History of Survey the Area

Overview

Survey the Area is a Patrol Survey on Hellas Basin, Mars, added with Destiny 2: Warmind: survey Cabal activity by staying near the marker until progress reaches 100%.

It is an Explore-type activity. Patrols like this one are opened from a patrol beacon in a Sector, and not every beacon is active at the same time. Survey patrols usually send you to another Sector of the same zone, though sometimes they stay in the same place.

Launching and unlocking

Patrols become available after you finish the Io story missions, then speak to Cayde-6 at The Farm and complete his introductory mission. After that, patrols can be completed in every location where their beacons are active. Using Nav Mode shows patrol icons from a short distance, which helps you find the beacon.

Gameplay

The objective is a marker. Stand at the correct point and stay alive while the survey meter fills to 100%. Enemies may or may not be nearby. Survey patrols often lead to remote areas that are usually a little safer than other patrol locations. Keep to the exact spot, since it is easy to mistake a nearby floor or corner for the place where scanning counts.

Rewards

Completing a patrol spawns a Loot Cache in the Sector, marked on the map. Patrols in general pay out resources such as tokens and a small amount of Glimmer.

Availability

Hellas Basin was vaulted with Destiny 2: Beyond Light (November 10, 2020), so this is no longer playable. Hellas Basin was a Warmind destination, and Destinypedia notes its vaulting with Beyond Light. Destinypedia's Patrol page lists Mars patrols as removed, while Warmind-era guides describe Mars patrols, so the details of these patrols are uncertain for the current game.