Crota’s End hard mode is officially finished and is planned for a release on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 10AM PST, Bungie has revealed in a new Weekly Update.

In preparation for the raids the studio plans to roll out Destiny Update 1.1.0.4 next Tuesday, then access will be unlocked the following day.

Bungie has set the bar of entry at level 33 for the new raid difficulty, and they aren’t giving us any clues, tips or spoilers on how to conquer Crota’s End on hard.

The studio does showcase the new shiny loot you have a chance at collecting, including elemental primary guns, ships, and a brand new shader called “Glowhoo”. And you can finally snag the super-rare Crux of Crota crafting material that’s required to transform the Legendary Eidolon Ally auto rifle into the ultra-powerful Necrochasm Exotic.

We have a brief breakdown of the guns below, along with a picture gallery to boot.

Necrochasm Exotic Auto Rifle (Arc)
“Eternity is very close. Can you feel yourself slipping?”

Abyss Defiant Auto Rifle (Solar)
“We will not go quietly.”

Oversoul Edict Pulse Rifle (Arc)
“The light of the will of Crota shines down like a vast and inverse sun.”

Fang of Ir Yut Scout Rifle (Arc)
“This is the shape of the point and tooth: nothing has ever lived that will not die.”

Word of Crota Handcannon (Void)
“There was life, and He spoke unto it, and it was silent, and it lived no more.”

The Bane of the Dark Gods Legendary ship

For those of us who have braved the shadowy depths of Hellmouth and faced the Hive god within his eldritch fane, we know quite well that the Crota’s End raid already has its own set of rigorous challenges even on normal difficulty. From the very beginning the raid becomes an excursion into tedium, with curses that weigh us down with our sins as we face hordes of screeching monstrosities.

Guardians had found many tricks to aid in their quest amid the Darkness, but many of these–like the oft-used cheesing of Crota–have been nerfed and made redundant by a recent hotfix that paved the way for the new difficulty.

Bungie also says that the first Fireteam that beats the raid might get some special swag from the Bungie Store. I’m sure that Invigorate Gaming–the team that became the first to beat Vault of Glass and Crota’s End–will do their very best to take home their third win, and it’ll be interesting to see what new tricks Bungie has up their sleeves.

The post Destiny: Crota’s End Hard Mode Launches Next Week appeared first on VR World.

Although Destiny‘s new The Dark Below DLC just released today, the raid has already been conquered.

Hardcore gaming team Invigorate Gaming originally made history when they became the first team of Guardians to beat Destiny‘s Vault of Glass Raid on hard. Now history repeats itself as they’ve become the first six-man squad to complete the new Crota’s End raid, and it only took them six hours to do it.

Bungie revealed the news earlier today in a Retweet that showed Invigorate Gaming member LtJohn adorned with a specific raid emblem, which can only be attained by beating the challenge itself.

Shortly after Bungie posted up a post-game carnage report that officially confirmed the team had indeed finished the raid in its entirety. The fireteam was made up of 3 Titans, 2 Hunters and 2 Warlocks, making it quite a diverse culmination of skills and gear.

Also it’s worth mentioning that one player had to drop out, so that’s why there’s seven players total.

Kill Confirmed: Crota has met his end. RT @LtJohn5: World first repeat? @Bungie @InvigorateINV pic.twitter.com/Mmt1i97RfM

— Bungie (@Bungie) December 9, 2014

Crota was defeated by 7 players in 6 hours. We’ve reached out to @InvigorateINV for comments. Stand by… pic.twitter.com/ZesgGYZoUv

— Bungie (@Bungie) December 9, 2014

Destiny raids have traditionally been cryptic puzzles that are peppered with mini-boss fights and one challenging end-level boss–Crota, in this case. The Guardians at Invigorate Gaming were able to decipher the enigmatic lanterns featured in The Dark Below‘s raid and ultimately duel the revered Hive god in a battle to the death.

The group totaled over 6,000 kills in their six-hour playthrough. and they picked up some snazzy raid gear in the process: a new Legendary ship entitled Light in the Abyss as well as a Fusion Rifle with the same name. For more The Dark Below DLC raid gear be sure to check out our past coverage here.

Per request @destinynews_net #PS4share pic.twitter.com/y7VIGcytjr — iNV_LtJohn5 (@LtJohn5) December 9, 2014

Light of the abyss @destnynews_net #PS4sharepic.twitter.com/FyaKd1kB8J

— iNV_LtJohn5 (@LtJohn5) December 9, 2014

Below we’ve also included a sizable 400-minute+ playthrough guide for the new Crota’s End raid, should you be brave enough to venture into the hallowed shadows of the Moon and seek the Hive lord out.

Thanks, Inquistr.

The post Destiny's New Crota's End Raid Beaten In Six Hours appeared first on VR World.

One dedicated “Vault Raider” has complete Destiny‘s challenging six-player raid more than two dozen times.

As part of their weekly update, Bungie spotlighted the heroism of a particular player who has completed the Vault of Glass raid no less than 26 times.

As Bungie put it, “that’s a ‘lotta dead Vex”.

The Xbox One gamer goes by the handle Toxic Bubble, and has earned a special place of honor from the devs for holding the current record for most-completed raids. Bungie also affirms that the ardent raider has beaten the Vault of Glass across all three of his Guardians–all of which are Hunters.

“Allow us to introduce you to Toxic Bubble. This Hunter aficionado has reached the end of the Vault of Glass 25 times. Each of his three Guardians in Destiny has faced Atheon and lived to reap the rewards.

“There are more rare creatures out there with equally impressive statistics to share. We’ll unveil another one next week, and another one the week after.”

Destiny‘s Vault of Glass raid has become less arduous thanks to the plethora of walkthroughs and guides out there, and some gamers have even made an exact science out of efficient raiding.

Toxic Bubble might hold the record for raid completions, but one team of Guardians managed to beat the Vault of Glass in just 37 minutes. This speedrun is an impressive feat that any first-time raider can appreciate.

But when it first unlocked weeks ago, the Vault of Glass was an enigmatic and tedious bit of endgame content that led to night-long expenditures into Vex-laden depths.

In stepped Prime HQ, an elite clan of Guardians who became the first group in history to complete the raid, and shared their secrets to success with the entire community.

Bungie also discussed the possibility of matchmaking for the raid, but it doesn’t look very likely.

According to the devs, the raid is something that aims at bringing players together to take part in an epic riddle of sorts, and that matchmaking would somewhat sully that experience.

“The Raid was designed for solid teams of killers who have made a commitment to solve a dense and explosive riddle. Most of the raiding parties who have emerged victorious from the Vault of Glass have sworn that one weak link would have doomed their chain.

“There have been other stories, of course. We’ve heard tell of Guardians who met each other just outside the door that leads into that vault.

“Strange tales have reached our ears – tales of total strangers who have banded together to see the Raid all the way through to a triumphant finale.”

Bungie argues that raid teams are often comprised of Guardians who have worked and played together throughout the game, and that they know one another. Offering matchmaking certainly would make the raid more accessible, but it might jeopardize that innate “togetherness” that’s forged from hours of playtime with familiar teammates.

There are rumors circulating that Destiny‘s next raid will appear sometime in November, but for now we’ll have to stick to battling Aetheon in the challenging maelstrom that is the Vault of Glass.

Be sure to remember that raid rewards can only be earned once a week, but you’ll still get the experience of a lifetime and bragging rights by smacking down an army of Vex.

The post This Hunter Beat Destiny's Raid 26 Times appeared first on VR World.