6 things you need to know about Destiny: Rise of Iron

Rise of Iron is here and if you've not played it yet you may have missed a few pertinent details. Don't worry, here's what you need to know before you head back to Old Russia:

Clans actually matter thanks to private Crucible matches

You can now set up a private match using any of the maps and modes available to you, with ample tweaks. Yes, that does mean you can have a 6v6, Light-enabled, Mayhem Clash match for optimal chaos. Also, your lobby will bear the name of your clan - perfect for training or clan-on-clan rivalries.

The Crucible has an honor-claiming mode

Supremacy is like Clash (Team Deathmatch) except you don't get points for kills, you get points for picking up crests that your enemies drop when they die. You can also deny the other team points by scooping up your teammates' crests before the enemy. It's not a 100-percent original game mode, but it should help mix things up in the Crucible.

The new raid looks like sci-fi Mad Max

Wrath of the Machine has players ascending a Fallen facility, popping out on top, then falling way back down for the final confrontation. Most importantly, it has a face off against a 'Death Zamboni', a very atypical boss fight where you'll need to keep running or get smashed under its treads. It's out on Friday September 23. 

The Plaguelands have a Court of Oryx style arena with flaming axes

It's easy to lose hours at the Court of Oryx on the Dreadnaught, and you can expect the same of Archon's Forge in The Plaguelands. But this time with a bunch of cyborg Fallen to kill and flaming axes to swing around.

You'll have to retake Felwinter Peak before it becomes your new social space

Unlike The Tower and The Reef's Vestian Outpost, Felwinter Peak won't be waiting to greet you with a bunch of new quests and dancing player characters. You'll have to clear out the Devil Splicers first, then work to restore the glory of the Iron Lords' shrine by lighting a bunch of fires. 

Ornaments will set your gear on fire

New Rise of Iron gear isn't quite cool enough for you? Why not set it on fire? Many of the new gear pieces coming to Destiny will include a special Ornament slot, and a bunch of existing items are getting updates too (like your good old Monte Carlo). Just like slotting in Chroma, Ornaments are only for looks, but damn if they don't look cool.

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Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.