Destiny 2 Bungie 30th Anniversary Event Explained — Halo Weapons and More

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Penned by Kody Wirth

Kody is our expert Destiny 2 and shooter genre writer. He lives in Oregon.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

We’re now months into Season of the Lost. The story has abruptly stalled for a number of weeks, and most players are now clamoring for the release of The Witch Queen expansion a few months from now. Thankfully, for those looking for a good excuse to drop back into Destiny 2, the Bungie 30th Anniversary Event offers excellent new content.

This not-quite-expansion was announced alongside the first glimpse of next year’s expansion. Since then, Bungie has been rather quiet about what to expect from this DLC. Now it’s live and already blowing expectations out of the water. So, let’s get nostalgic, celebrate Bungie’s prolific history, and walk through everything you need to know about the 30th Anniversary DLC.

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What is the Bungie 30th Anniversary Event?

The Bungie 30th Anniversary Event in Destiny 2 is additional content that fits somewhere between a season and a full expansion. It isn’t designed to tell a lengthy story or expand to a fully new location, but it does provide a large and exciting release of gear weapons and activities. All of this celebrates Bungie’s storied history as a developer and wraps in armaments, easter eggs, and straight-up recreations of iconic gear from the likes of Halo, Vanilla Destiny, and lesser-known games like Marathon. 

While there is a paid component, some of the content in this event is completely free. So, whether you’re a die-hard player ready to jump into a full expansion, or a casual player just looking to try out something new, there’s really something for everyone.

When Does the Bungie 30th Anniversary Event Start in Destiny 2?

The Destiny 2 Bungie 30th Anniversary Event launched on December 7, 2021 at the usual reset time. As per usual, there were some lengthy login queues at launch, as well as random errors due to overwhelmed servers. This was rectified rather quickly and most players were able to jump into the new content as little as thirty minutes after the update went live. 

Since this isn’t seasonal content, there’s no true end date for the DLC. More than likely, anything new from it will run up until a few weeks before the launch of The Witch Queen. Even after the next expansion, you can likely expect this expansion to remain open, although some content may be shifted or removed depending on popularity or workload.

What to Expect From the Bungie 30th Anniversary Event in Destiny 2

So what’s the big deal about this expansion? Why are Destiny 2 players so blown away by this somewhat under-promoted new event? Let’s dive into everything available to you in the 3oth Anniversary Event.

Dares of Eternity — Six-Player Matchmade Offensive

Xur and the Nine have been one of the most consistently mysterious elements since the original Destiny. So, of course, the logical thing is to have the Exotic Gear dealer run you through a deadly gameshow thanks to the influence of a multidimensional horse. You heard that right, this new six-player matchmade activity is literally a gameshow equipped with power-ups, random skill rounds, and a series of obstacle courses, all judged by an intergalactic horse named Starhorse.

Jokes aside, this is an incredibly fun and diverse matchmade activity that blends the best of the Menagerie and Battlegrounds for something entirely new. Yes, the goal is to defeat waves of enemies and navigate somewhat complex platforming sections. However, the tension rises thanks to an ongoing timer, random enemy selection, and the opportunity to take on random ability buffs throughout the experience.

In the end, you take on a time-displaced enemy. These aren’t just nobodies, but iconic Destiny enemies that include gameplay loops similar to their first appearances. In my first round, I had the chance to take on Crota, and just like the Raid, it required taking out other enemies to collect a sword and chip away at the health bar. It’s fun, cheeky, and challenging at the same time, which makes for a fantastic matchmade activity. 

Grasp of Avarice Dungeon

While much of this event celebrates Bungie’s history before Destiny, the new Dungeon celebrates the in-game history of Destiny. And of course there’s no better way to do it than theming an entire encounter around the iconic Loot Cave from the original game. That’s right, the Loot Cave is back with an in-game backstory that makes for equal parts deep space, Indiana Jones, and pirate escapades all rolled up into one.

Following similar design choices to other Dungeons, the Grasp of Avarice includes a mix of challenging combat encounters, puzzle-solving, platforming, and a combination of the three all at the same time. It also features a standard and higher-difficulty version, making it far more accessible while presenting the opportunity to take on a more difficult encounter if you want. This is one of the more stylistic and entertaining Dungeons they’ve done, while also being the most approachable, which bodes well for any new end-game content moving forward.

Gjallarhorn

Of course, a Dungeon wouldn’t be complete without some incredible loot. And nothing is more dear to a long-time Destiny fan’s heart than the rerelease of an iconic weapon like the Gjallarhorn. This iconic Rocket Launcher isn’t earned from completing the Dungeon, but by working through the “And Out Fly the Wolves” questline. It does require you to complete the Dungeon, but that’s only the second step to collecting it.

