Running alongside the latest Rite of the Nine event in Destiny 2, “Heavy Metal” is a player-versus-player (PvP) event where players take control of some of the game’s most iconic vehicles in intense 3v3 battles. Your mission: destroy enemy vehicles, complete various challenges, and earn unique rewards.
Joining this event provides you with a wealth of upgrade materials, weapon drops, and even a brand-new vehicle type. If you’ve always loved Sparrows but wanted something with a bit more firepower, be sure to participate before the event wraps up. In this guide, we’ll explain how everything works, detail the Path of Demolition quest, and highlight the rewards available through this event.
Heavy Metal is a limited-time PvP mode running from May 9 to May 16. This new vehicle-focused game mode is a casual 3v3 playlist that features fierce battles with Cabal Drake tanks and Fallen Brig mechs. Players exclusively control these vehicles, meaning there’s no infantry combat involved.
Winning matches in Heavy Metal will help you progress through a special event Battle Pass that features unique rewards and introduces a new vehicle type. This is Destiny 2’s first venture into free-to-play event passes, making it relatively different from their previous seasonal events. Before discussing those differences, let’s first take a closer look at how the Heavy Metal game mode operates.
In Heavy Metal, players engage in battles while piloting Drakes and Brigs. You’ll be randomly assigned to a team, each comprising one vehicle type, with Drakes teaming up with other Drakes and Brigs with their kind. The objective is to eliminate the other team and grab their dropped tokens. Each kill or collected token earns you one point, while taking out the top player from the opposing team nets you three points.
Collecting tokens also heals your vehicle, which is the sole way to restore health in this mode.
Both vehicles share the same controls and utilize projectile weaponry. There are no defensive abilities or passive healing options, so staying behind cover and aiming well is crucial.
- Fire: Shoot your vehicle’s main cannon. There’s a two-second cooldown between shots.
- Secondary Fire: Drakes fire a volley of homing projectiles, while Brigs launch a powerful missile.
- Melee: Dodge in the direction you’re moving. Drakes receive a speed boost, while Brigs can dash sideways.
Path of Demolition Quest
To kick off the event, head to Shaxx in the Tower and pick up the “Path of Demolition” quest. This quest provides an overview of the event and outlines how to navigate the reward track. It consists of eight steps:
- Complete a match in Heavy Metal.
- Claim a reward from the event’s reward track.
- Finish and claim a daily challenge.
- Reroll a daily challenge.
- Talk to Shaxx.
- Earn Heavy Metal Tokens.
- Purchase a reward from the shop.
- Speak with Shaxx again.
Daily Challenges
You can check the event’s challenges in the “Quests” tab of your inventory menu. Here, you can monitor your current Daily and Weekly Challenges. You can have up to three Daily Challenges at a time. Completing each grants you Event Tokens, which you can use to buy rewards from the Heavy Metal shop.
Once you finish all your Daily Challenges, you have two options:
- Wait for the daily reset for a new set of challenges.
- Use Reroll Chips to get new challenges.
Reroll Chips can be earned through the event reward track. You can spend one chip to reroll a challenge for a new one. It’s advisable to reroll challenges you’ve completed to maximize your Event Tokens.
Event Tokens and Rewards
With your stash of Event Tokens, you can visit the Reward Shop in the Heavy Metal interface to claim your prizes. Tokens can be exchanged for crafting materials, Heavy Metal Engrams, and Exotic Ciphers. There’s no cap on the number of items you can buy; as long as you have tokens, you can claim rewards.
The main highlight of this event is The Gryphon, a new vehicle that unlocks upon finishing the reward pass. This vehicle is a slower alternative to a Sparrow, equipped with weapons, allowing you to engage enemies while cruising in a floating ride. If you miss this event, it’s uncertain when The Gryphon will be available again.
