Harkening back to the stellar Into the Light update, the upcoming Destiny 2 Rite of the Nine event is bringing new activities which are free to all players. That’s right, separate from Episode Heresy’s final Act, you’ll also have the chance to delve into some revamped dungeons and even earn adept weapons
Just like Into the Light, it’s the rite time for new or old players to hop back on the Destiny train as you won’t need to pay a dime to enjoy what’s on offer. That said, there’s still plenty to do in Heresy’s upcoming acts, including new catalysts for the Barrow-Dyad Exotic SMG, so you might want to unlock it if you haven’t already.
Destiny 2 Rite of the Nine release date
Rite of the Nine is expected to launch on April 1, 2025, alongside the release of Episode Heresy’s Act 3 update. While this is a limited-time event, if Into the Light is anything to go by, Rite of the Nine is likely to stick around until the end of Episode Heresy in July.
This event is free to all players, meaning you don’t have to own any season passes or even The Final Shape expansion. Like Into the Light, you can jump right into the action. This is important since the dungeons included in this event (more on this later) were initially included in prior season’s dungeon passes.
Above you’ll find everything you need to know to get started in Rite of the Nine, including the dungeons you’ll be running and all the unique weapons up for grabs during this event.
Destiny 2 Rite of the Nine dungeons
The Rite of the Nine will feature three dungeons that rotate weekly:
- Prophecy
- Spire of the Watcher
- Ghosts of the Deep
If you’re a solo player like myself, it’s important to think about how easily these dungeons can be cleared by just one Guardian. Prophecy is relatively easy, so long as you have some strong defenses to avoid getting killed when completing certain mechanics. Likewise, Spire of the Watcher is pretty simple outside of two very tanky bosses.
On the other end of the scale, we have Ghosts of the Deep. This dungeon has a lot more enemies to keep track of at any given time, requiring you to be on top of everything to avoid being overwhelmed. It doesn’t help that you’re facing off against the Lucent Hive, my least favourite faction purely down to the Lucent Moths that’ll power up enemies or blow you up. That said, the new Explorer mode—detailed below—is designed to make all three much easier for first-time players.
Destiny 2 Rite of the Nine game modes
One of the biggest features in the Rite of the Nine event is the addition of three new game modes available in each dungeon: Explorer, Eternity, and Ultimatum. These alter the challenge level, so don’t be put off if you’re new to Destiny 2’s dungeons. Here are the key differences between each:
Explorer
- Designed for players new to dungeons
- Includes tutorials and explainers to teach key mechanics required to complete the activity
- No wipes
- Short revive durations
Eternity
- Designed for experienced players with a dungeon or two under their belt
- Includes a scoring system that rewards improved loot
Ultimatum
- Designed for veteran Guardians familiar with the dungeon mechanics and have strong loadouts at the ready
- Includes a scoring system that rewards improved loot
- Includes power level targets and Contest Mode difficulty, as well as additional modifiers to increase challenge
- Features higher quality loot drops, including double-perks and adept weapons
Destiny 2 Rite of the Nine weapons, loot tables, and rewards
Your rewards will be tied to both the difficulty you play on, as well as your score. The higher your score, the better the loot at the end of each encounter. This score is primarily based on your number of deaths, so staying alive is the most important factor in your gear grind.
All Rite of the Nine weapons (no matter which dungeon they’re from) will feature the new origin trait Gravity Well, which automatically collects nearby ammo when you reload. They also come with sparkly new visuals, including shiny adept variants known as Holofoils.
Here are all the weapons you can earn during Rite of the Nine:
Destiny 2 Rite of the Nine Third Spire
The Rite of the Nine event also brings with it the Third Spire, a new social space. Well, it’s technically not new as this area was originally used to claim your rewards Trials of the Nine way back in 2017. Nearly a decade later, one of my favourite locations is finally making a return.
Here, you can speak to the Emissary, the vendor for this event. The Emissary will offer Rite of the Nine quests, bounties, rewards, and more before you delve into the dungeons.
Behind the Emissary, you’ll find the prized Rite of the Nine weapons that you can attune. Just like Into the Light, this increases the drop-rate for your chosen weapon, so it’s a great way to target specific guns you need.
