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Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen campaign walkthrough

A step-by-step guide for the Season of the Chosen campaign in Destiny 2.

Sam Chandler

February 9, 2021 12:05 PM

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Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen has arrived, as has Empress Caiatl. This new campaign introduces players to the Season’s newest activities and mechanics, including Battleground and H.E.L.M., and also brings back Umbral Decoding. The main questline of Season of the Chosen is called A Challenger Rises, here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure you come out victorious.

Season of the Chosen campaign – A Challenger Rises

Season of the Chosen begins with a fight through the new Battlegrounds, before a quick stop at the H.E.L.M., and finally on to the main quest, A Challenger Rises. Completing A Challenger Rises is a requirement in accessing the Battleground via the Vanguard option in the Director. Thankfully, the questline is rather straightforward.

Step 1: Battleground: Behemoth – Recommended Power 1100

The first thing that will happen in Season of the Chosen is Battleground: Behemoth. The game should automatically take you to Nessus and into a matchmade activity.

The goal is to fight the Cabal and collect keys from Keymasters. These Keymasters spawn after waves of Cabal are defeated. With three keys collected, activate the nearby terminal and move to the next area.

Defeat Cabal until a powerful enemy spawns. Defeat it to get a Volatile Power Cell which you must throw at the generators. Make sure to hit the three glowing parts, not the ends, as the cell won’t actually damage the ends. If you miss, another enemy will spawn that has another cell.

With the generators broken, the main boss of the Battleground will come stomping out. Defeat it to finish the Battleground. This will be the main theme behind the new activity for Season of the Chosen.

Step 2: A Challenger Rises

The boss you defeated in the Battleground will have dropped something called the Bell of Conquest, bring it tothe War Table in the H.E.L.M., the new area in the Tower. You will receive the Seasonal Artifact by doing this.

Step 3: Challenger’s Proving

While at the H.E.L.M., collect the quest it’s offering and then watch the small interaction between Osiris and Crow.

Step 4: Visit the Umbral Decoder

The Vanguard has taken Drifter’s Umbral Decoder. You can now find it in the H.E.L.M. near the Vault and Postmaster terminals. Approach it and collect the quest, Decrypting the Darkness.

Step 5: Decrypting the Darkness

After collecting this quest, you will then need to interact with the Umbral Decoder a second time and pick up the other message from Tyra Karn. This rewards you with a Fragile Prismatic Lens.

Step 6: Use the Prismatic Recaster

With the Prismatic Lens in hand, interact with the Prismatic Recaster (the orange, glowing pit) and select the top tile, Umbral Affinity. Under Weapon Focusing, you will need to select the Umbral Engram that appears there. With the Umbral Engram focused, go back to the Umbral Decoder station and decrypt the Umbral Engram.

Read the message from Tyra and collect your reward: an emblem.

Step 7: Return to the War Table

Interact with the War Table to speak with Lord Saladin and get your next orders. You will be tasked with taking down Basilius the Golem.

Step 8: Battleground: Hailstone – Recommended Power 1150

With your orders received, head to Europa to do the next Battleground: Hailstone. This uses the same mechanics as the first Battleground. When the boss is defeated, you will get the Hammer of Proving.

Step 9: Return to the H.E.L.M.

Interact with the H.E.L.M. to receive the Hammer of Proving. This new device uses Cabal Gold in order to socket Challenger Medallions. It can also be upgraded at the War Table.

Step 10: Get Cabal Gold

You will need to get at least 14 Cabal Gold in order to progress this step. Cabal Gold is earned in playlist Strikes, Gambit, Crucible, public events, dungeons, Nightmare Hunts, or the Blind Well.

Step 11: Socket a medallion

After getting at least 14 Cabal Gold, you can socket a medallion into the Hammer of Proving. Open your Quest tab and inspect the Hammer of Proving. In the slot, put in an Etched Challenger Medallion – this costs 14 Cabal Gold.

Step 12: Play the Battleground playlist

Load up the Battleground playlist in the Director. This can be found in the Vanguard node. At the end of this will be a Tribute Chest for you to smash. It’s important to note you must launch the activity through the playlist, launching it from a destination does not count.

Step 13: Return to the H.E.L.M.

The Challenger’s Proving quest will ask you to go back to the H.E.L.M. and interact with the War Table. Read Osiris’ message and collect the Umbral Engram to get the next step.

Step 14: Focus an Umbral Engram

Go to the Prismatic Recaster (the orange pit) and focus the Emgram you just received. Pick the slot that requires a little bump in Power. Decrypt the Umbral Engram at the Umbral Decoder to get the next step.

Step 15: Go back to the War Table

Run back to the War Table to get a message from Lord Saladin. You will receive 28 Cabal Gold for your efforts.

That’s it. You’ve completed the Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen campaign, which does a good job of introducing players to the H.E.L.M., the War Table, the Prismatic Recaster and Umbral Decoder, as well as the Hammer of Proving and how it works with the Battleground playlist. Make sure you check out the Shacknews Destiny 2 guide page for a collection of everything you need to take on Caiatl this Season and critical information from Seasons that have come before.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler