How to Unlock Defiant Battlegrounds in Destiny 2

Defiant Battlegrounds in Destiny 2 is a seasonal activity in the most recent expansion, Lightfall. Similar to other Defiant activities from the past, the focus is for players to take on hordes of enemies in a three-person team. In return, they are rewarded with powerful gear and a new type of Engram. Here’s how you unlock Defiant Battlegrounds so you can get in on the action.

How to Unlock Defiant Battlegrounds: EDZ in Lightfall

Defiant Battlegrounds: EDZ becomes available once players complete the first mission of the Lightfall expansion and visit Mara Sov on The Farm in the EDZ. Once you complete the primary mission of the Defiant Battleground, the playlist will become available at the H.E.L.M.

Three Phases of Defiant Battlegrounds

Defiant Battlegrounds: EDZ has three phases, each growing in intensity and difficulty. The first phase involves fighting enemies as you make your way to the Pyramid ship. During this first phase, you must eliminate all enemies in the area, or the second phase will not start.

The second phase focuses on fighting Taken forces to power up your Guardian’s Balefire, and eventually, you will need to fight a Taken boss as you continue. A huge tip for this phase is to destroy the Blights that spawn to help take out the Taken boss’s shields.

The third and final phase consists of fighting a Cabal leader. This Cabal leader will also start spawning shields, which can be broken using an orb. You gain an orb by lighting the Balefires in the center of the room. Repeat this process as the boss moves to a higher area when you bring its health bar down by about 30%.

Related: How to Reach Max Guardian Rank in Destiny 2: All Steps and Challenges.

Rewards for Completing Defiant Battlegrounds

Completing the Defiant Battleground mission will reward you with a Defiant Engram. This Engram differs from previous Engrams of past expansions and DLC mainly because they are not kept in the player’s inventory. Instead, you will receive an Engram tracker at the Wartable, which tells you how much you have received.

These Engrams can be applied towards weapons and armor pieces, as you will need two for the former and four for the latter. Also, it will only cost one Defiant Engram for a random piece of gear from each pool.

At the end of each Defiant Battleground, a chest will appear that can be unlocked by using Defiant Keys. Defiant Keys can be found outside Defiant Battleground tasks and completing tasks and activities elsewhere. These chests will reward players with seasonal gear and the standard Defiant Engram.