Don’t be a noob – This is how you trigger all heroic events in Destiny 2

In Destiny 2, after the Lightfall release, you will again encounter an increasing number of players who do not know exactly how to trigger the heroic versions of public events. This often causes resentment among fellow combatants. However, with our overview, this hassle can easily be avoided.

With Lightfall, a returnee and new Guardians have joined Destiny 2. As an experienced player, you notice this again and again in activities that bring you together with random fellow players – including public events.

Update March 16, 2023: We’ve updated this article to include the new event on Neptune from the Lightfall DLC.

Newcomers often cause displeasure when triggering Heroic Events

Veterans upset: As a veteran, do you also know the problem? You are about to contest the new public event “Resonance Splitter” in the throne world with three randoms and want to activate the heroic version of the public event. But apparently you’re the only one who really knows what to do. With a thick neck, you have to be content with completing the normal event and with less loot a few moments later.

Newbies overwhelmed: Or are you a newcomer and experiencing the whole thing from the opposite perspective? You want to take part in a public event and have no idea (yet) why others are running from one corner to the other and shooting random spots or spaceships? Hardly started, the event is over again without your participation and you have no idea how or why?

What’s interesting is that even experienced Wardens have admitted that even they don’t know some details of some events or have misplayed some mechanics. So it’s not just newcomers or returnees that sometimes fail to trigger a heroic event.

For veterans, returnees and newcomers: In order to avoid these problems, we have summarized all public events in an overview for you and explain how you can start the respective heroic version.

This is how you start all public events from Destiny 2 on heroic

There are currently 14 public events in Destiny 2 spread across the various locations. The name of the event is displayed on the left edge of the screen at the start.

• locality: ETZ on Earth, Cosmodrome, Nessus, Europa
• Heroic Mode: To trigger Heroic Mode, you must destroy three Fallen Generators that spawn around the extraction area. You can recognize them by the fact that they take damage as soon as the devices are targeted. You must destroy the generators before you eliminate the marked captains.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

The Aether Extraction – Kill all of the Small Servitors

• locality: ETZ on Earth, Nessus, Moon, Europa
• Heroic Mode: If you want to trigger heroic mode, you should immediately turn off all small elite servitors, which will spawn after a short time and protect their big brother with an overshield. It is important to be quick here, as the small servitors will disappear relatively quickly.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

The Fallen Runner – Disables 3 force field domes

• locality: ETZ on earth, moon
• Heroic Mode: Here you have to disable the three energy domes that spawn in the operational area. If you break one of the walker’s legs, the walker will collapse and drop three Arc Orbs, which you must place in the slots of the three domes (two per dome, six total). If you have deactivated all force fields, the event starts on heroic.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

The Witch’s Ritual – Destroy the 2 crystals

• locality: Moon, Throne World
• Heroic Mode: To defeat the witches, you must disable their shields. This happens when you stand on the conspicuous Seal Plates. After the death of the two witches, stay on the plates and destroy the crystals on the right and left above the witch portal. This will trigger the heroic version of the event.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

Pillar Integration – Occupies all 3 tiles

• locality: Nessus, Europe
• Heroic Mode: There are three tiles to capture while the Vex seek to sacrifice themselves at the Conflux. From the Conflux, three beams lead to the nearby platforms, so you can’t miss them. At the same time, make sure that not too many Vex sacrifice themselves in the middle (maximum 10), otherwise the event is lost.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

The Taken Rot – Destroys the Large Rot Orb

• locality: ETZ on Earth, Dreaming City
• Heroic Mode: To trigger the heroic variant, you have to get a buff in a smaller rot orb and then fire at the big orb. The buff lasts five seconds and allows you to deal damage to the large orb.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

The Cabal Excavations – Destroy the Cabal Thresher

The Cabal Rig – Destroy the open vents

• locality: ETZ on Earth, Nessus
• Heroic Mode: If you want to trigger the heroic variant, you have to fire at the opening valves of the cabal machine after each eliminated elite psion. These shimmer orange and take damage when you shoot at them. Note that these valves are only open for a short time. You’ll also take damage if you fire at the valves, since you have to be inside a dome whose bottom is on fire.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

The War Satellite – Kill the 3 Screechers

• locality: moon, cosmodrome
• Heroic Mode: Kill the two witches with yellow health bars that spawn as the event progresses. Then turn off the respective screecher that opens after the death of the witches. Repeat this three times before you have 100% secured the satellite. Then the heroic version of the event will start.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

The Aether Ritual – Kill the mini-boss, destroy the floating Aether

• locality: Dreaming City, Throne World
• Heroic Mode: Three Dredge Chiefs appear one after the other. Each time you defeat a Dredge Chieftain, “Concentrated Ether” is released. This concentrated, floating Aether must be shot down before it reaches the Servitor in the center. If you were able to fend off the concentrated ether of all three dredge chiefs, the heroic event starts directly.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

The Rift Generator – Destroy the Rots

• locality: dreaming city
• Heroic Mode: At the end of each wave, Taken Rots will spawn in three possible locations around the Generator. Eliminate these rots quickly. Once you’ve defeated three rots, a large Taken Rot spawns directly above the generator along with three Taken Witches. Defeat the witches before the generator is destroyed and the heroic event begins.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here.

Crux Convergence – The fight against giant bombers

• locality: Europe
• Heroic Mode: Find the trio of scanner drones because you must destroy them. They fly around the three cruxes. These drones are difficult to hit and have a short window of opportunity, so speed is key. Once you’ve shot down all the drones, the Heroic Event will begin and a mega robot known as the “Fallen Commodore” will land that you just have to defeat.

The Resonance Shard – Collect the energy orbs

• locality: throne world
• Heroic Mode: As you escort the sleigh through the throne world, some enemies will drop small orange orbs for you to pick up. These are resonance charges. So grab those bullets whenever you can and throw them at the splinter. As a rule, 5-6 bullets are enough for the event to switch to heroic mode. You have to look carefully though, they’re easy to miss.
• Detailed information about this event can be found here

Vex Incursion Zone – Save the CloudArk

On Neomuna, Bungie designed the public event differently. While there is a Public Event on Neptune that also displays the event icon, it cannot be heroically triggered. Rather, it is an active “Vex Incursion Zone” that rotates daily. But even if there is no heroic version, the event is worthwhile because it guarantees you an exotic piece of equipment for the first time. But only if you play it to the end.

• locality: Neomuna
• Active event zone: Start the event by blasting the crystals floating over the frozen Vex to start the event. Now you must face off against hordes of Vex and six giant Vex Minotaur bosses and kill them within the time limit. If you play to the end you will receive a Loot Chest containing an Exotic Engram.

Have you already mastered all events on heroic difficulty? Tell us in the comments!