Savathun is finally here, which can only mean that Destiny 2’s highly anticipated expansion has been released. Titled “The Witch Queen,” this expansion has players finally confronting one of the franchise’s most popular villains in her own throne world. Not only is this DLC introducing a new story, but there’s a ton of weapons, armor, exotics, consumables, and activities for players to participate in. The Witch Queen also marks the release of the Void 3.0 update which drastically reworks the void subclass and new exotics to build around.
Along with the new expansion, Destiny 2’s Season of the Risen is also launching. Revolving around our partnership with Cabal empress Caiatl, players will work alongside her forces to fight back against Savathun’s Lucent Brood. While this season will include a new activity, storyline, and gear for players to earn, the most important item is the Season 16 artifact. Called the Synaptic Spear, this item is why so many players were storing bounties and experience before the expansion launched.
How to Unlock the Season of the Risen Artifact
You will unlock the seasonal artifact after completing the first mission and craft your first glaive on any difficulty. The introductory mission, The Arrival, is a very long quest that will take around 40-50 minutes if you’re on Legendary difficulty. Once you complete the level you will be returned to the new destination hub on Mars. Go speak with Ikora Rey to obtain The Relic quest and head into the forge behind you. It will be the large, imposing stone walk behind you. Entering this room will see you craft your first Glaive which will be at a pretty high Power level. After crafting the glaive the quest will progress, but you don’t need to finish it right now.
Instead, head back outside and talk to Ikora once again. She will give you the Synaptic Spear which is this season’s artifact. There’s a good chance you’ll have unlocked a new artifact mod, so make sure to grab one of the Champion mods! This also means you can turn in any bounties you’ve been hoarding on that class, just make sure to be in a fireteam and have your Blinding Light perk quipped on your Ghost. You will get a much bigger boost in experience and more levels for your character!
Unlike previous seasons, players will not be limited to just unlocking 12 Artifact Mods. With Season of the Risen, you will be able to obtain all 25 Artifact Mods available if you earn enough experience. Bungie warned that this will take a lot of XP and time, but the first 12 mods will be unlocked at the same pace as other artifacts. Thankfully, you can still reset your artifact if you need to use other mods. The anti-Champion weapons this season are submachine guns, auto rifles, hand cannon, scout rifles, and bows. There is also a heavy focus on the new glaive weapon archetype, which shouldn’t come as any surprise. Remember, if you are unlocking mods I strongly recommend obtaining all the champion mods in the first column. This will give you more flexibility with your gear and how you approach endgame content.
