Destiny 2 Leviathan Prestige Raid changes, differences and Prestige rewards explained
How to tackle the Hard mode changes, and what you get for your trouble.
Destiny 2 Prestige Raid offers an extra layer of challenge to the existing Leviathan Raid introduced shortly after the game's launched.
Unlike the Prestige Nightfall, which offers a higher difficulty of enemies, the Prestige Raid remixes and introduces additional layers of mechanics to force team members to work harder.
Unlike the original Destiny, however, the rewards are more cosmetic, and could be a consideration before you put in the effort.
Prestige Raid changes and differences explained
There are three core differences between Normal and Prestige modes in the Leviathan Raid:
- Higher Light level enemies (Light level recommended 300, up from 260 from Normal)
- Dying removes your revive token (essentially costing the team two revives, since someone will use theirs to revive you)
- Extra mechanics during boss encounters
- Unique rewards for completion
It's worth noting there is no Power level increase as a result of the Prestige Raid arriving, unlike the addition of Hard Raids in the original Destiny. As such, the rewards are practically cosmetic in comparison.
As well as requiring higher Power levels and ensuring each team member survives the encounter more than before, each stage also has additional mechanics to be aware of.
We'd fully recommend playing the regular Raid in full (see our Leviathan Raid guide and walkthrough if you have yet to attempt it) to get a handle of the basics, since the following are simply elaborations of what you've encountered so far.
Leviathan Prestige Raid mode new mechanics:
- Royal Pools differences: Bathers - now named Oiled Ceremonial Bathers - will create a purple field upon dying, which will drop your protection faster if you stand in it. After the damage phase with the lamps, players will receive the Burden of Worthiness buff, and they will see a different symbol above the central plate (as with the Calus fight - either Beast, Axes, Sun or Cup) - corresponding to the corner plates. Go to that plate to clear the buff.
- Pleasure Gardens differences: There are two new Beasts to contend with and ultimately destroy in order to succeed. Beast paths have also changed.
- Gauntlet differences: Every player has to run the Gauntlet, instead of relying on the same set of players. An additional Psion will spawn every time a wall is passed during the Gauntlet run. Finally, at the end when everyone runs together, there are only three run-extending Orbs in each wall, instead of four.
- Calus differences: Whenever a Psion is taken out in the Throne room after being called out by players in the dimension, that player will swap with one in the dimension at random.
If you want to see some of the top streamers tackle the mode shortly after release, here's a full playthrough:
The Season of the Deep is here alongside the Into the Depths quest. You can know go fishing too! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Lost Sector and King's Fall challenge rotation schedule!
Prestige Raid changes and differences explained
The Prestige Raid rewards are mostly cosmetic in nature, with no higher Power level gear available compared to the Normal Raid. KackisHD covers them in the following YouTube video:
Specifically, they are:
- Emporor's Armour set
- Glory to the Emporor Emblem
- Imperial Aura
As well as the above, you still get Tokens for completing every step, which can be used to redeem for the same gear as the Normal Raid. Additionally, completing Prestige is required to tick off the final step of the World-Eater quest, if you are there.
Finally, though not specifically tied to the Raid, there is a dedicated Trophy or Achievement attached to completing a Prestige challenge (which will be this, or the Nightfall), which could give you another incentive for trying.