The Taken-influenced Vex simulation has come to an end (maybe?), so it’s time to celebrate with the annual Solstice of Heroes Event in Destiny 2.
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As usual, this event gives the Tower a slight makeover, adds new cosmetic items to earn and purchase, and introduces an exclusive game mode. The 2021 version is looking like it will be far less of a grind, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to optimize your progress. Here’s everything you need to know about Destiny 2’s Solstice of Heroes for 2021.
Destiny 2 Solstice of Heroes 2021 Explained
The fourth iteration of Solstice of Heroes should look familiar to anyone who’s played during previous years.
You start off with a Rare Renewed armor set with the goal of leveling it up to Majestic, then Magnificent, then finally adding a nice glow for some pizzazz. Here’s everything you need to know about the Solstice armor upgrade process.
Starting Off With the Statue of Heroes Quest
Before you can start upgrading your armor, you’ll need to visit Eva Levante at the Tower.
She’ll give you your Renewed Helmet and send you off to visit the European Aerial Zone (EAZ). Complete one run, return to the Tower, and chat with Eva once again. She’ll encourage you to meditate at the Statue of Heroes (which is literally right next to her), which will give you the rest of your armor set.
The Primary Activity: European Aerial Zone
The EAZ is a returning activity for the Solstice of Heroes and is basically an isolated map within the European Dead Zone (EDZ). Here, you and two other players will need to kill as many minibosses as possible within a given time limit. The next round spawns a final boss that you’ll again have to kill within a given time.
If you kill it, you get to try to hunt down Solstice Chests littered around the map. The more minibosses you eliminated, the more chests you get to unlock. This year, the chests thankfully aren’t hidden and have far more accurate map icons, meaning you actually have a good shot at collecting them all.
Open these chests to earn Solstice Key Fragments, which allow you to unlock Solstice Packages.
Rewards: Solstice Packages
You earn locked Solstice Packages just by playing the EAZ activity. You earn one for killing the boss and a random number from Solstice Chests during the final round. You’ll need to earn at least fifteen Key Fragments to open a single Solstice Package, which is a requirement for armor upgrades and typically provides upgrade materials and Solstice Armor.
The EAZ Elemental Orbs
Like Strikes, the EAZ has a daily rotating elemental burn that rotates between Arc, Solar, Stasis, and Void. Killing enemies with any burn, will drop Elemental Orbs, which give you a small buff. Killing enemies with the current burn and collecting thirty orbs will activate a far more powerful buff for the duration of the activity.
These are again tied to upgrade steps, but serve no other purpose outside of being beneficial for combat.
Armor Upgrade Accelerators
One last thing worth mentioning is the Armor Accelerators you can unlock. Eva sells these in the Tower, and you’ll unlock them by upgrading complete Solstice Armor sets. These are only useful if you intend to upgrade multiple sets for a single character or if you want to speed up the process with secondary Classes. Be sure to grab these as soon as possible and complete the first Solstice Armor upgrade step for all active characters.
How To Upgrade to Majestic Armor
The objectives for each piece of Solstice Armor will be listed in your inventory menu when you hover over a specific piece. Each upgrade route is the same for every Class, aside from a few minor enemies and burn variations. Here’s how to upgrade from Renewed to Magnificent armor.
| Armor | How To Upgrade |
|---|---|
| Helmet | • 20 Finishers • Complete an EAZ run • Collect elemental orbs |
| Gauntlets | • Defeat 200 enemies • Complete a playlist activity • Open 10 Solstice packages |
| Chest | • Defeat 30 Guardians • Complete two public events • Collect elemental orbs in playlist activities |
| Boots | • 50 Super kills • Complete a Patrol • Collect 50 Orbs of Power |
| Class Item | • 100 precision kills • Collect 100 Orbs anywhere • Complete three Lost Sectors |
How to Upgrade to Magnificent Armor
After upgrading your full armor set to Majestic, here’s how to upgrade to Magnificent.
| Armor | How To Upgrade |
|---|---|
| Helmet | • Collect 500 elemental orbs • Rapidly defeat 100 enemies • Defeat five minibosses in the EAZ before the boss is summoned three times |
| Gauntlets | • Kill 200 enemies with weapons • Earn 20 elemental empowerment buffs • Complete Altar of Sorrow or Override missions |
| Chest | • Collect 50 Solstice Key Fragments • Defeat 100 enemies with Grenades • Complete the Blind Well or Wrathborn Hunts |
| Boots | • Defeat 50 enemies with melee • Collect orbs in playlist activities • Complete Public Events on Europa or Battlegrounds |
| Class Item | • Collect 50 orbs in the EAZ • Defeat 50 powerful enemies • Complete three competitive PvP matches or Nightfall Strikes |
How to Unlock Armor Glows
After upgrading your full armor set to Magnificent, here’s how to unlock the Armor Glow.
| Armor Glow | How To Unlock |
|---|---|
| Helmet | Complete a Master or Grandmaster Nightfall |
| Gauntlets | Complete any Raid |
| Chest | Complete any Dungeon |
| Boots | Defeat 15 Champions or Guardians |
| Class Item | Complete Legendary or Master Lost Sectors |
When Does the Solstice of Heroes End?
The Solstice of Heroes events and armor set can only be played and upgraded throughout the event. Destiny 2’s Solstice of Heroes officially kicked off on Tuesday, July 6th, and will end on Tuesday, August 3rd. The event will officially come to a close during the regular weekly reset times, so be sure to keep an eye out for how that affects your time zone.
Celebrating the Past and Preparing for the Future
We hope that this guide helps you get the most out of this years’ Solstice of Heroes Event. Be sure to share this article with your Fireteam on your favorite social channels. For the latest on Destiny 2, subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know.
