Destiny 2 players have plenty to celebrate, as Bungie has announced that loot can be acquired through the use of a new key item this season called the Chalice of Opulence. In the past, random chance played a big role, but it seems like this will no longer be the case.
Season of Opulence will begin on June 4, starting with a new raid called the Crown of Sorrow. When the season officially begins, players will be given a quest that takes them back to the Leviathan ship above Nessus, which is a prerequisite to enter the raid. Completing this will instantly boost a character to 690 power, which is a big deal since the new raid must be played at power level 700 - at least for the first boss. Players will then receive their Chalice.
The Chalice itself will be available across accounts and all Guardians will have access to it. By using runes of certain types, the weapon’s eventual properties can be pre-selected - at least to a point - which allows for more character customization.
With sufficient runes gathered, players can put them in the Chalice and enter the upcoming Menagerie event. Completing this event will award players with loot based upon the runes that they put in the Chalice. As time goes on, the Chalice can be upgraded using a new currency known as Imperials, which can be earned through weekly bounties, Triumphs, or by using consumables.
The Chalice can be upgraded to earn more Imperials through Strikes, Crucible, and Gambit. Because of this, it has the potential to radically change how players customize their characters.
As for the mysterious runes, Bungie states that they can be acquired through the following:
- Completing weekly bounties.
- Opening up the weekly chests on the new Nessus Barge.
- Using a consumable that will reward you a rune after a strike, Crucible, or Gambit completion. The same consumable will also give other players in your Fireteam a chance to earn an additional rune.
If a player wishes to acquire a random roll of a “Beloved” Sniper Rifle with Handling as the Masterwork trait, they can use a Rune of Jubilation, any red rune, and any purple rune. Hopefully, other “recipes” will be uncovered soon, as it seems like this concept will work best if the community openly shares their discoveries.
The Chalice of Opulence takes the game in a bold, new direction, and we wonder if it was added to the game’s roadmap before or after the split with Activision. This certainly feels like the type of addition that rewards players for their choices, as opposed to continuously requiring RNG to decide what type of loot is found.
Destiny 2's Season of Opulence will begin on June 4.