Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion will kick off with the next step in the saga of the battle against the Witness and its allies. The expansion is also bringing a far-reaching overhaul to buildcrafting, changes to Champions and Match Game, a loadout system, and more. Even before players can digest all that’s launching, though, Bungie is dropping a new raid alongside the expansion.
Lightfall will bring players to Neomuna, a lost and previously unknown city in Neptune. The seeds for the story have been planted during the end of Season of Plunder and the Spire of the Watcher dungeon, pointing the Vanguard toward the planet.
Bungie hasn’t given many details about the raid yet, but it’s set somewhere in Neomuna or Neptune. It could also seemingly lead the guardians toward Calus’ ship, the Typhon Imperator, which has landed in Neomuna. Either way, the Vanguard will seemingly take the fight toward the Witness or one of its Disciples.
“Ferried from an unknown time and place, a haunting presence has been detected,” an official Twitter post reads. “We must now confront the ancient threat growing at our doorstep.” The post also showed an image of six guardians inside the raid, in an area with mesmerizing, almost-alien flora growing over what looks to be a Pyramid or some Darkness-inspired architecture.
While players will continue to theorize about what could be in the new activity, Bungie confirmed the date for the Lightfall raid’s release, finally giving fans an idea of when to expect another Race to World First. If you’re looking to enter the raid, though, you might want to save up the second weekend of March.
Here’s exactly when the Lightfall raid releases.
When and what time does the Root of Nightmares raid release in Destiny 2?
Destiny 2’s Lightfall raid is scheduled to kick off at reset on Friday, March 10. This means players can dive into the raid starting at 11am CT on March 10, though they will be subjected to contest mode for the first 24 hours. Contest mode means players will have their Power Level capped, and enemies will stand a fair distance above them.
Players who don’t want to try the Lightfall raid on contest mode can wait until reset on Sunday, March 12. Contest mode should end after the first 48 hours (instead of the usual 24), marking a drastic change in the model. This means players who want to try the raid without the extra difficulty modifiers will have to wait until reset on Sunday, but day one raiders have an extra 24 hours to get a shot at the emblem.
While Bungie hasn’t shared much about the raid, the activity is likely set on Neomuna and may appear in the Neomuna environment trailer Bungie posted on Jan. 17. The creepy Calus warship might be a prime destination, given the former Cabal emperor’s role in the story and resurgence as a Disciple of the Witness in Season of the Haunted.
In addition to the raid itself, players can expect a new mission to unlock after the world’s first completion of the new raid. Vow of the Disciple, for instance, unlocked the Preservation mission, which serves as a lengthy test run of the raid’s starting area (without the first secret chest).
