for igniting the rift.
Deadly Horizons
Calibrate long-range weapons–pulse rifles, bows, and trace rifles–in Neomuna. Bonus progress awarded in lost sectors.
Week 2
This week there are two War Table upgrades to collect. The first one can be obtained by completing the latest chapter in the We Stand Unbroken quest, and if you have your Queensguard armor equipped, you’ll get your second upgrade pretty quickly by generating Favors in seasonal activities.
For your weapons, you’ll want to load up on close-range options. Sidearms, swords, glaives, shotguns, and submachine guns can be used to complete an objective this week, and if you use them in the Cosmodrome, you’ll double up on the rewards earned. If you’re feeling brave, tackling a lost sector on legend difficulty will net you more Challenger XP and Bright Dust, and taking on the Hive in playlist activities is another seasonal objective that can easily be done. Birthplace of the Vile, the Lightblade, and the Disgraced are good strikes for farming regular and tougher Hive.
Over on Neomuna, some prizes are waiting to be earned if you can find several action figures, and in PvP, Mayhem is back on the menu. Flex those new Strand Supers of yours, and you’ll get through this objective in a few rounds.
Against The Shadows
Complete Week 2 of the We Stand Unbroken quest.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Favored Liberator
Generate Favors in Seasonal Activities.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Rohan’s Legacy
Complete the quest Unfinished Business. Also, Defeat targets throughout Neomuna with precision final blows. Bonus progress awarded for using machine guns.
The Full Set
In Neomuna, collect and place four action figures.
Cosmodrome Activities
In the Cosmodrome, earn progress by completing bounties, patrols, public events, and lost sectors.
Lost in the Legend
Complete a lost sector on Legend or higher.
Flourish of Power
Defeat Guardians in the Mayhem playlist with Super Abilities.
Bank, Kill, Repeat
Earn points by banking Motes, defeating Blockers, and defeating Guardians in Gambit.
Hive Slayer
Defeat Hive combatants in Vanguard playlists or strikes. Earn bonus progress for defeating tougher combatants.
Close-Range Calibration
Calibrate close-range weapons–sidearms, submachine guns, shotguns, glaives, and swords–in the Cosmodrome. Bonus progress for rapidly defeating combatants.
Week 3
It’s the third week of Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion and Season of Defiance, hot off the heels of a successful raid launch that saw record numbers of players take on Nezarec. For this week, there are three War Table upgrades to earn.
As usual, you can complete the latest chapter of the We Stand Unbroken quest to get one of those rare resources, equip your Strand subclass and hit up Defiant Battlegrounds for another upgrade, and score a hat trick by wielding one of the fancy Awoken weapons available during this season. Check that you have the right loadout, keep an eye out for enemies as you take on the Shadow Legion, and you should be able to get all three War Table upgrades within a few runs of Defiant Battlegrounds.
For Bright Dust and Challenger XP, there’s plenty more to do. Head on down to the EDZ, work your way through lost sectors, and check that you have mid-range weapons equipped to earn more rewards. If you’re planning to be social, don’t forget to hand out commendations, and head into Gambit to teach the Taken a lesson or two.
The Longest Path
Complete Week 3 of the We Stand Unbroken quest.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Bane of the Shadow Legion
Use abilities to defeat combatants in the Defiant Battlegrounds playlist. Defeating combatants with the Strand subclass will grant bonus progress.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Defiantly Defeated
Defeat combatants with Season of Defiance weapons. These are Perpetualis, Prodigal Return, Regnant, and Caretaker.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Uprooted Nightmare
Complete each encounter–Cataclysm, Scission, Macrocosm, and Nezarec fight–in the Root of Nightmares raid.
EDZ Activities
In the EDZ, earn progress by completing bounties, patrols, public events, and lost sectors.
Commendation Appreciation
Earn progress for giving commendations in Vanguard, Crucible, and Gambit activities.
Iron Sharpens Iron
Complete Iron Banner matches. Earn bonus progress for wins.
Primeval Entourage
Defeat Taken in Gambit. Earn bonus progress for defeating tougher combatants.
Ultimate Champion
Defeat Champions in any Nightfall strike on Hero difficulty or higher. Earn bonus progress at higher tiers.
Mid-Range Calibration
Calibrate mid-range weapons–hand cannons, auto rifles, glaives, fusion rifles, and machine guns–in the EDZ. Bonus progress for rapidly defeating combatants.
Week 4
To get the final three upgrades for the War Table, you’re going to want to start the latest chapter of We Stand Unbroken, get your favorite Energy weapon out, and save up Defiant Engrams. Wreck the Cabal using a weapon in that slot, decode Defiant Engrams, and unravel more of the story to have a full set of War Table upgrades.
For more Challenger XP and Bright Dust, you’re going to want to do some target practice with a precision weapon, spend some time in the PvP mode Momentum Control, and test yourself with a run through a Nightfall strike on Hero difficulty or higher. There are a few prizes that’ll likely be unlocked for you when to boot up Destiny 2, so if you’ve been investing in your seasonal artifact, it’s time to reap the rewards.
Lastly, it’s time to heed Drifter’s sage advice as you head into Gambit. Bring a sword! Or a glaive, but just remember to use the sharp and pointy end to deal some lethal damage in this activity. Get all of those tasks done, and you’ll have plenty of Bright Dust to spend in the Eververse store.
