Hard mode in Destiny

Bungie unlocking hard mode in Destiny's latest raid, Crota's End, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, The new difficulty will not only make Crota and campgny more challenging, it will grant access to all manner of new loot.

Destiny players will soon be able to plunder a handful of primary weapons from the Hellmouth, once Crota's been put to bed. Those hard mode-exclusive primary weapons include the Abyss Defiant auto rifle, Fan of Ir Yut scout rifle, Oversoul Edict pulse rifle and Word of Crota hand cannon. Crota's End in hard mode is also the only place to score the Crux of Crota, which can be used to upgrade the Eidolon Ally legendary auto rifle to the Necrochasm.

The Hard mode for Crota's End also has an exclusive color palette drop, Glowhoo, and a pretty tough-looking ship, the Bane of the Dark Gods.
Expect a substantial challenge, since players will be raiding at a one-level deficit in Crota's End hard mode. But if history repeats itself, players will find some roundabout way to cheese Crota.

"If you've experienced Hard Mode in Vault of Glass, you have some clues for how we can scale up a Raid," Bungie says. "Prepare to take better care of your teammates. You'll have fewer options for healing yourself, and each other. The enemies you're about to face are stronger and more prone to temper tantrums."