Arena

"Test yourself."

— Arena description

Arena is a new game mode introduced in the House of Wolves expansion. It also features in The Taken King and Rise of Iron.

Overview

Arena is a special cooperative game mode that pits players against a series of trials. It is a cross between Raids and Strikes.

Prison of Elders

The Prison of Elders is an Arena located in The Reef and features a randomized base mode with matchmaking available, as well as several higher-level challenge modes that rotate each week, offering more rewards. It applies a different Modifier each round, and a different set of Modifiers per week, and may contain critical objectives that the three-player team must complete, or else the team wipes.

In the April Update, this was expanded with the Challenge of the Elders with an Elder's Sigil required to gain access with scoring system implemented; points are deducted after five minutes have passed.

Court of Oryx

The Court of Oryx is an Arena located in the Hall of Souls on the Dreadnaught, and is a special, three-tier Public Event that requires players to unlock with a specific type of rune for each tier. Once started any player can join from the open-world Patrol; however there is a limit of nine players per Court, but as little as one player can start it.

Each boss requires different rune types to summon, and operate by various mechanics that must be figured out to defeat them. Third-tier bosses rotate weekly. Rewards are gifted to participating players, along with a Calcified Fragment, with the initiating player getting the greatest rewards.

Archon's Forge

Archon's Forge is an Arena located at the Archon's Keep in the Plaguelands. Like the Court it is a three-tier Public Event that players can initiate with SIVA offerings, each encounter dependent on the quality of the offering. Also like the Court once started players can join in from the outside world but only if they possess a Splicer Key. Unlike the Court there are no specific bosses to defeat except stronger variants of Splicer Devils, and is described as a "Horde Mode".

Sometimes Iron Battle Axes will spawn if the players destroy specific objects called SIVA Blooms, and can be used to destroy Splicers more easily. However if a player dies and respawns on their own they appear outside of the event arena and need a Splicer Key to reopen the door. Rewards are random and are based on SIVA offering type.

Escalation Protocol

Escalation Protocol is an Arena that can be triggered as a Public Event on Mars, where a team of Guardians defends a series of towers against waves of Hive. There are seven waves of increasing difficulty before teams can engage a final boss and end the event.

Blind Well

Blind Well is an Arena that can be triggered as a Public Event on Mars, where a team of Guardians defends a series of towers against waves of Hive. There are seven waves of increasing difficulty before teams can engage a final boss and end the event.

Arenas

• Prison of Elders
• Court of Oryx
• Archon's Forge
• Escalation Protocol
• Blind Well

List of appearances

• Destiny (First appearance)