Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen is in full swing now, and players can collect a new Emblem that will be visible to other players when building a fireteam. One of the new Legendary Emblems is called The Next Chapter, and it bears the bull skull icon from the Tex Mechanica weapon foundry. This organization is responsible for creating The Last Word hand cannon and the Dead Man's Tale scout rifle, which is fitting because players will need to start the Dead Man's Tale Exotic Quest to begin unlocking it. To get The Next Chapter Emblem, players will need to complete a flawless run of the Presage mission on Master difficulty.
While this is a straightforward requirement, it is not an easy one. The Presage mission is notoriously difficult, and Master difficulty adds a few extra modifiers that make it even more challenging, including a 25-minute time limit, locked equipment, match game, and chaff. Players are likely to have the most luck with this mission if they play it several times on normal difficulty first to know what they can expect and figure out how to speed through some of the puzzles and platforming. Here's everything players need to do to earn The Next Chapter Emblem in Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen.
How to Complete the Presage Mission on Master Difficulty in Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen
To be able to start the Dead Man’s Tale Exotic Quest and eventually earn The Next Chapter Emblem, players will need to purchase the Season of the Chosen season pass. They will need to complete the Dead Man's Tale Exotic Quest to unlock the rifle and access Presage in Master difficulty.
The recommended power level for the Presage mission is 1320, 10 levels above the Pinnacle Cap for Season of the Chosen. Enemies in this mission can be significantly more challenging to fight. Players should consider going in with friends to make it easier to complete the mission in time with no casualties. Every Guardian who completes the mission on Master difficulty without dying, even as part of a fireteam, will earn the Emblem.
Players are advised to do a few practice runs of the Presage mission on normal difficulty. This way, they can figure out where all the enemies might spawn, how to complete puzzles and platforming quickly and efficiently, and about how long it will take them to defeat the final boss. This way, when they have an imposed time limit, they are better prepared to use their time effectively.
In Master difficulty, the Presage mission imposes three particular modifiers for players to look out for:
- Equipment Lock: Players may not change their gear loadouts once the mission has begun.
- Match Game: Guardians do significantly less damage to enemy shields unless they match their elemental weapon charge or subclass damage type to that of the shield.
- Chaff: Players lose access to the radar scanner.
To mitigate any trouble these modifiers can cause, players should be sure to carefully select their gear ahead of the mission. It's a good idea to choose loadouts that cover a range of elemental damage and to make sure teammates do the same. Once the mission has begun, players will need to watch each other's backs, as this particular mission contains many Screebs that can take players by surprise.
It also seems there is a Champion modifier active for the Presage mission in Master difficulty, but this mission only features Scorn enemies, and there are no Scorn Champions. While this might be changed in a later patch, players do not need to plan to equip anti-barrier, overload, or unstoppable mods to complete this mission successfully.
Good loadouts include exotic weapons like The Lament Exotic Sword and the Xenophage Exotic Machine Gun. Grenade launchers are also helpful, especially against clusters of Screebs and other enemies. Players should keep an eye on their elements and make sure they have enough to counteract the match game modifier.
To earn The Next Chapter Emblem, players need to complete Presage within 25 minutes without dying. It is best if players go in with a strong loadout, plan to look out for one another, carefully scout areas before charging into a fight, and save time wherever possible by knowing the Glykon's layout and the puzzle solutions in advance so they have enough time to defeat the final boss. There are also times where one player can complete the puzzle while the others in the team watch their back for enemies, which will help things go much more smoothly.
Players should note that if a team member dies, the rest of the team may still go on to earn the Emblem without them. However, it is likely far more rewarding to ensure the whole squad makes it out of the mission alive, so players should do their best to help each other.
Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.