All upcoming artifact mods for Destiny 2 Season of Defiance (2023)

The Destiny 2 community got their final TWAB from Bungie in The Witch Queen expansion, and it had a lot to say about the upcoming few months in Lightfall. One significant aspect is the seasonal artifact, alongside the mods they will provide for upcoming content.

Similar to multiple campaigns in the past, it seems the company will follow the artifact and mod system in seasons despite making adjustments to their vendors. Players need to obtain both the artifact and its mods by gaining EXP, which can easily be done via seasonal challenges, bounties, and more.

Disclaimer: Notes mentioned in this article are based on a Bungie blog post on February 23.

Bungie announces Champion and artifact mods for Destiny 2 Season of Defiance

Each seasonal artifact consists of five columns, with five mods in each. As mentioned earlier, these mods can be unlocked by accumulating EXP in-game, with a total of 25 mods waiting to be equipped in various armor pieces.

However, starting with Lightfall, 12 of the 25 mods will be activated on Guardians as soon as they get unlocked and don't need to be equipped with any armor.

The upcoming artifact mods for Season 20 are as follows:

Column 1:

Doom of Chelchis Scout Rifle (Image via Destiny 2)

Anti-Barrier Sidearms - Your equipped Sidearms fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Sidearms are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Anti-Barrier Pulse Rifles - Your equipped Pulse Rifles fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Pulse Rifles are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Overload Bows - Damage by fully drawn arrows from your equipped Bows disrupts combatants, stunning the target, delaying ability energy regeneration, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Bows are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Unstoppable Scout Rifles - Aiming down the sights of a Scout Rifle for a short time loads a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions. Additionally, Scout Rifles are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Automatics Overload - Sustained fire from Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns disrupts combatants, stunning them, delaying ability energy regeneration, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.

Column 2:

Solar energy armor (Image via Destiny 2)

Authorized Mods: Solar - The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Solar weapons are significantly discounted.
Authorized Mods: Strand - The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Strand weapons are significantly discounted.
Authorized Mods: Void - The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Void weapons are significantly discounted.
Authorized Mods: Grenades - The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your grenades are significantly discounted.
Multi-Siphon Mods - Grants access to armor mods in your helmet that combines the effects of the Strand Siphon mod with the Solar Siphon Mod and the Void Siphon mods.

Column 3:

Voidwalker subclass (Image via Destiny 2)

Shatter Orbs - The first time you break a combatant's shield, you create an Orb of Power if you break the shield with the matching damage type.
Defiant Armory - Greatly improves the benefits provided by the Noble Deeds, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, Tex Balanced Stock, and Ambush Origin traits.
Untangler - Destroying a Tangle with a Strand weapon suspends targets damaged by the explosion.
Solar Surge - Collecting a Firesprite gives you Armor Charge.
Volatile Flow - Picking up an Orb of Power grants your Void weapons Volatile Rounds.

Column 4:

Bricks from Beyond - Defeating a powerful Destiny 2 combatant with a Void weapon has a chance to generate Heavy ammo for you and your teammates.
Flare Up - Firebolt Grenades apply more Scorch stacks. Damaging a combatant with a Firebolt Grenade spawns a Firesprite near them.
Origin Hones - Weapons with the Noble Deeds, Nanotracing Rockets, Tex Balanced Stock, and Ambush Origin traits are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Allied Unraveling - Rapid final blows with a Strand weapon grant your weapon Unraveling Rounds, with a longer duration near allies.
Counterweave - When you or a member of your fireteam stuns or defeats a Champion, you gain energy for your least-charged Strand ability.

Column 5:

Solar Glaive from Season of the Seraph (Image via Destiny 2)

Stranded Reach - Destroying a Tangle with a Strand weapon creates a larger and more damaging explosion.
Rain of Firebolts - When you have Firebolt Grenades equipped, gain a second grenade charge.
Void Weapons Channeling - You gain a temporary bonus to Destiny 2 Void weapon damage after you defeat a target with a Void weapon while at least one of your Void abilities is fully charged. This damage bonus increases based on the number of fully charged Void abilities you have.
Medieval Champion - Glaives you wield fire a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions. Additionally, Glaives are always Overcharged when that modifier is active. Landing consecutive hits with a Sword disrupts combatants, stunning them, delaying ability energy regeneration, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Swords are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Prismatic Transfer - When you cast your Super, each member of your fireteam with a subclass damage type different than yours gains a bonus to weapon damage.

Based on the mods and descriptions above, it is safe to assume that Bungie is trying to lean toward new mechanics in combat.

Destiny 2 Lightfall is scheduled for release on February 28, 2023, alongside Season of Defiance.