Destiny 2's Iron Banner Plays Differently Than You Remember

The first-ever Iron Banner event in Destiny 2 is now underway. And while some of the core elements remain the same as in the original Destiny--it's a highly competitive Crucible mode that's only available for a limited time--things are a quite a bit different than you remember.

Aside from the most obvious change--Iron Banner is now 4v4, like all other Crucible game types--another major point of distinction is that it no longer takes into account your Power level. That means the playing field has been leveled; you don't have to ensure you have your highest level equipment on in order to be most effective.

In the video above, you can check out some gameplay from the just-launched Iron Banner event, where we did some damage despite having a Power level of only 11. It's open to all players, although there are some requirements before you can jump in. According to Bungie, you have to complete the campaign and reach level 20, which is the baseline for accessing many of Destiny 2's activities. Provided you've done both of those things, you can head to the Tower and speak with Lord Saladin, who unlocks Iron Banner as a Crucible playlist. However, we were able to jump into Iron Banner with a character who had only reached level 9--possibly because we'd met the requirements with another character on our account.

Whatever the case, once you're in, participating in Iron Banner nets you Iron Banner Tokens--win or lose, though winning will get you more. Daily Challenges and Milestones provide additional Tokens, and all of these can be turned in for rewards from Shaxx. You can see all of the Iron Banner weapons, armor, and gear rewards in our gallery.

Iron Banner runs from now until the next weekly reset, on October 17. Bungie has not said how often we can expect the event to show up, but you can expect it to be a semi-regular event for Crucible players. Maintenance is scheduled for October 11, but it shouldn't impact your ability to play--though it will deliver a new hotfix update.