How to Play Escalation Protocol with 9 Friends in Destiny 2
Easily complete a Level 7 Escalation Protocol by getting nine friends together in Destiny 2.
Escalation Protocol is Destiny 2’s latest, and most challenging, public activity, requiring excellent teamwork, powerful weapons, and a bit of system trickery. Players who want to attempt and hopefully clear Level 7 of the Escalation Protocol will need to get together and form a 9-player team. This requires a little bit of fiddling, but it's simple enough.
How to Play Escalation Protocol with 9 People
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Escalation Protocols are Patrol-specific activities that occur in two distinct locations on Mars: in the Braytech Futurescape and in the Glacial Drift. Being that it happens in Patrol, the maximum amount of players present is far higher than in raids or crucible – nine (9) players can be in an area at once. This means that, with some luck, players can have eight other friends in one Patrol instance.
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The steps for getting all nine players together are fairly straightforward:
- All players load into the Escalation Protocol area
- Fast travel between the two zones until at least three players can see one another
- Remaining players join the Fireteams of those three players
- This will result in three Fireteams of three players in one area
- Activate the Escalation Protocol and prepare to fight
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The way this works is that fast travelling to one location, and then back to the other, forces Destiny 2’s matchmaking system to try and pair players together. By having everyone travel back and forth, there is a higher chance that more players will encounter one another.
Once a few have arrived in the same instance, the others can freely join a Fireteam – of which the maximum is three players. This should result in nine players being in the same instance, with all of these players knowing one another and being able to communicate.
From here, group up on the Escalation Protocol and activate it. While it won’t necessarily be easy, it will be easier than attempting to complete it without being able to communicate with random players. It will also be a good idea to have all players at 350, and if they’re higher, even better. It could also be worth spending the time to unlock the Sleeper Simulant, as it will help destroy the tough bosses.
Getting friends together to play Destiny 2 is all part of the charm, and although it’s not possible to launch a Patrol with nine players, there is a way to trick the system into grouping friends together. Using this method of getting nine friends together, the Escalation Protocol should become more manageable.
Take some time to look over the Shacknews Destiny 2 Complete Strategy Guide for more insights into the game mechanics and guides for weapons, as well as raids.