New to Destiny 2? Start here.

Get up to speed quickly with our introduction to Destiny 2's core systems, classes and game modes.

Why you should start playing Destiny 2 today

1. Easy to pick up, fun to master

Getting started is easy. The first few missions show you the ropes, from combat and navigating planets, to introducing your Vanguard class leaders. Before you know it, you’ll be fighting the scourge of the universe as humanity’s last line of defense.

2. Enjoy best-in-class gameplay

Honed by a dedicated development team supported by a passionately engaged community, Destiny 2 is one of the most refined shooting games available today. Tight combat mechanics and explosive abilities provide nuance and variety, so you can tackle each encounter however you like.

3. Experience an unmissable story

Destiny 2 has a rich and immersive narrative, skillfully delivered by the team at Bungie, with rich lore fleshing out an engaging saga alongside each unique campaign story.

4. Play your way with rich customization options

For every Guardian class, you can express yourself with extensive customization options across various weapon and armor sets. There is always new gear being added to the game and a rich collection of cosmetic items are available via the in-game store.

5. There's always something to do

Finished the campaign and thirsty for more? There’s always something to do, with raids, strikes, dungeons and a variety of PvP modes ready for you to jump in, conquer and walk away with the best loot the game has to offer.

6. You don’t need to go alone…

Download the Destiny 2 Companion app on your phone and find other Guardians looking for people to play with. Some of the most challenging activities in the game are also the most gratifying to complete with a fireteam of friends.

7. Expand your universe

Expansions are epic story additions that can be played in any order and can be accessed as soon as you’re done with the tutorial missions. Your character is automatically leveled up to prepare you for each experience, so you won’t be underpowered.

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Guardian classes

Guard and defend the Last City of humanity as a member of one of three classes.

Titan

Disciplined and proud, Titans are capable of both aggressive assaults and stalwart defenses. Set your hammer ablaze, crack the sky with lightning and go toe-to-toe with any opponent. Your team will stand tall behind the strength of your shield.

Warlock

Warlocks weaponize the mysteries of the universe to sustain themselves and destroy their foes. Rain devastation on the battlefield and clear hordes of enemies in the blink of an eye. Those who stand with you will know the true power of the Light.

Hunter

Agile and daring, Hunters are quick on their feet and quicker on the draw. Fan the hammer of your golden gun, flow through enemies like the wind, or strike from the Darkness. Find the enemy, take aim and end the fight before it starts.

Warning: Contains spoilers for previous expansions!

The story so far

While each expansion forms part of a larger narrative, they all tell self-contained stories that can be enjoyed without a deep knowledge of the game’s expansive lore. Here’s a quick summary of the major events in Destiny 2's eventful history.

Forsaken (2018)

Shadowkeep (2019)

Beyond Light (2020)

The Witch Queen (2022)

Lightfall (2023)

The Final Shape (2024)

2018

The galaxy’s most wanted criminals—the Barons and Uldren Sov—organized a jailbreak at the Prison of Elders. You and Cayde-6 were dispatched to the prison to restore law and order, but the mission went horribly wrong. Overwhelmed and outgunned, Cayde-6 ended up paying the ultimate price.

Distraught, you headed to the Reef to hunt down the eight Barons and avenge Cayde-6’s death. During this deadly journey, you encountered the Scorn, a new type of Fallen tainted and corrupted by the Darkness. After much struggle and bloodshed, you finally defeated the eight Barons and the evil Uldren, delivering justice once and for all.

2019

As the heroes of the Last City turned their attention to new frontiers, the Darkness summoned new Nightmares from the shadows of the Moon. As the Darkness’s power grew, it resurrected a horde of familiar, deadly threats.

Faced with the return of vanquished villains like Crota and Dominus Ghaul, elite Guardian Eris Morn tasked you with vanquishing this rising terror before it was too late. Following a series of dramatic showdowns, you come face to face with an entity that reveals itself as our salvation and learn that the Light may not be powerful enough to stop the Darkness.

2020

A new power was born out of the ancient Pyramid stationed above Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, and a dark empire rose beneath. With the stakes graver than ever, you took down the empire at great cost - even harnessing the deadly power of the Darkness when necessary.

As the Darkness spread, the Guardians finds themselves entering into an impossible deal with Savathun, the Hive Witch Queen: remove her hive worm and she will guarantee the return of the infamous warlock Osiris. With the forces of light upholding their end of the deal, Savathun narrowly escapes, free from her worm and now mortal.

2022

After the Witch Queen’s great escape, the Guardians went to her Throne World to pursue Savathûn. As you and Warlock Vanguard Ikora Rey fought the Witch Queen’s forces, you discovered that Osiris was being impersonated by Savathûn for the past year. Worse yet, your journey through her Throne World yielded another harrowing revelation: the Witness was responsible for all the atrocities attributed to the Darkness.

