Destiny 2 to get another contest mode for Sundered Doctrine, and it’s not one of Savathûns tricks

For the first time, Destiny 2 is hosting a second contest mode for a dungeon—and not due to the usual server issues. The Sundered Doctrine dungeon will see the famed brutal difficulty back at some point after its Feb. 7 launch due to issues with PlayStation Network, Bungie confirmed today.

In the weekend of the dungeon’s release, the PSN and other services faced tremendous instability, leaving players all over the world unable to connect to their games. Because of this, guardians from the Sony-owned platform can barely participate in the contest mode version of the dungeon, which only runs for a limited time.

Contest mode usually only lasts for 24 to 48 hours, with Sundered Doctrine’s vicious version scheduled to end on Feb. 9. This would exclude Destiny 2 players on PSN from getting the legitimate contest mode experience, so the developer will rerun the extra-difficult version at an undisclosed time and date. This will take effect for all platforms, meaning any guardian can try their hand at the newest dungeon.

Contest mode brings a far bigger challenge to those who dare to take the plunge into that activity. A forced power level difference usually means players do much less damage and lose far more health, but clearing a raid or dungeon in its first days grants a slew of rewards, including a guaranteed Exotic and rare emblems.

The race to be the first fireteam in the world to clear a new raid or dungeon is a singular experience in Destiny 2. The competition has already come to an end, so those who take part in the second weekend won’t take home the trophies. That said, the reprised dates mean players get a second (or first) chance to conquer the dungeon and score the unique emblem—usually the most coveted reward in any raid or dungeon launch.

This isn’t the first time Bungie has extended contest mode: the studio prolonged the Vow of the Disciple contest mode to 48 hours (up from 24) after Destiny 2 services faced heavy interruptions, which prompted a permanent bump in the mode’s duration. This is, however, the first time Bungie is holding a full extra weekend of the event.