This Weekend in Destiny 2 – Xûr and Trials (May 12 – 16)

Changes coming in Season 21

LABS

The system will be tuned for Season 21 to make it less likely for standard players to trigger farming protection.

DOMINION GAME MODE

Bungie is moving to Dominion as the core game mode for Trials in Season 21

• Dominion offers a choice between playing Elimination and an objective-based game mode.
• Objectives can allow more types of players to contribute to winning.
• Games are on average 15% faster than standard Elimination games.
• Dominion puts extreme passivity at a disadvantage by spawning the zone earlier and creating pressure for players to engage and fight earlier.
• Objectives promote more varied engagements on the maps and push players to experience different engagement arenas on each map.
• Dominion promotes a healthier sandbox variety in both weapons and subclasses.
• Provides Bungie with more balancing levers to change the gameplay experience and make changes to maps more quickly to address concerns about flow or balance.
• Switching to Dominion may make carrying other players to the Lighthouse a more difficult challenge, but the decision was made based on the bulk of all player experiences in the playlist.

TRIALS PASSAGES

Passage of Wealth and Passage of Mercy are getting an update next season.

• The Passage of Wealth will now grant +75 Trials rep for every win, and an additional bonus for current major rank in Trials, up to +150 total. This encourages players to stay on the same card to take advantage of more reputation for wins later in the card. The previous Passage of Wealth granting increased reputation on wins 3, 5, and 7 on a card was at odds with the new system
• The Passage of Mercy in Season 21 will forgive 2 losses if you have not yet been Flawless for the week. After going Flawless, the Passage of Mercy will revert to forgiving a single loss on each card. This gives all players a better chance of going Flawless for the first time each week, and players who can go Flawless without using both Mercies additional opportunities to play for extra rewards while their first card remains Flawless.

TRIALS INTRO QUEST

• Step 1
  • Complete Competitive placement matches.
  • Get 50 kills in Competitive.
  • Raise your Power level.  
• Step 2
  • Pick up a Trials Passage.
  • Play a game of Trials.
  • Win 1 round of Trials.
  • Get 1 elimination in Trials.
  • Reward: Astral Horizon Shotgun

GILDED FLAWLESS

Source: TWAB (May 4, 2023)

Here is what’s being added to Trials loot pool in Season 21:

RETURNING: The Messenger High-Impact Kinetic Pulse Rifle

NEW: Unexpected Resurgence Adaptive Arc Glaive

Players who open the Lighthouse rewards chest will have a chance to obtain new rewards.

• Hero’s Wake Exotic Ghost Shell
• Valiant Memory Exotic Ship
• Survivor’s Journey Exotic Sparrow
• Glorious Patina shader (after first opening of the chest)

*Exclusive shader Glorious Patina can be earned by going Flawless during Season 21 Trials.

Hero’s Wake Exotic Ghost Shell

Valiant Memory Exotic Ship

Survivor’s Journey Exotic Sparrow

A new shader called Glorious Patina will also be available from the Lighthouse rewards chest in Season 21. Future Trials of Osiris shaders are permanent unlocks. Glorious Patina, which can be transmogrified onto any gear, is exclusive to Flawless players in Season 21.

Future Seasons will see the return of older Trials shaders (that were previously exclusive to Adept weapons) as rewards for completing the first Seasonal Flawless Ticket, and they will now be fully accessible and usable as on all your transmog gear.

Availability

• Week 8 - April 21
• Week 11 - May 12

Upcoming Changes

Changes to the Passages of Wealth and Mercy, and the Flawless Triumph requirements won't be active during these weekends. They'll be introduced in Season 21 together with a new emblem and a starter quest.

Challenger Pool (Connection Based Matchmaking):

• Challenger Pool is for players who play Trials regularly and aim to go Flawless. It offers an experience similar to the original Trials in D1, without making games harder as the card progresses or after going Flawless.
• Matchmaking in this pool is solely based on connection, with no consideration of tickets, weekly wins, or skill.
• Players with a card that has no losses or those in a fireteam with someone who has a flawless card will be placed in this pool.

Practice Pool (Connection Based and Weekly Performance):

• The Practice Pool is designed for players who are new or less experienced and are not yet ready to go Flawless in Trials. It provides a place for players to start playing Trials without being overwhelmed.
• Matchmaking in this pool is based on connection and weekly performance.
  • Only players with a Flawed card or those on their first game of the week can play in this pool, and everyone in the fireteam must meet the same requirement.
• Stomp Protection: The Practice Pool features Stomp protection, which reduces a player's weekly performance rating if they are consistently struggling, making matches slightly easier until they recover.
• Farming Protection: The pool also has Farming protection, which slows down matchmaking times initially and, if a player or fireteam member continues to farm the Practice pool, locks them into the Challenger pool for the rest of the weekend, regardless of their card state.

Bungie will have a more in-depth discussion about the changes that are coming to Trials in Season 21.

Source:  This week at Bungie - April 13, 2023

Changes that arrived with Lightfall and Season 20.

FOCUSING COSTS

 Crucible, Gambit, and Vanguard focusing will see the following costs: 

• 1 Ritual Engram 
• Crucible, Gambit, or Vanguard (depending on the vendor) 
• 5,000 Glimmer 
• 25 Legendary Shards 

Trials of Osiris, Iron Banner, and Nightfall focusing will see the following costs: 

• 1 Ritual Engram 
• Trials, Iron Banner, or Vanguard (depending on the vendor) 
• 20,000 Glimmer 
• 50 Legendary Shards 

Adept weapon focusing for Trials of Osiris and Nightfall weapons will see the following costs: 

• 1 Ritual Engram 
• Trials or Vanguard (depending on the vendor) 
• 50,000 Glimmer 
• 50 Legendary Shards 
• 7-Win Trials Ticket or 10 Adept Nightfall Ciphers 

Source: Bungie.net

LEGACY GEAR FOCUSING

Trials of Osiris Weapons Available for Legacy Focusing:

• Shayura’s Wrath 
• Reed’s Regret 

• Aisha’s Embrace 
• Burden of Guilt 
• Forgiveness 

Note: Adept version of legacy weapons will not be available for focusing. 

Trials of Osiris Armor Sets Available for Legacy Focusing:

• Pyrrhic Ascent 
• Exile 

Trials of Osiris Gear Focusing Cost:

• If a player has NOT acquired a piece of Trials of Osiris gear previously: 
• 7 Trials Engrams 

• 100 Legendary Shards 
• 10,000 Glimmer 
• If  a player has acquired a piece of Trials of Osiris gear previously: 

• 3 Trials Engrams 
• 25 Legendary Shards 
• 25,000 Glimmer 

Source: Bungie.net