Destiny 2's 17th season, the Season of the Haunted, begins this week and we'll find out even more lore about the Witch Queen. Bungie kept quiet about the new season right until the very end, but thanks to the release of an official trailer and the new season's official info page, the new season is starting to take shape.
Destiny 2 Season 17 start time
Season 17 begins on May 24 at the weekly reset. As with all seasonal changes, there will be a few hours of downtime before you'll be able to hop in and play. If you need a refresher, the reset time is 1 pm ET/ 10 am PT/ 6 pm BST/ 7 pm CEST.
You'll be able to use 2000 Silver to purchase the new season pass, unlocking the first 10 levels automatically.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen - Season of the Haunted trailer
The trailer description reads: "Driven by an insatiable lust for power, Calus seeks the approval of a new master. His once-opulent ship, now derelict and corrupted, has returned to our galaxy—its sights set on the power promised by the Pyramid ship lying dormant on the Moon."
"As the Leviathan forms a connection with the Pyramid, Nightmares of humanity’s past awaken and threaten to torment any who dare intervene. Stare into the abyss and find bravery within the mantle of the reaper and the steel of the scythe."
Changes to Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris
Lord Saladin and the Iron Banner are getting a big revamp in Season 17, starting with Saladin's name. From Season 17 onwards he'll be known as Bracus Forge, and you'll find him where Eva Levante usually stands in the centre of the Tower. Power level will be disabled in the new Iron Banner, and Rift will be the new mode this season, with modes rotating in future seasons.
Tokens will also be removed and instead be replaced by a ranking system, similar to what you see with Shaxx and the Crucible. You'll be able to earn Iron Engrams when you rank up, as well as unlock new cosmetic items and materials after each match. You can convert Iron Engrams into any current Iron Banner weapon or armour set that's previously been earned, for an in-game-material cost. There will be a new Seal and title to chase, too, which is estimated to take you between 15-20 hours to earn. No more cheesing for you!
Another upside to these changes is the addition of a new map, Disjunction, which is one of the largest maps yet. It takes place in the Pyramid area of the Throne World, keeping the Witch Queen's spooky theme going. It'll also be available in Crucible for the real PvP champs among you, as well as Rift. The downside is Iron Banner is only running twice during the new season on May 31 and July 12, so put that in your diary.
Trials of Osiris is also getting a tweak, with Capture Zone and Freelance weekends continuing this season. Seven maps will be in rotation per season, with one being decided by player votes. Finally, there will be adept reward changes, making the grind more worthwhile. You can check out the new Ghost armor below.
Destiny 2 rumours: we don't know much about the new dungeon
I love a good rumour and there are plenty floating around about season 17. The new dungeon is called Luna's Ward, suggesting once again that the moon is haunted. Bungie has confirmed that the new dungeon will be available from May 27, 10 PT/ 1 pm ET/ 6 pm BST. The recommended Power level is 1550, so you can get grinding between Tuesday and Friday. You can check out the rewards in store below:
- 1 Legendary Armor Set Per Class
- Artifice Versions can also be acquired via Master Difficulty
- 4 Legendary New Weapons
- 2 Legendary Reprised Weapons
- 1 Exotic Weapon
- 1 Exotic Catalyst
- 1 Exotic Accessory (Ship or Sparrow)
- 2 Legendary Emblems
As for what else we can expect, Calus is back, Saladin is serving Caiatl, hence the lack of Iron Banner next season, so there could be more lore about him. There's also a rumour that Warmind Rasputin might be downloaded into an Exo body, which would be very rad. Or maybe very bad?
Bungie has confirmed that the Solar subclass will be getting the 3.0 treatment in the latest trailer, which I'm super excited about. The season 17 ritual weapon is the Chain of Command heavy machine gun, but so far, that's the only weapon confirmed. There will undoubtedly be some shiny new exotics to collect next season, so stay tuned for more info.
Season 17 Power caps
The Power bands have been increased for the new season, so here's a quick run down of what to expect:
- Power floor: 1350
- Soft cap: 1510
- Powerful cap: 1560
- Hard cap: 1570
- Character Power boost increased to 1510
Event cards
This season, Solstice of Heroes becomes just Solstice, and we'll be introduced to event cards. These cards contain new points to explore such as challenges, seals, titles and unique event rewards. You'll also be able to get some cool new cosmetics through the event card, as well as multi-event seals. You can also upgrade the event card for 1000 Silver to get even more rewards.
