How to get the Red Death Reformed catalyst in Destiny 2

Red Death is back to Destiny 2—the real thing this time. Red Death Reformed continues its legacy from Destiny as a healing machine, and it gets even better with its catalyst.

Red Death Reformed, as its name says, is a new incarnation of the iconic weapon from D1—and it’s a faithful recreation. The sequel has Crimson as a Red Death stand-in, which also fires in bursts and heals its user, but this Exotic is as close to the real deal as you can get.

Here’s how you can get Red Death Reformed’s catalyst in Destiny 2.

What does the Red Death Reformed catalyst do in Destiny 2?

The Red Death Reformed catalyst provides even more healing and utility for this survivability-based gun, especially in a fireteam.

With the catalyst, final blows charge Red Death Reformed. Your first kill with a full charge creates a healing burst and “leaves a remnant behind that provides Restoration to allies,” according to its description. This remnant may be visually similar to Lumina or Thorn’s remnants, though they will buff allies instead of affecting the weapon itself. It’s unclear if this effect activates once you pick it up, or if allies can interact with it.

Is the Red Death Reformed catalyst time-gated in Destiny 2?

The Red Death Reformed catalyst seems to be time-gated. This catalyst is listed as a reward for rank 145 of Echoes, the game’s first episode. The new format will drip-feed content and season pass rewards, so players can only start getting rewards from ranks 100 after mid-July—40 or so days following the release of The Final Shape, according to the in-game counter.

It’s unclear if there are other avenues to obtain the catalyst and the season pass counts as a failsafe, but so far, the only guaranteed way to grab it seems to be from the season pass at rank 145. This is on the free track, however, so any guardian who has unlocked Red Death Reformed (at rank one with ownership of the episode, or rank 40 for non-Echoes owners) can add this catalyst to their collection.

Red Death Reformed catalyst requirements

The main requirement for Red Death Reformed’s catalyst seems to be the season pass level. With Echoes’ second act releasing around mid-July, players must reach level 145 by then. Once acquired, guardians likely have to kill hundreds of enemies to equip it into their weapons, too, which is par for the course for Bungie.