In the tenth and final week of Destiny 2's Season of the Haunted, the last three Seasonal Challenges arrived like a quiet afterthought. Solstice of Heroes was already in full swing, so most of the tasks tied to this batch did not demand endgame power or flawless fireteam coordination. A Guardian could knock them out while chasing Solstice embers, testing a freshly buffed Machine Gun, or grinding Vanguard reputation. In 2026, this exact seasonal window is archived history, yet the structure of the finale remains a useful case study in how Bungie once paced Seasonal Challenges. The goals were simple: defeat enemies with Machine Guns, complete activities on Europa, and earn the third and final ornament for Chain of Command. The rewards were modest but worthwhile, especially for anyone who wanted the Planestrider emblem or a large pile of XP.

🎯 Haunting Cacophony: Machine Guns and Scorn

The first challenge, Haunting Cacophony, asked for two separate tasks. On the Derelict Leviathan, a player needed 200 final blows with a Machine Gun. That sounded heavier than it was. Nightmare Containment and general open-world exploration offered endless clusters of enemies, and Season of the Haunted had just handed Machine Guns a massive damage buff. A Guardian who had ignored the heavy weapon archetype finally had a reason to pull out Thunderlord. Its lightning strikes and crowd-clearing potential made short work of rank-and-file foes. Any favorite Machine Gun could work, but Thunderlord was the comfortable pick for groups.

The second half of Haunting Cacophony sent the player into any Sever activity to defeat 30 powerful Scorn. These counted minibosses and bosses, not every red-bar Scorn in sight. The best farms were Sever - Rage and Sever - Forgiveness. Rage was the first Sever mission and included tough Scorn enemies during the final boss encounter. Forgiveness, meanwhile, featured an onslaught of Scorn near its halfway mark, which made it a reliable place to stack powerful kills. A Guardian could run either mission repeatedly, clear the required Scorn, and leave once the counter filled.

❄️ Europa Activities: Multitask Across the Ice

Next came Europa Activities, a challenge that rewarded multitasking. On Europa, progress came from bounties, patrols, public events, and Lost Sectors. Eighteen activities had to be completed in total, so efficiency mattered more than raw difficulty. The smartest approach was to buy every bounty from Variks, pick up a patrol focused on defeating enemies, finish that patrol, and then dive into a favorite Lost Sector. Each step fed the same progress bar. For players who preferred a single loop, Perdition in Cadmus Ridge was the recommended Lost Sector farm. The icy moon had never been more generous to a Guardian with a checklist.

Reward	Amount
XP	25,000
Bright Dust	75

🔫 Vanguard Ornament: Chain of Command

The final challenge, Vanguard Ornament, required acquiring the Vanguard ornament for Chain of Command. That meant resetting Vanguard Rank and reaching rank 16 once again. Earning Vanguard Ranks moved quickly during a double reputation week. If no bonus week was active, Hero-tier Nightfalls were the best farm. They had minimal modifiers and matchmaking enabled, so a solo player could queue without assembling a premade fireteam. By this stage, the Guardian already had Chain of Command unlocked, but the other two ornaments were still worth farming for previous weekly challenges. The Vanguard ornament itself completed the set and granted the Planestrider emblem, 100,000 XP, and 300 Bright Dust.

Reward	Amount
Planestrider emblem	1
XP	100,000
Bright Dust	300

📋 Final Week Quick Reference

Challenge	Objective	Reward	Best Approach
Haunting Cacophony	200 Machine Gun final blows on Derelict Leviathan; 30 powerful Scorn in Sever	Seasonal Challenge completion	Nightmare Containment; Sever - Rage or Forgiveness; Thunderlord
Europa Activities	Complete 18 bounties, patrols, public events, or Lost Sectors on Europa	25,000 XP; 75 Bright Dust	Stack Variks bounties, patrols, then Perdition Lost Sector
Vanguard Ornament	Acquire Vanguard ornament for Chain of Command	Planestrider emblem; 100,000 XP; 300 Bright Dust	Reset Vanguard rank, reach rank 16; Hero-tier Nightfalls or double rep week

By the time the final challenge was finished, the Guardian had a full set of seasonal triumphs, a new ornament, and a reminder that not every Destiny 2 grind needed to be brutal. The Haunted finale was light on pressure and heavy on rewards. In 2026, the live game has moved far beyond the Derelict Leviathan, but the design lesson still holds. A well-paced final week respects the player's time, encourages a few favorite weapons, and lets the community enjoy the last stretch together. For anyone revisiting old records or comparing modern seasonal models, the last three challenges of Season of the Haunted remain a clean example of a finale that knew exactly how much to ask.