Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris start time, rewards, and more explained

The Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris experience is a lot like the original take on the game mode – with some traces of the old Trials of the Nine – but there have been some noticeable updates over the years and there are big changes in the works. Trials is still an exclusive, limited-time PvP mode built around intense team fights, but the systems around it are a little different. Here's everything you need to know about the Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris. 

What time does Trials of Osiris start? 

Trials of Osiris is playable every weekend starting at reset time on Friday until reset time on Tuesday. It works on the same clock as Xur, opening every weekend and ending with the next weekly reset.  

How does Trials of Osiris work? 

Trials is a competitive Crucible mode that uses 3v3 Elimination rules. You need to be at a higher Power level (which increases every season) to participate because it's a Power-enabled activity. You also need a pre-made fireteam of three since Trials does not support matchmaking in the same way the Competitive playlist does. 

To compete in Trials of Osiris, you need to purchase a Trials ticket. Each time you win a match, you'll earn a stamp of sorts on your ticket. Likewise, losing will earn you a stamp. You play until you win seven matches or lose three matches, and then you receive rewards based on your performance. Players are also matched against each other based on the progress of their ticket, so if you're on six wins, expect to play against people who are around six wins.

The ultimate goal of Trials is to win seven matches without losing a single one - a Flawless run, in other words. A Flawless run will let you access the Lighthouse, an exclusive end-game area with a special loot chest that dishes out Flawless rewards. More on this in a bit. 

Who is the Trials of Osiris vendor? 

Saint-14, who was retroactively rescued in the Season of Dawn, is the new Trials of Osiris vendor. You can find him in the Tower, where he will sell Trials Cards, Passages, and Bounties. You'll also turn in Trials Tokens to Saint-14 in exchange for Trials Engrams. 

What are Trials of Osiris Passages? 

The new version of Trials of Osiris comes with five unique Passages which can aid players in their climb to the Lighthouse. You can only equip one Passage at a time, but you can change your Passage at any time. However, equipping a new Passage will reset your progress, so you'll really only want to buy one Passage per ticket.  Passages cost 25,000 Glimmer and 15 Legendary Shards a pop, too, so you can't exactly spam them. 

The Passages are:

• Mercy Passage (always available): forgives one loss per ticket.
• Ferocity Passage (always available): if you have zero losses, your third win will count as two wins.
• Confidence Passage (unlocked after going Flawless): grants a bonus reward from the Flawless chest.
• Wealth Passage (unlocked at five wins): earn more Trials Tokens from completing and winning Trials matches.
• Wisdom Passage (unlocked at seven wins): grants bonus XP from Trials wins based on the number of wins on your ticket. 

Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris rewards explained 

You don't have to go Flawless to get Trials loot. Apart from the Lighthouse chest, Loot is distributed through Trials Engrams, ticket rewards, and bounties. 

You can get Trials Engrams by trading in Trials Tokens, which can be earned by completing weekly, daily, and repeatable Trials Bounties sold by Saint-14, as well as completing Trials matches. Note that unused Trials Tokens will disappear every Tuesday, so you won't be able to stockpile them. Additionally, Trials Engrams can only award items that you've already received, or the three-win reward for that week. If nothing else, you can always claim the current three-win reward by completing the weekly bounty, which only requires match participation, not wins. 

This brings us to ticket rewards. Simply put, more wins on your ticket means better rewards at the end. Here's the breakdown:

• Three wins: Tier 2 Powerful gear (minor Power boost)
• Five wins: Tier 3 Powerful gear (major Power boost)
• Seven wins: Pinnacle gear (biggest Power boost) 

These are weekly rewards, so you'll only be able to earn each loot drop once per week per character. That said, you can earn infinite Trials Engrams as long as you have tokens to trade in, but these won't drop Powerful gear.

The good news is that if you get a seven-win card, Flawless or not, you'll get all three drops in one go. Note that these drops are tied to how many wins you get on a single card, not how many wins you get in a weekend. If you want that Pinnacle gear, you'll need to win seven matches on one card. 

What are the Flawless rewards? 

Reaching the Lighthouse lets you earn Adept versions of Trials weapons. These support unique Adept mods, can roll with special perks, and come with bonus stats when fully Masterworked.   

Players who reach the Lighthouse will also receive extra Pinnacle gear as well as exclusive cosmetics that show off their triumph. First up: armor glows. Flawless players will be able to spruce up their Trials armor with a yellow glow. This glow will fade after one week, and to refresh it, you'll need to go Flawless again.

You can change the color of this glow by equipping one of two exclusive Flawless emblems. Light for the Lost turns the glow white, representing Guardians who plan on carrying others to the Lighthouse. Flawless Empyrean changes the glow to red, marking the Guardians hellbent on blocking players from getting to the Lighthouse (by stomping them in Trials). These emblems can also be equipped with stat trackers indicating how many Lighthouse carries or shutdowns you've racked up, as well as other Trials stats. 

How is Trials of Osiris changing?

Many people aren't happy with the current state of the Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris experience, including Bungie. The studio previously announced that it's hard at work on a redesigned Trials system that makes the mode more welcoming to players who aren't exactly PvP masters or enthusiasts, and it's also looking at opportunities for solo players. More importantly, Bungie is looking to make Trials loot more available to entice more people to participate every weekend, thereby improving the game's population and matchmaking. These changes are expected to arrive before the end of the year, but that's all we know for now.