Destiny 2 Crota's End Raid Release Date, Start Time, Possible Exotic Weapon, And Power Cap

The reprised Crota's End raid officially launches in Destiny 2 today. Season of the Witch just began last week, but today, September 1, sees the return of the raid from the first Destiny's expansion The Dark Below. It's now live.

Crota, the Hive prince who killed hundreds of Guardians during a devastating battle on the Moon that came to be known as The Great Disaster, rose once again in the original Destiny timeline, leading the Vanguard to authorize a new operation to stop him once and for all. Reprised raids are moments in time that Destiny 2 players will be able to revisit, and this raid will see Guardians return to that pivotal battle.

Once again, it'll be a race to the finish for one fireteam to earn bragging rights, glory, and a sweet wrestling belt are on the line, and we've rounded up all the details on this returning raid below, including its launch time, Power requirements, and Contest Mode details.

Crota's End start time

You'll be able to dive into Crota's End starting September 1 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, meaning it's now live.

• 10 AM PT
• 1 PM ET
• 6 PM BST
• 7 PM CET
• 3 AM AEST (September 2)

Contest Mode details

Contest Mode will be enabled for the first 48 hours, and clearing the raid is the first step towards gaining access to the Challenge Mode of this raid. This will also enable fireteams to begin working on the special Superior Swordplay Triumph, which has challenges for each encounter. To complete the Superior Swordplay triumph, a fireteam must complete a curated list of challenges in the Challenge Mode.

The first fireteam to finish every Crota's End encounter and loot the final chest will be declared World First and have their victory immortalized with Crota’s End World First raid belts.

Contest Mode changes

Bungie says that it has also made the following changes to Contest Mode, in order to maintain a high bar of challenge for the launch event achievements:

• Increased the cap of player outgoing damage vs. combatants. Keep in mind that the incoming damage cap did not change.
• Some enemies will gain elemental shields.
• All enemies will be more aggressive than in the previous Contest Mode.

Bungie added that enemies will be much beefier in Crota's End, as they'll have increased shields, health, and aggression when encountered.

Power level requirement

You will need to be at 1790 Power to be at the Contest Mode cap for the raid. If you've been playing Destiny 2 regularly since Lightfall, you've likely already reached and surpassed this requirement, as Bungie hasn't raised the power cap for two seasons.

Twitch drops

Destiny 2 players will be able to earn the new Every End emblem via Twitch Drops by tuning in for two hours on the Twitch Rivals channel or by watching one of the participating streamers listed on this page.

Disabled items for Contest Mode

As is often the case, there will be a number of things that, due to one exploit, bug, or another, will be disabled during Contest Mode as the race for World First goes on. You won't be able to take advantage of any traits or bonuses from these in the raid, and your Power level may suffer if you have them equipped:

• Tessellation Exotic Fusion Rifle
• Warlock Weavewalk Aspect (currently disabled in all raids and PvP activities)
• Titan Banner of War Aspect
• Foetracer Exotic Hunter Helmet
• Elemental Munitions Mod
• Overload Hand Cannon Mod
• Malfeasance Exotic
• Secant Filaments Exotic

• Empowering Finisher armor mod

The following items are also disabled game-wide (not just in the raid) during the World First race:

• Frenzied Stacks Artifact Mod
• All Ammo Reserve Mods
• All Font Armor Charge Mods

Ammo reserves in particular being disabled could have a big impact, as it will put more pressure on players during DPS checks against bosses due to more limited ammo availability.

Crota's End rewards and Exotic weapon

Bungie has confirmed that the classic auto rifle Necrochasm will return in this reprised raid. Players can acquire the Bottomless Pit quest from the raid vendor during the 48-hour Contest Mode period in Crota's End, and the quest will automatically be marked as complete and all rewards placed in their inventory immediately after the raid has been successfully finished. Players that acquire the Bottomless Pit quest after the 48-hour Contest Mode window expires will have to complete the quest starting from the beginning to obtain the quest rewards.

Rewards will include Husk of the Pit, a fully Masterworked Eidon Ally, and Necrochasm, and the crucial Essence of the Oversoul can be acquired by completing raid encounters and Triumphs. Once players have that rare material, the Bottomless Pit quest will be completed and they can begin working on acquiring the weapon catalyst's objective for Necrochasm.

In Destiny, Necrochasm's signature ability is Cursebringer, which allows kills with the weapon to trigger explosions similar to a Cursed Thrall detonation. If the weapon is making a comeback in Destiny 2, it'll be interesting to see how it has been fine-tuned for the game.