The reveal stream will showcase details about the second DLC for Destiny 2 tonight at 7 PM our time. True to Bungie style, there was yet again an announcement for an announcement that raised some exciting questions.
In a stream about Destiny 2, tonight the setting of “War Mind” will be presented along with new Exotics. However, the teaser of the announcement-for-the-announcement briefly showed something that particularly caught our attention: in one scene, the Hive Escalation Protocol is shown, which suspiciously resembles a new group activity akin to the Prison of Elders or the Archon’s Forge from Destiny 1.
Will we get a new arena?
In the first part of Destiny, there were various types of arenas that were sometimes treated like public events.
The Prison of Elders was added to Destiny in Spring 2015 with the “House of Wolves” DLC. In different difficulty levels, three players entered the arena where various enemies and objectives awaited the Guardians. If one could clear all four rounds with multiple waves of enemies, a complete treasure chamber awaited.
With the first expansion “The Taken King,” the event Oryx’s Court was added, which could be started by the Guardians themselves on the Dreadnaught. There were different enemies that required more brainpower and teamwork than just plain firepower. For example, three Witches had to be killed in close succession while an Ogre could only take damage if a cursed Thrall exploded near it.
With the last expansion “The Rise of Iron,” the Archon’s Forge came to Destiny 1. This featured similarities to both the Prison of Elders and Oryx’s Court. To start the event, different SIVA offerings were needed to summon various enemies. With several Guardians, one fought against waves of enemies for the beloved loot.
Is the Hive Escalation Protocol a horde mode?
The announcement for the part of the stream that deals with the alleged new game mode is titled “Survive the Hive Escalation Protocol.” Short, action-packed scenes are shown where the Guardians apparently have to defend a tower.
Interestingly, for a brief moment, the screen displays the mission indicator. According to this, the Hive must be defeated before a certain time runs out. Below, it shows that the players are already at Level 6.
What could a horde mode in Destiny 2 look like?
As it seems, the Hive Escalation Protocol could be a mode focused on defending a tower at various difficulty levels and surviving as long as possible. The Hive is a suitable enemy since these nasty monsters always appear in packs and swarm the Guardians from all sides.
A horde mode would also be suitable for a clan activity. Clans could compete for the highest achieved level, and it might also be possible that the activity only ends with the death of the entire fireteam.
Perhaps at higher levels, various modifiers could be added, as known from the Prison of Elders or Strikes. For example, Guardians could deal more damage in the air or receive more damage while jumping. Various objectives for the enemies, as seen in Oryx’s Court, could also spice up the gameplay.
What the Hive Escalation Protocol is about, we will probably find out tonight in the reveal stream. We will provide a live ticker for the stream as usual.
Would you be excited about an arena activity or even a horde mode in Destiny 2? What would you wish for such a mode?
