Public Event

A public event where players fend off a Fallen attack.

A Public Event is a type of encounter in Destiny in which several players in the same area can work together to achieve a common goal.^[1] Events may occur while on Patrol or within Strike missions.^[2]

Public Events are rated after completion based on the Guardians' performance; if time runs out before the objective is met, it is a Bronze-Tier rating. If time runs out but the Guardians manage to almost complete the objective, it is a Silver-Tier rating. If the objective is completed before the timer runs out, is a Gold-Tier rating. Guardians are rewarded with Glimmer, Motes of Light and experience instantly. Earlier in the game's history, it would reward Ascendant Shards or Ascendant Energy for Gold-Tier ratings. Guardians could pick up their rewards at the Postmaster if it was their first Gold-Tier rating of the day.^[3]

Public Event Types

Defeat Extraction Crews—defeat three waves of enemies before time runs out to deactivate the Glimmer Drill.
Defend the Warsat—have your Ghost scan the warsat; the more Guardians that stand near it, the faster it can download the data. Defend yourself from waves of enemy reinforcements.
Defeat the Fallen Walker—destroy a Fallen Walker before time runs out.
Eliminate the Target—a powerful enemy with a high health count and rapid shield regeneration (depending on whether or not it has a shield) will appear. Defeat them before they reach a checkpoint; this will require heavy firepower from several players.^[3]
Prevent Vex Sacrifices—similar to Defend the Warsat, keep the Vex away from the object/area, allowing up to 10 sacrifices until failure. There is a countdown to defend the object/area. ^[4]
Court of Oryx—a series of player-initiated boss battles exclusive to the Hall of Souls in the Dreadnaught.
Archon's Forge—a series of player-initiated boss battles exclusive to the Plaguelands in Old Russia

Destiny Public Event Schedule

Note: Sometimes instead of a Public Event, the player will receive the message "The enemy is moving against each other", and a large group of two types of enemies will start fighting. Most of the enemies found in these events will be very powerful (i.e. Hallowed Knight, Reaver Captain). Fighting in this event does not reward the player with any bonus experience.^[5] This will happen in the Skywatch, The Barrens, and Ishtar Commons. Also, the player might receive the message "A roving band of Pikes is nearby." In this instance, several Dregs on Pikes will appear. This can happen at the Forgotten Shore as well as on the Moon.

Additional Note: When fighting Hive Wizards for the Kill an Enemy events the Wizard will sometimes "teleport" near the end of the event if the players manage to slow them down sufficiently for an extended period, usually resulting in failure of the event due to the time taken to re-engage the target.