With Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion comes the Root of Nightmares Raid for Guardians to race through. From the start time to Power cap details, here’s everything we know thus far.
When it comes to endgame content in Destiny 2, nothing else comes close to matching the thrill of a day-one Raid experience. With Contest Mode enabled, it’s a challenge unlike any other and an experience all Fireteams prepare for year-round.
So with the launch of Lightfall on February 28, we know for certain the major expansion will introduce a new Raid of its own. Though as you might expect, Bungie is keeping tight-lipped on specific details as not to ruin the surprise.
But before it gets underway, we’ve got an early rundown on everything there is to know about the Root of Nightmares Lightfall Raid in Destiny 2.
Contents
- Destiny 2 Lightfall Raid: Root of Nightmares release date & start time
- Power Level Requirements for the Destiny 2 Lightfall Raid
- Destiny 2 Lightfall Raid theme, location, & enemy type speculation
- Weapons banned from Root of Nightmares Raid
- Root of Nightmares Raid physical rewards
Destiny 2 Lightfall Raid: Root of Nightmares release date & start time
The Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares Raid is locked in for Friday, March 10, 2023, with a 9AM PST start time. Bungie confirmed as much a few weeks out from go-time in a TWAB blog post.
This gives everyone a full 10 days to grind through new Lightfall content, craft the strongest loadouts, and hit the recommended Power Level before jumping in. As always though, thousands will be rushing into the new Raid the moment it goes live, so be sure to prepare for potential server hiccups as we’ve seen in the past.
Below is a full look at when the Lightfall Raid kicks off in your local time zone.
| Region / Timezone | Lightfall Raid Start Time |
|---|---|
| Pacific Time (PT) | 9AM – Fri, March 10 |
| Mexico (CST) | 11AM – Fri, March 10 |
| Easter Time (ET) | 12PM – Fri, March 10 |
| Canada (EST) | 12PM – Fri, March 10 |
| Brazil (BRT) | 2PM – Fri, March 10 |
| London (GMT) | 5PM – Fri, March 10 |
| Berlin (CET) | 6PM – Fri, March 10 |
| Moscow (MSK) | 8PM – Fri, March 10 |
| India (IST) | 10:30PM – Fri, March 10 |
| China (CST) | 1AM – Sat, March 11 |
| Japan (JST) | 2AM – Sat, March 11 |
| Melbourne (AEDT) | 4AM – Sat, March 11 |
As always, if you’re not looking to compete in the raid race yourself, you can always watch along live as the world’s best fireteams give it their all. Here’s how you can tune in and keep on top of the action as it unfolds.
Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares Raid Power Level
The Root of Nightmares Raid features a 1,780 Power cap for all encounters while Contest Mode is in effect.
This comes in 30 power above the soft cap and just 20 power below the hard cap. Thus, just about everyone should be able to reach the requirement in time for the Raid, given there’s plenty of time to grab powerful gear and boost your level.
Contest Mode will be enabled as always, this time leveling the playing field for all involved over the first 48 hours. This means no matter how much you grind, no matter how high you raise your Power Level before entering the Raid, everyone will be on equal footing thanks to Contest Mode for the first two days.
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Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares Raid theme, location, & enemy type speculation
As for where the Root of Nightmares Raid will take place and which enemy type we’ll be facing off against, specific details haven’t yet been confirmed. It’s always a mystery until the latest expansion goes live, so if tradition continues, we’ll likely learn more by playing through Lightfall’s story missions.
Initially, it appeared the raid may kickoff on Neomuna, as a recent ViDoc for Lightfall showed six Guardians readying themselves for a battle ahead. The cutscene shown is very similar to other raid start-up cutscenes. However, we now seemingly know that’s not quite the case, as the new raid appears to start directly on a pyramid ship.
While new gameplay is scarce, a very brief teaser at the start of a new Root of Nightmares trailer seemingly let slip the raid’s location. With six ships all flying into the heart of a pyramid ship, it’s all but guaranteed that’s our starting point for the activity.
A leaked description for the activity itself appears to support our theories as well, at least to some degree. “A sinister force haunts Neomuna’s citizens,” datamined intel reads. “With your fireteam, board the Witness’ terraformed Pyramid ship and confront the ancient threat growing within.”
Ferried from an unknown time and place, a haunting presence has been detected. We must now confront the ancient threat growing at our doorstep.The Root of Nightmares raid opens on March 10, 2023 at 9am PST. Contest Mode will be enabled for 48 hours.https://t.co/856URKsgYp pic.twitter.com/8hJQcrqJxC
— Destiny 2 (@DestinyTheGame) February 27, 2023
As for a specific enemy type in focus, it’s yet unclear. While various details point toward a battle with looming ‘big bad’ Nezarec – an iconic villain we’ve only heard about for many years but never actually seen – nothing is yet confirmed.
Weapons banned from Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares Raid
As is tradition after new expansions arrive, players have quickly uncovered a handful of broken elements. Thus far, the Grand Overture, Jötunn, and Winterbite exotics have all been temporarily disabled and will not be available in the new Raid.
All three contributed to various game-breaking bugs, with absurd damage output capable of melting bosses in the blink of an eye. However, more exploits of that variety are being found with each passing day, with some still live at the time of writing.
Physical rewards for the Root of Nightmares Raid in Destiny 2
No different from usual, the first team to cross the finish line and complete the Root of Nightmares Raid will be awarded their very own title belt. All six players will forever have a physical championship to showcase their monumental effort.
On top of the championship, all players who complete the Root of Nightmares Raid before March 21 will also have exclusive access to a custom Raid jacket designed around the new activity. For those who jump in early, this jacket will be available to purchase in order to commemorate the victory.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated with all the latest raid details right here as Root of Nightmares draws near.
