4) Trials Of The Nine
Bungie was only telling a half-truth when it made the promise that Trials of Osiris would return for Destiny 2. Don’t be alarmed; the series’ premier PvP event is very much returning for the sequel, but not as you know it. With his sponsorship contract having come to an end, it seems, the renegade Warlock Osiris has had his name dropped from the ceremony, the competition having been rebranded as Trials of the Nine.
Who are the Nine, you ask? Good question: in-universe, their appearance, desires and allegiances are shrouded in mystery, the only concrete information being that they are the rulers of the Jovians, the very same species that Xur belongs to. Why exactly the Nine would have any interest in watching Guardians do battle is anyone’s guess, but we can only have faith that Bungie will at least give us an inkling as to its intentions when the event kicks off later this week. Coincidentally, the occasion coincides with Xur’s first appearance in Destiny 2, but the two have always shared the same start date, so reading into it, at this point, would probably yield very little worth mentioning.
As for the high-stakes tournament itself, we know that, like the standard Crucible, Trials of the Nine will be a 4v4 affair, rather than the 3v3 format of old, and will, for the first time, utilize objective-based game modes rather than the standard Clash ruleset. Presumably, weapons and gear exclusive to the event will be awarded dependant on yours and your team’s performance, with a ‘Flawless’ run yielding the most lucrative rewards.
With any and all association with Osiris and, by extension, Mercury and the Lighthouse gone, we’re left to wonder where exactly Guardians will be whisked off to, should they achieve the impressive feat of an undefeated run. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long to find out.