Destiny 2 Season of the Splicer Preview — Everything You Need to Know

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Human Made

Penned by Kody Wirth

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

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Season of the Chosen was by far the best season in Destiny 2 thus far. The loot grind was excellent, the new activities were fun and mysterious, and the story was actually interesting. 

With the season coming to a close, we look ahead to Season 14, Season of the Splicer. A Vex conspiracy is brewing, an old Fallen foe turned friend has returned, and new activities are emerging to push back the Vex threat. So, what should you expect from Season of the Splicer? Read on to find out.

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When Does Season of the Splicer Start?

Season 14 of Destiny 2 begins at 10 AM PDT on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. There will be an extended downtime starting fifteen minutes before launch, which will include a patch with balancing adjustments and new content. The game will likely go back online close to the official launch time, but stay tuned to the @BungieHelp Twitter channel for regular updates.

Season of the Splicer will run for just under sixteen weeks, officially ending with a story-driven epilogue on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

What’s Happening in Season of the Splicer?

We’re done with the Cabal and moving on to the next threat, the Vex. These technological monstrosities have entrapped the Last City in a simulation where they win, plunging the world into an endless night. Thankfully Ikora reveals that Mithrax, Kell of the House of Light and former foe, can help. 

Now a Sacred Splicer connected to the Light and the Vex simulation, Mithrax has agreed to help the Guardians push back this Vex incursion. But how does this tie into the previous season? What does the expanded HELM social area do? How can we possibly hold back the Vex this time? We’ll hopefully see this and more throughout Season of the Splicer.

New Activities — Override and Expunge

Just like Season of the Chosen had Battleground, Season of the Splicer has its own activities. 

The first is Override, a new six-person matchmaking activity where you use Splicer Tech to hack the Vex Network. This seems like an updated version of the Menagerie or Sundial Runs, with a hint of the overwhelming enemies from Battlegrounds. Hopefully, this will end up being an equally challenging combat and puzzle-solving activity with additional challenges released throughout the season.

The second is Expunge, a weekly Pinnacle activity where you delve into the Vex Network to uncover vulnerabilities. The locations and challenges for this activity are somewhat under wraps, but it’s looking like it will be a blend of the Exo Challenge with hopefully the mystique of the Presage quest. With it being a weekly Pinnacle, it will at least be worth running every week.

Return of the Vault of Glass

Fans have been clamoring for the return of the original Destiny Raid, and a Vex-themed season is a perfect way to do it. While it was Bungie’s first attempt, this is still one of the best Raids with complex mazes filled with instant killing Gorgons and a final complex battle with Atheon, Time’s Conflux. 

Thankfully, the team has stuck with the traditional layout of the Raid but with reprised and tweaked encounters to bring it up to modern-day standards and keep Guardians on their toes. And while we don’t know exactly what to expect, we do know there will be a challenge mode released mid-season and that this will potentially tie into the broader story. For now, just start reviewing those old Raid walkthroughs in anticipation.

Armor Synthesis

Armor synthesis and a simpler Shader System are finally arriving. This will allow you to permanently unlock shaders, harkening back to the original vanilla Destiny system. More importantly, it adds a transmog system, where you create armor ornaments from Legendary and lesser armor through a series of quests from Ada-1.

It’s an exciting and long-awaited addition to Destiny 2. You can read more about how it works through our full Armor Synthesis guide.

New and Returning Weapons

Season of the Splicer is bringing out the big guns — over thirty new and reprised Legendary weapons, in fact. They’ve only revealed screenshots of these weapons so far, but we know a bit more about the Exotics that are going to be available.

First is the new seasonal Exotic weapon, the Stasis fueled Cryosthesia 77k sidearm. This will be made available to Season Pass owners right away and appears to feature alternate fire variations and other interesting Stasis perks. Additionally, there are three new Exotic legs, one for each subclass that appear to be the first new armor pieces meant to combat Stasis.

Hopefully, there will be some additional surprises like the Dead Man’s Tale this coming season, but for now, just get ready to unlock a slew of weapons and armor.

Seasons Are Changing

Season of the Splicer is shaping up to be another fantastic season in Destiny 2. There are new activities, the sunsetting of weapon sunsetting, the arrival of armor transmogrification after years of waiting, and hopefully a few surprises. 

Be sure to let your Fireteam know about the new season by sharing this article on your favorite social channels. For the latest on Season of the Splicer and Destiny 2, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.