If you are wondering how-to trigger the heroic version of every public event in Destiny 2 then our guide will help you out! This guide is fully up-to-date and includes all of the public events from the recently released Forsaken expansion.

Public Events spawn all around the various destinations in the game. These are fun to do while you are exploring, or just as a break after some questing or PVPing. If you want a bit more of a challenge, you can make them Heroic Public Events. This requires you to do a set of specific conditions to enable the more difficult version. When you complete a heroic version, you get higher quality loot and more experience!

Heroic Public Event Triggers List

Let me know if I've missed any of the public events in the comments!

Cabal Excavation

There's a large Thresher ship that hovers around the event periodically. Destroy this ship and it will trigger the Heroic event.

Locations

• EDZ
• Mars
• Nessus

Cryo-Pod Freeze

There are two vents on either side of the pod. When they start to smoke (during the electrified ground portion), shoot at them. If you destroy the cover, it will reveal an orb that you can pick up. Take this orb and throw it at the boss! If the boss is hit with three orbs, it will trigger the Heroic event.

Locations

• The Tangled Shore

Defend the Warsat

Two Wizards will spawn, kill these. A Shrieker will then open up (the black orbs you see floating that are immune). Destroy the Shrieker, and repeat this three times before the Warsat reaches 100%.

Locations

• Mars

Destroy the Arsenal Walker

Destroy one of the legs of the Arsenal Walker. Three orbs are then dropped once a leg has been broken. Take these orbs to the small structures that are keeping the three force-fields up. Once you disable three of the force-fields the heroic will start!

Locations

• European Dead Zone
• Titan

Disrupt Vex Construction

There will be plates that spawn around the event. Stand on one of these until it reaches 100% captured. You'll need to capture three of these plates to trigger the heroic event.

Locations

• IO
• Nessus

Ether Resupply

Damage the boss until he spawns a Transport Servitor. Destroy the Transport Servitor and then go back to damaging the main Servitor. Three Transport Servitors will then spawn eventually, you need to quickly destroy these and it will trigger the heroic event.

Locations

• European Dead Zone
• Nessus

Glimmer Extraction

At each extraction site there's a small turret looking thing that spawns. You need to destroy one of these at each area BEFORE you finish up the enemies. Once you do this at the third location it will start the heroic.

Locations

• European Dead Zone
• Nessus

Injection Rig

Kill the Infiltrator Psion. Once you do this you will see an "evacuate" message. Vents will open up on the Injection Rig. Shoot at these to destroy them, but keep an eye on your health because you are dealt damage while you are standing within the force-field during this part of the event. You will unlikely be able to destroy all the vents during that first phase, so again kill the Infiltrator and then back to the vents. Once the vents are destroyed, the heroic event will trigger.

Locations

• European Dead Zone
• Mars
• Nessus

Rift Generator

While you are attempting to defend the Generator Core, Taken Blights (large black orbs) will spawn over the water area or to the left and right of the Core. Take these down and repeat this three times. After this, one large Taken Blight Orb will spawn above the Generator along with three Witches. Once you take the Witches and Orb out, you will be teleported into the Ascendant Realm and the heroic event will start!

Locations

• The Dreaming City

Stop the Ether Ritual

Kill the Dredge Chieftain that spawns. Once you do, purple-y white orbs will start floating out of the broken servitor. Shoot all of these down. Repeat this three times to trigger the heroic event!

Locations

• The Tangled Shore
• The Dreaming City

Taken Blight

Step into the smaller blights (black orb surrounded by a force-field) and you will get a Blight Receding buff. While under the influence of this buff, shoot at the large Taken Blight Orb in the center of the event. Once you destroy the large blight, the heroic event will trigger.

Locations

• European Dead Zone
• IO
• Titan

Vex Crossroads

Once you shut down the initial warp gates you will move to another area. Once you land at the new area, close the gate as normal. Now, look around the back of the island and you should see a floating crystal. Shoot this crystal to destroy it. Once it is destroyed, it will spawn platforms, jump up to these and more crystals will spawn. Destroy these crystals as well, and repeat until you reach the top of the structure. Go to the middle of this top area, stand here until the heroic is triggered.

Locations

• Mercury

Witches' Ritual

There are two plates in the room. Stand on one of these (both need to be stood on) and kill the two formerly shielded Wizards. Once the Wizards are down, crystals will spawn on either side of the large portal. Make sure someone is still standing on the plates which will disable the shields. Destroy the crystals and the heroic will spawn!

Locations

• Mars
• Titan