Gjallarhorn is coming back to Destiny, Plus new DLC Expansion Revealed

Destiny’s latest expansion delves deep into the lore of the Iron Lords, and sees the return of a fan favorite Rocket Launcher.

First, let’s get this out of the way. It’s back, in black.

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That’s right, Guardians. The most popular weapon since the game’s release in 2014 is making a comeback, with an opportunity to get it in black. Does this mean there will be two version of the gun in the latest expansion, Rise of Iron? While not said outright during today’s reveal livestream by Bungie, it would appear so.

Available September 20 of this year, players will have the opportunity to earn a Gjallarhorn through an in-game mission. However, should Guardians wish to get their hands on the sleek new black rocket launcher, you need only pre-order Rise of Iron to guarantee your weapon. As to whether or not the Iron Black Gjallarhorn will be available upon loading the game up, or if you have to earn it somehow, we will just have to wait and see. As for those who already have a Year One Gjallarhorn, it was not made clear whether or not you would be able to buy an upgraded version from the Exotic Blueprints in the tower. These are all thoughts and questions we have that will likely be clarified and answered later this summer leading into the release date of Rise of Iron this September.

Okay, now that we got that out of the way; let’s talk Rise of Iron, Destiny’s latest and final expansion for the first game in what is supposedly a 10-year journey of legend with you and your Guardians.

First off, Xbox 360 and PS3 players are out of luck, as this bit of DLC will be off limits, meaning it will be the first current-gen console-only release since Destiny came out back in 2014. That means if you want an upgraded Gjallarhorn, you will need to upgrade to a new console. Kind of an expensive move for some, but a good play by Bungie, as many of the capabilities of the FPS game are held back by limitations of previous generation consoles.

As you may notice, this expansion focuses on Saladin and his history with the Iron Lords and a new Fallen threat in Old Russia among the Plaguelands; an area previously unavailable to Guardians for our own protection. But now, the threat sealed within has found a way out, and we must rise to the challenge and aid in seeing the return of the Iron Lords of legend. The history of the Iron Banner will also be explained, which has us very interested in knowing the purpose of taking on our fellow Guardian brothers and sisters.

Despite being a “reveal” of the new expansion, very little was shared about what we can expect to see in Rise of Iron. Naturally, details on the new Raid are scarce, as is expected, considering the challenge of understanding the mechanics during our first few runs. What we do know is that it appears to largely take place outside, shrouded in snow, toward the peak of a mountaintop. As we stated earlier, the enemy is Fallen, however the enemies are mutant, having been experimented on and morphed into metallic monsters of their former selves.

Pulled right from the /r/destinythegame Rise of Iron Mega Thread, here are all the specifics you need to know:

Next Gen Only! Rise of Iron is exclusively for Xbox One and PS4.
Anyone can get the Gjallarhorn Y2 from a quest, you forge it from the armor of fallen heroes. However, you can only get the “Iron Gjallarhorn” from a preorder (Iron Gjallarhorn is the black and silver one).
Plaguelands. Inside old Russia. It’s been locked off for centuries by the Vanguard and Lords of Iron. It has new patrols, public events, etc.
The Wall. It has “changed significantly” from when we first saw it.
New Raid! “Very exciting and very cool”.
New and updated Strikes.
New Patrols and Public Events.
Updated Crucible. New Maps, New Mode (Note that mode is singular), and New Features (ambiguous).
Rise of Iron costs $30 USD.
“The Cosmodrome has changed significantly”.
Felwinter Peak, which overlooks Old Russia, holds the “Iron Temple”, where the Iron Lords kept watch over humanity. The players will have to take back the Iron Temple, which is the new social space. It is likely that the first mission in Rise of Iron will be taking back the Iron Temple. You can learn more about the lore of the Iron Lords in this temple.
Technological plague called “Seeva” (“Civa”?, “Sieva”? “Ceeva”?) the Iron Lords (except Saladin) sacrificed themselves to contain this plague.
Jolder, as known by the gun “Jolder’s Hammer” was female. The expansion will delve into the identities of the Iron Lords.
Players can not get their own wolves like Saladin has.
The Fallen, being infatuated with technology, have burrowed into Golden Age vaults and found Seeva, and are using it to transform themselves into “Machine Gods”.
The big walker towards the end of the trailer was referred to as the “Death Zamboni” but no further elaboration was offered aside from the implication that it is part of the Raid.
Maximum Light will increase “significantly”. However, they would not give a number.
It’s an axe, not a hammer. It is known as a relic, similar to the scorch cannon or Aegis, it is a temporary powerup that can be found in the world.
New social area.
More information will be revealed at E3 in LA.

As for details on the new strike, missions, crucible maps and modes, none of that was touched upon. The gear we saw simply was nothing more than momentary gameplay and what you saw in the trailer. Likely to be revealed close to the September 20th launch date. Our gallery below should give you a deeper understanding of what to expect in Rise of Iron, but of course we can all expect many new challenges, obstacles, surprises, and incredible moments to once more reach the mantle of accomplishment and make our Guardian one of legend.