With Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate, the Destiny development team launched a new saga for Guardians everywhere. In the expansion, players explore the planetoid of Kepler, located on the edge of the Sol system, offering intrigue, adventure, and access to strange powers that Guardians used to solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and progress deeper into the location’s mysteries.
Today, the next chapter in the story is unveiled with the Ash & Iron major update. Ash & Iron will feature, among other rewards and activities, a new Exotic Mission (coming in October) and a new three-player activity known as Reclaim. A fast-paced and constantly evolving Fireteam Ops activity, Reclaim will find Guardians searching for Golden Age tech in the Plaguelands, which just so happens to be the foothold for antagonist Maya Sundaresh.
“The Vanguard is sending Guardians in on what feels like a form of guerrilla warfare — short, sharp strikes to reclaim territory and recover Golden Age assets before they can be turned against us,” said Destiny 2 design lead Clayton Kisko. “The Vex are the primary force holding these zones, but they’re not alone. Reclaim is all about methodically dismantling Maya’s presence, uncovering what her motivation is for pursuing the Golden Age technology, and reestablishing control in an area that’s been contested for too long.”
What will be standing in Guardians’ way is more than just those pesky Vex. One of the pillars for Reclaim was variety and dynamic challenge. “No two runs should feel exactly alike,” said Destiny 2 creative director Ben Wommack. “One run might ask you to defend a point under waves of enemies, while the next could push you to unlock a Vex code password. Enemy lineups shift between the different versions of Reclaim, and enemy compositions shift between runs. You may face off against Vex forces in one activity and a different enemy faction the next. Bosses are randomized, and between activities, each comes with its own set of mechanics that evolve in higher difficulties.”
The strategic elements that result from those dynamic challenges give Reclaim its replayability, offering players multiple ways to complete an encounter. “You might uncover hidden chests tucked away in the environment, track down and eliminate roaming high-value targets, or choose from any of the available encounters scattered around the space — each with their own mechanics and enemy compositions,” said Destiny senior design lead Jason Reynolds. “You’ll also find research objects that can be gathered and turned over to the Vanguard to advance the mission. The ‘problem’ isn’t just about surviving the fight in front of you, it’s about deciding how you want to move the progress meter forward. Do you split up to cover more ground and gather efficiently, or stick together and muscle through one encounter at a time?”
That Golden Age tech that you’re hunting for in Reclaim is more than just a sci-fi MacGuffin, too. Uncovering Golden Age devices will offer a chance at buffs that will change a fireteam’s approach to an encoun