The first Iron Banner in Destiny 2 is live! What are the participation requirements, where is Lord Saladin, and what new PvP map is being introduced?
The oldest event in the Destiny universe, the Iron Banner, has officially started in Destiny 2! This PvP activity was playable during the Destiny beta in the summer of 2014. Now, it returns in revamped form to Destiny 2.
Iron Banner in October – Times and Mode
Here are the key details about the first Iron Banner in Destiny 2:
- It has been running since October 10 at 11 AM.
- It ends on October 17 at 11 AM.
- The game mode is Control.
What’s new in the Iron Banner in Destiny 2?
The Iron Banner remains a monthly PvP event that runs for a week. Lord Saladin comes to the Guardians during this time to serve as the point of contact for the Iron Banner.
These are the changes compared to Destiny 1:
- You now fight in 4-player teams against each other – a 4v4 like in all PvP modes in Destiny 2. Previously, the Iron Banner was 6v6.
- Power level advantages are disabled.
- There are no Iron Banner bounty quests and no ranks – only Iron Banner engrams.
To participate in the Iron Banner, you must have unlocked the Tower. This is the only participation requirement. You can then go to Lord Saladin and start matches through the Iron Banner playlist, which uses “normal” quick play matchmaking.
We will update this article after 11 AM and reveal what to expect at the Iron Banner launch. So here’s the warning: Spoilers ahead!
A new PvP map is coming
With the launch of major events in Destiny 2, Bungie releases new PvP maps. This was the case for the Leviathan raid and the start of Trials of the Nine. With the start of the Iron Banner, a new map is coming:
The map is called “Distant Shore” and is located on Nessus (see also the title image): According to Bungie, this map is introduced along with the Iron Banner. Once the Iron Banner is over, the map will be available in all playlists.
Rewards for the October Iron Banner
In celebration of the Iron Banner, not only is there a new map, but also a lot of new loot for you to snag:
- You will receive Iron Banner tokens after each match. If you win, you’ll receive more. You can exchange these for rewards.
- There are daily and seasonal milestones that measure your progress.
- There are new Iron Banner armor pieces to obtain, forged in the forges of the Iron Lords:
Additionally, new weapons are coming! Bungie confirmed this a few days ago. Moreover, some Iron Banner weapons have been found in the databases. We will showcase them throughout the day with images, German names, and perk descriptions in another article.
What else should I know about the Iron Banner?
- Bungie gives the pro tip: If Lord Saladin is not in the Tower after 11 AM, you should return to orbit and try again.
- For the Iron Banner, you don’t need pre-made teams like in the Trials of the Nine. There is normal matchmaking. If you start the activity solo, team members will be randomly assigned to you.
- Lord Saladin is above the gunsmith. Go up the stairs to the right of Banshee-44, there you will find Lord Saladin.
- Saladin has two milestones for you:
- As a daily milestone, you should complete 3 Iron Banner challenges. Then you will receive a reputation package.
- The seasonal milestone is that you should collect ten reputation packages in Season 1. Then there will be a “seasonal reward.” What’s included is unclear.
- You will find the Iron Banner playlist in the Crucible overview. It will be displayed below the Trials of the Nine playlist.
- In the daily challenges, you should kill 5 opponents in a single life, have a rating of over 1.0 in a match, and capture 5 zones in a match.
- Lord Saladin is the announcer in the match.
- It seems to be: 5 tokens for a win, 2 tokens for a loss, 2 tokens for a challenge. (But this still needs to be verified). Crucible tokens are also awarded.
- The Iron Banner matches count towards the “Call to Arms” milestone.
Are you participating in the first Iron Banner directly?
If you want to indulge in some nostalgia: Here we look back on the Iron Banner in Destiny 1.
