Back in 2022, I was deep into Destiny 2's Season of the Haunted, grinding out Seasonal Challenges week after week. Now, in 2026, as I look back at that era, Week 7 stands out as one of the most demanding yet rewarding sets. If you're a returning player diving into legacy content or just curious about how things used to be, here's my personal walkthrough of every challenge from that week, complete with tips that still hold up today. And yes, the grind was real.
Sorrow Bound VII
Challenge: Complete Bound in Sorrow VII and defeat Champions within the Derelict Leviathan.
This was the finale of the seasonal questline, so I had to wrap up all previous weeks first. After chatting with Eris at the H.E.L.M., I jumped into the Derelict Leviathan and started farming Champions. My go-to spot? Nightmare Containment. During the first two tiers, I'd deposit Cores of Dread dropped by minibosses to spawn an Overload Champion and a pack of Scorn. I'd deposit as many orbs as possible across both tiers, then relaunch the activity once T2 ended if I didn't care about T3 rewards. That sped things up considerably. Defeating 40 Champions took a while, but it was straightforward.
Rewards: 25,000 XP, 300 Bright Dust
Nullifying Reconciliation
Challenge: Complete "Sever - Reconciliation" using only a Void subclass with Void, Kinetic, or Stasis weapons.
Void 3.0 was an absolute powerhouse back then, so this wasn't too bad. I ran my Void Warlock with Deathbringer for boss damage and Graviton Lance for adds. The key was sticking to the weapon restrictions—no Solar or Arc allowed. If you're attempting this in 2026, the same rules apply, though your arsenal might be different. Just remember: Void subclass, Void/Kinetic/Stasis weapons only.
Rewards: 25,000 XP, 300 Bright Dust, Figments of Darkness
Binding II
Challenge: Throughout Season of the Haunted, bind Nightmares after completing Tier III of Nightmare Containment and open Opulent Chests on the Derelict Leviathan.
This was a pure grind. I needed to bind 30 Nightmares at the end of T3 and open 15 Opulent Chests. My strategy: run Nightmare Containment, complete T3, bind the Nightmare, then relaunch from orbit. Sometimes I'd get lucky and join a match already at T2 or T3. For the chests, it was all RNG. I equipped an Expert Tracker mod on my Ghost Shell to make finding hidden chests easier. It took a few hours, but it was mindless fun.
Rewards: 50,000 XP, 300 Bright Dust
Shape of Nightmares II
Challenge: Shape any Haunted weapon.
I headed to the Enclave to craft my first Haunted weapon. To do that, I needed five Deepsight (red box) variants. With certain Crown of Sorrow upgrades, I could guarantee a Deepsight drop after my first Sever clear each week. So I'd run Sever, focus an Umbral Engram, and repeat until I had enough. Just a heads-up: only Haunted weapons counted—Opulent reprised weapons did not. I chose to craft a Firefright, but you could pick any of these:
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Firefright
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Hollow Denial
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Bump in the Night
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Nezarec's Whisper
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Without Remorse
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Tears of Contrition
Rewards: 50,000 XP, 300 Bright Dust
Beam Cannon
Challenge: Defeat targets with Trace Rifles and Shotguns in Gambit. Bonus progress for defeated Guardians.
Despite the name, I needed both Shotgun and Trace Rifle kills: 60 with Shotguns and 100 with Trace Rifles. Guardians gave bonus progress, so I focused on invading when possible. My loadout:
| Weapon | Type | Why I Used It |
|---|---|---|
| Lord of Wolves | Shotgun | Great against majors and HVTs, ammo efficient |
| Heritage | Shotgun | Best Legendary Shotgun, any roll worked |
| Ager's Scepter | Trace Rifle | Freezes nearby enemies, shatter for massive damage |
| Prometheus Lens | Trace Rifle | Solid alternative to Ager's |
| Retraced Path | Trace Rifle | Non-Exotic, can roll Subsistence and Golden Tricorn |
Rewards: 50,000 XP, 150 Bright Dust
Fleeting Glory
Challenge: Complete Crucible matches in the Glory Rank playlist. Earn bonus progress for wins.
Survival was the Glory playlist, and it used SBMM. I'm not a PvP god, so this was tough. At worst, I needed eight games; at best, five if I won all. My tips:
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Play your life: Assume you have one life. Don't engage unless you have the advantage.
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Stick with your team: Teamshooting was meta. Lane together and focus fire.
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Use your Super: Don't hoard it. A single Super can swing a round.
Rewards: 100,000 XP, 300 Bright Dust
Grandmaster
Challenge: Complete any Nightfall strike on Grandmaster.
Grandmaster Nightfalls required 1,585 Power, and enemies were 25 Power above me. Match Game was active, and Champions were everywhere. I spec'd for 100 Resilience, stacked DR mods, and built around add-clear, Champion/boss DPS, or utility. Here's what worked per class:
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Hunters: Nightstalker for invisibility. Aeon Swift for Heavy ammo on finishers, or Omnioculus for DR.
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Warlocks: Dawnblade for healing and Radiant, or Shadebinder with Osmiomancy Gloves for Coldsnap spam.
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Titans: Sentinel for overshields, or Sunbreaker with Loreley Splendor for extreme tankiness.
Rewards: 100,000 XP, 300 Bright Dust
Final Thoughts
Looking back from 2026, these challenges were a snapshot of a different era in Destiny 2. The grind was real, but so was the satisfaction. If you're revisiting Season of the Haunted or just want to understand what all the fuss was about, I hope this guide helps. And remember: even in 2026, the fundamentals of teamplay, resilience, and smart loadouts never go out of style. 🎮