Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

New scoring system gives you a reason to replay ‘Destiny 2’ Nightfall strikes

Destiny 2 – Official Live Action Trailer – New Legends Will Rise
The next major Destiny 2 content expansion isn’t scheduled to arrive until this spring, but Bungie is making changes to the game’s current systems in an effort to keep players motivated. The studio’s latest overhaul is to the high-level Nightfall strikes, and the changes seem primed to make the strikes a destination for experienced players again.

“The Nightfall has been the subject of a lot of feedback since launch,” Bungie said in an update post. “Many of you felt that the timer was pretty stressful and preferred being able to slowly work your way through the challenges at your own pace.”

Recommended Videos

Unlike standard strikes, the Nightfall could be failed if players didn’t make their way through it within the time limit. Certain variables could affect this time on particular strikes, but Nightfall strikes were still much more difficult than much of the other content in the game.

Now, the Nightfall will use a scoring system to help the most-skilled players stand out from the pack. Scores will be generated both by getting kills and generating orbs, and it will be team-based to keep players from getting into conflict during playtime. There will still be a soft time limit, as scores will reduce by half at the 15-minute mark and will stop completely after 18 minutes. Special “challenge cards” will also give you more difficult strikes in exchange for higher score multipliers. You must complete a Nightfall run once in order to acquire the cards.

As far as rewards go, special Nightfall emblems will drop, and these will show off your personal best Nightfall score to other players. If your score is above a certain threshold, you get a special aura.

“Along with the aura, a personal score over the threshold will also unlock a fireteam-wide buff that boosts Vanguard Token drops in that strike by 25 percent,” the post continued. “When your fireteam sees the Nightfall Aura on your head, they know who’s hooking them up.”

Destiny 2 is now available for

PlayStation 4

,

Xbox One

, and

PC

. Next month will see big changes coming to Crucible mode, including a new six-versus-six option and matchmaking tweaks.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Destiny 2: Lightfall fails to deliver its Avengers: Infinity War moment
A titan wielding a grenade launcher in Destiny 2..

The comparison between Destiny 2: Lightfall and Avengers: Infinity War is immediate from the opening moments of Bungie's latest expansion. There is no more exposition to get through; the Witness, a mythical villain that represents the root of the Darkness that Guardians have fought against for close to a decade, is here, and the Traveler who has given our heroes the Light and their god-like abilities is under direct threat. The stakes couldn't be higher, but Lightfall doesn't live up to that moment.

I'm not drawing connections here that shouldn't be made -- the bombastic opening moments of Lightfall call back Infinity War's unrelenting momentum in its first act. The Traveler is under siege in Lightfall and Guardians are dismantled by a flick of the Witness' wrist, echoing the immediate slaughter brought by the hands of Thanos moments before he arrived on Earth. That feeling is the same; our antagonist is here, and there's nowhere else to run. In the final moments of the campaign, a member of my fireteam even exclaimed, "hey, that's a line from Infinity War."

Read more
Destiny 2: Where is Xur for the weekend of December 30
destinys weekend vendor xur extends stay psnxbox live hacks destiny

Seasoned Destiny 2 players know they can count on the elusive merchant Xur to make an appearance with special exotic items every Friday, but what's not so clear is where you'll be able to find him. Below, you'll find a map with a marker that indicates where Xur is, as well as a list of his wares.

Who is Xur?
If you're new to Destiny 2 and need a bit more information about how this works, you should know that Xur is a special vendor who sells exotic weapons and armor. Each week, he comes to the solar system with a slate of goods, including an exotic weapon and one piece of exotic armor for each character class. As of The Witch Queen, he now stocks legendary armor and weapons and sells additional exotic weapons with random rolls every week.
Where to find Xur (December 30 to January 2)
The trouble with Xur is finding him. We always know when Xur will show up -- at the 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET reset each Friday. The question is where Xur will be. Previously in Destiny 2, Xur’s location was marked on the map. He’s now unmarked and harder to find each weekend. Here’s where to go to track down Xur, the Agent of the Nine, as well as everything you need to know about what he’s offering this week.

Read more
Destiny 2 Halloween event: details and rewards
Three guardians wearing halloween armor.

It's that spooky time of the year, and what better way to celebrate than with some limited-time events in every Guardian's favorite game? As is the tradition at this point, Destiny 2 is embracing the holiday season with a limited-time event with exclusive themed rewards around the Halloween holiday. The entire tower will be getting a spooky makeover, but the really exciting part is, of course, the special event and rewards you can earn.

Called the Festival of the Lost, this event is technically still part of the current Season of Plunder but is available for all players for free, regardless of what expansions they have or have not purchased. While Bungie hasn't fully outlined all the specifics of how Festival of the Lost will work, there have been some details shared, plus a couple of leaks, to sink our teeth into. If you want to get your Guardian ready for some holiday fun, here's all the information out there on the Destiny 2 Halloween event.

Read more