On top of a rerelease, the Gjallarhorn is arriving with a fully realized Weapon Catalyst. It’s following the same trend as Exotics from Season of the Lost, with more unique Catalyst benefits, and at this point, we’re not sure exactly what it will take to unlock. Be on the lookout for a full guide on how to unlock the Gjallarhorn, as well as its Catalyst, in the coming weeks.

Forerunner Exotic Sidearm

The other primary Exotic in this expansion recreates the original Halo CE Pistol as a Sidearm. It feels incredibly familiar while providing a beefy punch and rapid-fire options. In order to unlock it, you have to complete the Magnum Opus Exotic Questline, which requires you to complete different tasks within the Dares of Eternity activity. We’ll be covering how to unlock this Spartan-worthy weapon here in the coming weeks.

Halo-Inspired Weapons

Of course, one Halo-inspired weapon isn’t enough. Instead, Bungie decided to go hard and drop three additional Legendary weapons that encompass weapons of the past. This includes the BxR-55 Battler Pulse Rifle (which takes on the appearance of the Battle Rifle), the Half-Truths Sword (which looks like half of an energy sword), and the Retraced Path Trace Rifle (which takes on the appearance of a Covenant weapon).

All of these randomly drop within the event and are more likely to be acquired through event-specific activities. Already, they’re some of the most unique and well-designed Legendary weapons released in-game, making them worth grinding for. 

Streetwear and Marathon Armor Ornaments

There’s nothing quite like a casual Guardian. For those that love wearing beanies, vests, and snow pants, the Streetwear Ornaments are made for you. These Armor Ornaments are made available almost immediately after you visit Xur, and reflect a more casual feel that would make for some sweet real-life gear.

If you’re not a fan of playing loose and need to get serious, you can also look to unlock the Marathon Armor Ornaments. This suit of armor is inspired by one of Bungie’s original titles and takes on a more Souls-like design. At this point, it’s not clear what unlocks this Ornament set, but it likely has to do with the multiple chests available in the Dares of Eternity Event. 

Bungie-Inspired Armor Sets and Weapons

On top of all of the Halo gear and armor ornaments, there are several additional armor sets and weapons inspired by Bungie’s non-Halo past. There are the Thorn Armor Sets, Wastelander Shotgun, Hero of Ages Sword, Matador 64 Shogun, Eyasluna Hand Cannon, and the Pardon our Dust Grenade Launcher.

There are even reissues of original Destiny weapons like the 1000-Yard Stare Sniper Rifle. Brings back memories of being taken out from seemingly miles away or taking out enemies from absurd distances (depending on how good you are with a sniper). All of these seem to be attached to playing the event activities and may take a few runs to full collect. For example, after one run of the Dungeon, I had only collected two pieces of the Thorn Armor set, and may need to run it one or two more times to complete it.

Sparrows, Emotes, Ships, and Shaders

Lastly, there are a ton of free and paid cosmetic items as part of this event. There are unlockable ships and sparrows inspired by the Gjallarhorn, emotes that can be earned from Xur that look like you’re initiating armor lock and ragdolling, and plenty of Shaders that can be bought for Bright Dust. Speaking of which, be sure to check back in at the Eververse every week for 700 free pieces of Bright Dust up until the release of The Witch Queen.

What’s Free in the Bungie 30th Anniversary Event?

We mentioned how some of this event is free, while the rest of the DLC is paid. At this point, the Dares of Eternity matchmade activity, Forerunner Exotic Sidearm and Catalyst, and the Halo-inspired Legendary weapons are completely free. Everything else, including the Dungeon and Armor Ornaments, will require you to purchase the DLC.

What Does the Bungie 30th Anniversary DLC Cost?

The Bungie 30th Anniversary DLC currently costs $25 for the standalone expansion. You can also purchase it along with The Witch Queen, and all 2022 Seasonal content for $99.99. This will save you about $5 in total, so it really depends on if you’re ready to shell out that much for everything coming to Destiny 2 in the next year, or just want to jump into the current Anniversary expansion first.

Join the High Ground

The Bungie 30th Anniversary Event is far more than most in the Destiny 2 community expected it to be. The six-player event and new Dungeon are incredible, and the amount of nostalgic and killer loot you can collect is ridiculous for not being a full expansion. Hopefully, this guide prepares you to get the most out of the event and will tide you over until the release of The Witch Queen in February. 

Be sure to let your Fireteam know why they should jump back in by sharing this article on your favorite social channels—and sign up for our newsletter for the latest on Destiny 2. 

Happy gaming!