Destiny 2 Heavy Metal Guide

Welcome, Guardians, to your ultimate Destiny 2 Heavy Metal guide. If you caught the chaotic glory days of custom Halo game modes in Forge—or remember rolling tanks across the battlefield in Destiny 1’s Combined Arms playlist—Heavy Metal is about to hit that nostalgia button hard.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about this limited-time Crucible event: what it is, when it starts, how to play, and what loot you can earn (including a new combat Sparrow).

If you’d like to get the rewards from this event, but are not keen on farming it, you can always buy D2 Heavy Metal boost at SkyCoach.

Check out our other Destiny 2 guides:

• Rite of the Nine Guide
• Rushdown Guide
• How to Get Barrow Dyad
• How to Get Finality's Auger
• How to Get Chatterwhite Shader
• Kell's Fall Exotic Mission Guide

 

 

What is Destiny 2 Heavy Metal Event

Heavy Metal is a new, limited-time PvP event in Destiny 2 that throws Guardians into explosive vehicle-based warfare—Drake Tanks vs. Fallen Brigs—in a fast-paced Crucible mode that’s all about mayhem, firepower, and mobility.

This mode is Bungie’s latest sandbox experiment, and it channels the chaotic fun of Destiny 1’s Combined Arms and even echoes the spirit of Halo Forge customs, where players cooked up wild vehicle battles for fun. Here, though, it’s fully supported and polished.

This is how you control the vehicles:

• Primary Weapon: Cannon
• Secondary Weapon: Guided missile or similar armament
• Zoom: Right-click (for PC)
• Dodge: Quick lateral movement to avoid fire

And here’s the core gameplay loop:

1. Destroying an enemy vehicle earns your team 1 point.
2. After a kill, collect the dropped Coin for another 1 point.
3. Collecting Coins also restores health and refills secondary ammo.
4. The match leader glows and gets improved dodge speed. Defeating them grants your team a Gold Coin worth 2 points.
5. First team to 50 points wins. BLOG20

So, it’s actually a custom game mode with its own ruleset that doesn’t just replace Guardians with combat vehicles.

Heavy Metal Event Start Date

Heavy Metal Destiny 2 start date is May 9, and it will run until May 16, 2025. So, there should be enough time to unlock every reward it has to offer.

Here are some more key competitive and reward dates:

• Tournament Qualifiers: May 9
• Semifinals: May 10
• Finals: May 11 (with multiple bracket outcomes possible)

There’s also a Twitch reward for Heavy Metal, a unique emblem that you can earn by watching your favorite streamer. The dates and details for that can be found in our rewards section.

How to Play Destiny 2 Heavy Metal

If you want to know how to play Heavy Metal Destiny 2, don’t worry, it’s pretty simple. Even if you’re a returning Guardian or a newcomer curious about high-octane vehicle warfare.

To access the mode, head to the Portal UI in the Director. You’ll find the event listed under Crucible → Events. No special quests or unlocks are needed—just select it and queue up.

Entry Requirements

1. Free for all players – You don’t need to own any expansions to participate.
2. No Power level requirement – Like most seasonal PvP events, Heavy Metal does not seem to scale combat around your Light level, ensuring everyone’s on a level playing field.
3. No loadout restrictions – Because the mode uses preset vehicles (Drakes and Brigs), your usual Guardian subclass and weapons don’t factor into gameplay. It’s all about how you drive, aim, and collect.

The whole point of Heavy Metal is to give you an option to blow off some steam playing a game mode that is casual, fun, and also different from what you’re used to.

D2 Heavy Metal Rewards

The Heavy Metal event isn’t just about chaotic fun and tank-on-brig action — it’s also your chance to earn some truly unique loot, including one Destiny 2 Griffin combat Sparrow, the first vehicle that has weapons that can be used to destroy your enemies.

The Griffin Combat Sparrow

The jewel of the Destiny 2 Heavy Metal rewards is the Griffin, a brand-new combat-ready vehicle that occupies your Sparrow slot. Unlike traditional Sparrows, the Griffin is armed and dangerous — fully capable of dishing out damage and built for aggressive traversal. It’s completely free-to-play and can be unlocked by participating in the event.

1. Summonable anywhere you’d use a normal Sparrow
2. Usable in most open-world PvE activities
3. Integrates into loadouts with combat-focused buildcrafting potential (details Bungie is keeping under wraps)

“The Skimmer is flash. The Griffin is splash.”

Event Rank Rewards

Progress through a dedicated event reward track by playing Heavy Metal matches and completing challenges. Unlock:

• Bright Engrams
• Enhancement materials
• Cosmetic items and emblems
• Additional unlocks tied to the Griffin and the Heavy Metal theme

You can also purchase Event Ranks with Silver to accelerate progress.

Event Challenges & Currency

The new Event Home Tab gives you access to daily and weekly challenges. Completing them grants a special event currency used to unlock rewards tied to the Griffin and more. Challenges may include:

1. Target eliminations
2. Using specific vehicles like Brigs or Tanks
3. Winning matches or defeating high-value targets

So now, you know how to unlock Griffin in Destiny 2 - just play long enough and eventually it’ll be yours. It doesn’t even matter if you win or lose. BLOG20

Twitch Drops: Mad Dog Emblem

Along with this Free Destiny 2 PvP event 2025, you can also earn the Mad Dog emblem by watching 1 hour of any opted-in Destiny 2 streamer on Twitch between May 9 and May 16. Participating streamers will also have limited emblem giveaways during the Heavy Metal Tournament.

Conclusion

Guardians, Heavy Metal is your invitation to jump into an explosive, vehicle-fueled twist on PvP — a chaotic experience that echoes Destiny 1’s Arms Race and the custom madness of classic Halo Forge.

This limited-time, free-to-play event is open to all players and brings with it a unique reward: the Griffin, Destiny 2’s first-ever combat Sparrow. It's not just a new ride — it's a new way to fight, with some surprising buildcrafting potential under the hood.

Don’t miss the chance to join the fun, dominate the battlefield, and claim your place in the driver’s seat before the event ends.

F.A.Q.