Destiny Artifacts To Receive Dramatic Overhaul

During our recent visit to Bungie for our cover story on Destiny: Rise of Iron, the development team shared a number of new additions to the game. While the focus for this expansion is on new content rather than reinventing game systems, one particular new feature really stood out. Artifacts are getting a major retrofit.

While players can still use and infuse older artifacts, Rise of Iron introduces eight brand new artifacts that are class agnostic, and able to be freely used with any class and subclass. Each of the new artifacts connects to a particular member of the deceased Iron Lords, such as Felwinter, Jolder, or Skorri. 

A new character named Tyra Karn is the centerpiece for Guardians looking to acquire the new Iron Lord artifacts. She sends players out into the Plaguelands to commit mighty deeds in memory of the Iron Lords – a task that should be pretty straightforward for anyone who engages with the new content. Upon completing that task, you gain an item called the Iron Lords’ Legacy, which in turn can be used to acquire one of three artifacts Tyra has on offer in any given week. Over the course of eight weeks or more of play, you should be able to acquire all eight new artifacts. 

Each of these artifacts has a game-changing ability attached to it. One offers the option to melee enemy units and gain their allegiance for a short time. A second artifact eliminates your super, but gives you two grenades, two melees, and an increase in all your stats. Each of the artifacts can be combined with exotic weapons and armor, as well as subclasses, to create new and interesting build options. Moreover, every one of the new artifacts is meant to evoke the character of the Iron Lord for which it is named. For instance, Jolder tended to charge headlong into danger, so her artifact eliminates the sprint recharge delay. 

In our time playing, the artifacts were enjoyable to try out, and the idea of an ongoing week-to-week collection experience should lend some legs to the expansion, and lead to community conversation in the early weeks after release as players each start experimenting with their artifact of choice. 

We set aside a dedicated two-page examination of artifacts in our Rise of Iron cover story, including in-depth descriptions of each power, and the story idea that connects to each Iron Lord. We also have exclusive images of each of the Iron Lord sigils and artifacts to check out. If you'd like to check those details out right away, click here to switch your print subscription to digital, or to create a new subscription to the digital edition, click here. 

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