Battlegrounds is a new a game mode to Destiny 2, showing up as part of the Season of the Chosen. As the central activity of the season, almost everything is tied to Battlegrounds, from seasonal challenges to the seasonal artifact. To get you started on the right foot, we’ve rounded up some essential information and a few tips and tricks in this Destiny 2 Battlegrounds guide.
Further reading
A Battlegrounds primer
Battlegrounds is a PvE game mode for up to three players, and matches play out similarly to strikes. They aren’t strikes, but they’re close. You and two other players fight off hoards of enemies before reaching a final boss. Simple enough.
There are a few things you have to do on the way, though. The first step of a Battlegrounds activity is to destroy three shield generators. After fighting through a wave of enemies, a champion will spawn that you have to defeat. They’ll drop an explosive once they’re done, which you need to grab and throw into one of the shield generators to destroy it. This cycle happens three times, with each champion getting more powerful.
After all of the shield generators are gone, you’ll be able to activate the Rite of Proving. Doing so spawns the boss, which is where Battlegrounds starts to get difficult. The boss has three health segments, and each time you knock off a third of its health, it’ll spawn a champion that grants it immunity. Again, this cycle repeats three times, all while you’re being harassed by what is likely hundreds of Cabal troops.
You’ll earn a chest at the end of a Battlegrounds activity, along with another chest you can smash with the Hammer of Proving.
Battlegrounds activities in Season of the Chosen
There are four Battlegrounds activities in Season of the Chosen, two of which are available at the start of the season. The Cleansing Battleground releases on February 16, and the Oracle Battleground on February 23.
The two available now, Behemoth and Hailstone, are available on Nessus and Europa, respectively. Every player starting Season of the Chosen will need to play Behemoth at least. If you’re following the starting quest to unlock the Hammer of Proving, though, you’ll end up playing both. Free players can play one Battlegrounds activity, but beyond that, you’ll need the season pass for Season of the Chosen.
Battlegrounds tips and tricks
A game of thirds
Battlegrounds is a game of thirds. You need to destroy three shield generators and fight through a boss with three distinct health bars. The shield generators are easy enough, as long as you focus all of your damage on the champion once it spawns. If you miss the explosive, or if it doesn’t hit the shield generator, a low-level enemy will spawn carrying a replacement. The boss is a little more tricky.
Look at each of the health segments as a mini-goal. The boss will spawn a champion and become immune to damage after you deplete a health segment, yes, but also retreat a bit. Use your super and other special abilities you have to deplete each segment of health as fast as possible before worrying about the waves of enemies that spawn alongside the boss.
Stand back from shield generators
After seeing more than a few Guardians fall victim to this trap, we need to point it out: Shield generators explode when you destroy them. And they deal damage as an explosion would. If you’re standing next to a shield generator when you or another Guardian throws the explosive in, you’ll die. Make sure to practice safe explosive distancing while playing Battlegrounds.
Beyond that, make sure to aim for the large red coils on the side of the generator. The hit detection is a little finicky, so even if you hit the shield generator, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll explode.
Complete three Battlegrounds activities from the playlist
The Battlegrounds playlist is available in the Vanguard tab alongside strikes and Nightfall. This tip is a simple one: Complete three Battlegrounds activities from this playlist. Doing so will earn you tier-two Powerful Gear, and considering Battlegrounds only take about 15 to 20 minutes, that’s a great deal.
Hold the line
Battlegrounds is a game of attrition, especially after you start the Rite of Proving. Cabal forces will continue to spawn no matter how many you defeat, and there are a lot of them to defeat. Although it’s tempting to jump head first into a group of enemies and dish out as much DPS as possible, that’s a quick way to an early death. There will be more Cabal you can’t defeat, and they will kill you.
You don’t need to keep your distance, but you do need to establish an offensive line during the Rite of Proving. It’s clear that Bungie intends for players to do this anyway, as the boss retreats after every health segment. As you continue to defeat enemies, push the line forward without diving straight into the fight.
