Destiny 2: Beyond Light — Empire Hunts weekly challenge guide

Destiny 2: Beyond Light has you chasing down the Fallen lieutenants of Eramis all over Europa. It’s part of the expansion’s Empire Hunts activity which also happens to have a weekly challenge. Here’s our guide to help you out.

Note: For more information, check out our Destiny 2: Beyond Light guides and features hub.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light — Unlocking and completing the Empire Hunt weekly challenge

During Destiny 2: Beyond Light’s campaign, you’ll battle Eramis’ lieutenants as part of Empire Hunts. You can replay these once you’re done with the story. Just remember that you need to beat the campaign, complete a couple of post-campaign missions, and access Variks’ Sabotage quests to obtain some boons.

Likewise, keep in mind that Empire Hunts cost 40 Herealways Pieces by default. These resources are obtained whenever you complete patrols, lost sectors, and public events. Now, if you want to save a lot, grab the “Empire Hunt I” quest/perk from Variks to halve the cost. Later, you can also get “Empire Hunt II” to make the first activity free. As for the other perks and tasks related to Empire Hunts, these are time-gated and would become available in the coming weeks.

Anyway, you’ve got three missions, each with its own reward and tasks. One more thing of note is that, unlike the campaign versions, these no longer have the mechanic that lets you get faster super and ability regeneration with the Stasis subclass when the boss’ health is low.

Note: The steps I’ve outlined below tend to appear often. But, sometimes the objectives for the first step can be randomized too. For example, you could be asked to do two patrols in a zone. Sometimes it’s “rapidly defeat two Fallen with precision shots in a single life” (and you have to do this five times). Alternatively, you might need to loot 20 Glacial Stalwort via nodes or chests in a zone. Yes, Destiny 2: Beyond Light just got a bit too grindy.

The Warrior

• Step 1: In a single life, defeat 35x Fallen in Eventide Ruins.
• Step 2: Defeat the patrols in Asterion Abyss to draw out Elenaks.
• Step 3: Unlocks “The Warrior” mission that you can complete.
• Reward: Thermal Erosion solar machine gun.

Phylaks can be easily eliminated thanks to swords. Just remember to take out the Fallen mobs when necessary.

The Technocrat

• Step 1: Defeat Vex in Asterion Abyss to obtain 10x tracking devices; minotaurs always drop the item.
• Step 2: Shut down the Vex conflux in Cadmus Ridge.
• Step 3: Unlocks “The Technocrat” mission that you can complete.
• Reward: Coriolis Force void fusion rifle.

Praksis, like Phylaks, can be done away with by using swords. However, floating shield devices will spawn around the room at different HP thresholds (two at 75%, three at 50%, and four at 25%). Destroy these and eliminate the boss.

The Dark Priestess

• Step 1: Collect 10x Flecks of Dark from Fallen in Cadmus Ridge. Precision kills give a higher drop chance.
• Step 2: Defend the evacuating Fallen Skiff in Eventide Ruins.
• Step 3: Unlocks “The Dark Priestess” mission that you can complete.
• Reward: Biting Winds kinetic bow.

Kridis might be the most annoying Empire Hunt boss in Destiny 2: Beyond Light. That’s due to the arena where you also fought Eramis. Drop the boss’ health with swords, but try to avoid jumping around when the icicle blast skill gets cast, or you might find yourself plummeting to your doom.

What about the weekly challenge?

After finishing the Empire Hunt quests as part of the campaign and post-campaign progression, you’ll see that Variks has “Europa Challenges II.” Grab this and clear all three Empire Hunts again.

Once finished, you’ll unlock the Empire Hunt weekly challenge. What does this challenge entail? Well, you’ll need to do two more Empire Hunts (any will do) just to get a powerful drop. As cited in our official review, Destiny 2: Beyond Light’s monotonous grind has gotten a bit much. Can you imagine having to do tallies/bounties prior to starting Shadowkeep‘s Nightmare Hunts?

On a positive note, your alts (second and third characters) would have these perks unlocked once you’ve finished Destiny 2: Beyond Light‘s campaign (plus a couple of the post-campaign missions). Still, you do need to complete the aforementioned collect items/finish mini-event tasks.

Note: The weekly challenge won’t appear while you’re doing the collect items/mini-event tasks. But, once you reach step 3 (i.e., kill the boss), you can mouse over the icon on your map to see that the challenge is there.

Anyway, that does it for the available activities in Destiny 2: Beyond Light. Don’t forget that we’ll see more Variks Sabotage quests in the coming weeks. Several of these quests will have tallies that need to be done during an Empire Hunt. Moreover, some might require you to have four pieces of Crystocrene armor (the armor set obtained on Europa when you defeat high-value targets and brigs).

Hence, a few perks are quite important:

• “Europan Gear II” – Unlocks the “elected difficulty” for Empire Hunts (allows you to change the difficulty like Nightfalls and Nightmare Hunts).
• “Empire Hunt III” – The second activity you do during the week is also free.
• “Europa Challenges III” – Unlocks the weekly Empire Hunt challenge that rewards a pinnacle drop.

Update: The rest of Variks’ Sabotage perks can now be obtained if you complete the requirements. Likewise, you’ll be able to unlock Master Empire Hunts. You can also farm lower difficulties to, hopefully, get the Cloudstrike exotic sniper rifle.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is available via Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.