All That Matters
Complete Week 4 of the We Stand Unbroken quest.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Cunning Liberator
Defeat combatants in the Defiant Battlegrounds playlist using Energy weapons. Earn bonus progress if they also deal Void or Arc damage.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Focused Defiance
Decode or focus Defiant Engrams at the War Table during Season of Defiance.
- War Table upgrade
- Challenger XP
Strandweaver
Complete “The Final Strand” quest. Also, rapidly defeat combatants throughout Neomuna. Bonus for sidearm final blows.
Mod Collector
Unlock artifact mods.
Momentum Crash
Defeat Guardians in Momentum Control. Earn bonus progress with Zone Advantage.
Razor’s Edge
Defeat targets with swords, bows, and glaives in Gambit. Bonus progress for defeating Guardians.
Darkest Nightfall
Complete any Nightfall strike on Hero difficulty or higher.
Precision Calibration
Calibrate marksman weapons–scout rifles, sniper rifles, and linear fusion rifles–by landing precision final blows. Bonus progress against Guardians.
Week 5
Righteous Blade tasks you with earning the Ecliptic Distaff glaive, which can be earned by reaching Rank 16 with any ritual vendor. This means that certain activities–Zavala’s Nightfall strikes, Drifter’s Gambit, or Lord Shaxx’s Crucible–will need to be prioritized, but these activities won’t take too long to rank up if they have a live reputation gain modifier. This happens regularly in Destiny 2, so if you get a prompt when you log in, you know exactly which activity to head to first.
Equip your seasonal Unyielding Favor armor, get ready for a challenge, and head into a Defiant Battleground on Legendary difficulty to quickly knock a few more tasks off of your to-do list. There’s no weapon calibration objective this week, so feel free to use your favorite guns in these modes, and hit up a few other playlist activities when you’re done.
Gambit is always a good option for quick rewards, you can head into the Crucible with a Strand, Solar, or Void subclass equipped to get some extra Bright Dust.
Still Standing
Complete Week 5 of the We Stand Unbroken quest.
Legendary Liberator
Complete a Defiant Battleground on Legendary difficulty.
Favored Warrior
Earn Favors of Justice, Zeal, and Grace during Season of Defiance activities. Bonus progress awarded for Favors earned during activities on Legend difficulty.
Friendly Neighborhood Guardian
Complete a weekly mission from Lightfall on Hero difficulty or higher.
Unraveling the Sun
Defeat Guardians in the Crucible. Bonus progress is granted for opponents defeated with Strand, Solar, and Void final blows.
Dredgin’ Up Victory
Complete Gambit matches. Bonus progress is awarded for wins.
Adversaries of Humanity
Defeat Taken and Vex bosses in Vanguard playlists or Strikes.
Righteous Blade
Acquire Ecliptic Distaff.
Week 6
For Week 6, the theme is liberation. Load up into a Defiant Battlegrounds playlist activity–it doesn’t matter which difficulty option you choose–equip a Power weapon, and spend some Defiant keys to complete some Seasonal Objectives. For the Forceful Liberator task, a machine gun should help out quite a bit here, so equip something like the Exotic Xenophage or Avalanche to get extra progress points.
After you’re done with those missions, it’s time to equip a sword, bow, or glaive and take on a Vex-infested strike like The Insight Terminus or Hypernet Current to finish two more seasonal challenges. Next, grab the Crucible ornament for Ecliptic Distaff from Lord Shaxx by reaching Rank 16 with the PvP vendor after you’ve reset your rank once.
Take on a few Champions lurking in Legend lost sectors, and you’ll be done for the week.
Forceful Liberator
Defeat combatants in the Defiant Battlegrounds playlist using Power weapons. Earn bonus progress if they also do Solar damage.
Relentless Liberator
Gain bonus rewards using a Defiant key at the end of Defiant Battlegrounds playlist activities on both Normal and Legend difficulties.
Vexing Liberator
Defeat Vex with seasonal weapons. These are Perpetualis, Prodigal Return, Regnant, Caretaker, Raconteur, and Royal Executioner.
Defiant Crucible Ornament
Acquire the Crucible ornament for Ecliptic Distaff.
Elegant Weaponry
Defeat combatants in Vanguard playlists or Strikes while using a sword, bow, or Glaive.
Absolutely Stunning
Stun Champions.
Week 7
For this week, there are six seasonal challenges available, with most of them focusing on skill. A flawless run through a Defiant Battlegrounds activity without dying is achievable, and if you and your fireteam generate enough Awoken Favors during that activity, that’ll be two challenges completed.
If you’ve been saving up Defiant Engrams, decoding or focusing them at the War Table is another easy task to complete, and running a few matches in the Competitive playlist of PvP will also earn you some XP and Bright Dust. Over in Gambit, you can keep an eye open for Taken and high-value targets to earn some more prizes, and lastly, you can attempt to complete a Grandmaster Nightfall strike to finish up on the Week 7 challenges.
Eternal Queensguard
Complete a Flawless run in any Defiant Battlegrounds playlist location.
Defiant Focus
Decode or focus Defiant Engrams at the War Table during Season of Defiance.
Favored Liberator
Generate Favors in Seasonal Activities. All members of your current fireteam contribute to overall progress.
Fleeting Glory
Complete Crucible matches in the Competitive playlist. Earn bonus progress for wins.
High-Value Hunter
Defeat powerful combatants in Gambit. Earn bonus progress for defeating high-value targets.
Grandmaster
Complete any Nightfall strike on Grandmaster.
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