Destiny April Update: Taken Prison of Elders, 335 Light, Challenge of the Elders and More

Bungie hosted a live-stream for Destiny on Twitch today to show off some of the new things you’ll be doing when the April Update lands on April 12th.

Along with bringing back the Winter’s Run strike and adding a Taken version of the Archon Priest, there will be a new strike and questline for the new baddie Malok. The Light level will also be increased to 335 with the Prison of Elders being the new end-game content.

It’s not your average Prison of Elders though. Taken enemies are now included with a level requirement of 41. New bounties will be added that can add to House of Judgment rep and they’ll rotate on a weekly basis. The new thing is Challenge of the Elders, which costs 100 Glimmer for a passage of sorts. A 260 Light version of the Prison will be available with 50 percent normal enemies and 50 percent Taken. There will also be four new Taken bosses at this Light level and no Treasure keys will be required.

The new Challenge mode will be the Level 42 Prison at 320 Light level. It will be your chance to hit the 335 Light cap (Sterling Treasure was teased for reveal next week). The main appeal of the Challenge is the ability to earn points with score modifiers changing each week. Checkpoints have been enabled but there’s no matchmaking. Scores are calculated based on your team’s performance with a high score giving you a weapon while a cumulative score – which adds up with each run – netting you an armour piece. Rewards will be 335 Light and the Challenge of the Elders include three rounds. There aren’t any treasure chests and only the scoring is important. You’ll still receive rewards for each round regardless of your score though.

Points can be scored in various ways, including generating orbs of Light. It was noted that with five minutes of each round, Variks will start deducting your score, acting an enrage timer of sorts. There’s no change in the Challenge of the Elders for the week but it will include checkpoints. New enemies like a Taken Hive Knight and Pilot Servitor with mines was also showcased.

It was also noted that a new PlayStation exclusive questline will be available with Petra and Queen’s Wrath weapons, including the sniper rifle Her Fury, will be returning with the new Light levels. Expect some updates to the general sandbox, Crucible and by the sounds of it, weapon balances as well.

Check out the stream for yourself below if you so wish.