With the Witness now flanked by a new Disciple in the exiled emperor Calus, the Darkness’s grip on the galaxy only grew tighter. Yet, not all hope was lost. As Osiris awakened from his coma, he revealed that the key to defeating the Witness could be found on Neptune.

2023

In Destiny 2: Lightfall, Guardians venture to Neptune to explore Neomuna, a hidden city where a splinter of humanity has thrived in the aftermath of the Collapse. While the rest of the Solar System has been embroiled in years of bitter conflict, Neomuna has quietly stayed under the radar. Now, however, the Witness has set its sights on Neptune, as the conflicts of the past have finally found their way to Neomuna’s door…

2024

The Final Shape looms—a nightmarish calcification of reality into the Witness's twisted design. Embark on a perilous journey into the heart of the Traveler, rally the Vanguard and end the War of Light and Darkness.

Tips for starting out in Destiny 2

Looking for advice on where to get started? Try out these tips, direct from Bungie.

Give yourself a boost

Apply armor pieces and mods to boost your stats. There are six traits that can be improved:

Mobility: Increases your movement speed and maximum jump height. Ideal for Hunters.
Resilience: Reduces the cooldown of your class ability, increases how much damage you can take before dying and increases your shield capacity. Ideal for Titans.
Recovery: Increases the speed at which you regain lost health. Ideal for Warlocks.
Discipline: Decreases your grenade cooldown.
Intellect: Decreases your Super cooldown.
Strength: Decreases your melee ability cooldown.

Equip the Seasonal Artifact

The Seasonal Artifact is your key to unlocking powerful mods for your weapons and armor. Earn XP as you play to get bonuses that increase your Power alongside your armor mods and abilities. You can earn the Artifact by completing the opening mission of the Episode.

Play at your own pace

There are a lot of different playstyles and it's easy to get caught up in the rush and excitement of Episode launches, but don't feel like you have to zip through content. Take your time and find your own playstyle.

Get the app

Download the Destiny Companion mobile app to manage your gear and bounties, find Guardians for your fireteam, and keep track of all the latest news about the game.

Destiny 2 FAQ

What is the Vanguard in Destiny 2?

The Vanguard is a faction that consists of high-ranking Guardians who are considered the best of their respective classes, including legendary Destiny characters Commander Zavala and Ikora Rey.

What is a strike?

Strikes are matchmade activities with three-person fireteams that culminate in a challenging final boss encounter and the reward of high-quality loot. In a strike you’ll fight your way through a set path on one of the available destinations, encountering enemies as you progress. Strikes can be completed in about fifteen minutes depending on the mission and skills of the fireteam.

What is the Vanguard Ops playlist?

The Vanguard Ops playlist is a set of strikes and Battlegrounds that is a great starting point for players to get into the action with a variety of enemies and areas.

What is a raid?

Think of raids as more challenging and elaborate adventures, featuring teams of six players. They usually take longer to complete, but there are checkpoints where your progress is saved so you can come back and finish them later.

In a raid, there will be specific steps you need to complete to progress, and you’ll need to figure out what to do and where to go as there are no objective markers. Boss battles are extremely challenging, but worth it for the experience and chance of unique items that are often only available in raids.

What is a dungeon?

Dungeons are shorter raid type activities that are built for teams of three players, featuring more puzzle-based elements that need to be completed while engaging with enemies.

Are strikes, raids and dungeons hard?

New players can find raids and dungeons challenging, with strong enemies, routes to discover and puzzles to figure out.

Strikes have several difficulty levels available with the lowest difficulty being a great entry point for new players and Grandmaster versions serving as the ultimate challenge to aspire to.

While a well-coordinated fireteam of veteran players can make things easier, discovering how to complete any of these activities with a fireteam of beginners can be a highly rewarding experience.

Is Destiny 2 difficult?

Most activities in Destiny 2 have a recommended Power level. You can easily boost your Power by collecting new weapons and gear with a higher Power level. Some activities, like strikes, have optional higher difficulty levels.

Do I need PlayStation Plus to play Destiny 2?

Players without PlayStation Plus can play any of the expansion campaigns they have purchased. You’ll need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play anything that requires other players such as strikes, raids, PvP modes and dungeons.

Expand your Destiny 2 journey

Destiny 2 expansions

Explore the major updates to Bungie's ever-evolving action shooter.

The Final Shape

Face oblivion. Guardians will need both Darkness and Light to confront the Witness. Experience The Final Shape, including the Prismatic subclass, exotic class items and new enemy types. See a haunting, contorted reality of the Witness's design inside The Pale heart of the Traveler. Among immense dangers and impossible odds, the Traveler bestows Guardians a final gift: the ability to simultaneously wield the power of Light and Darkness to achieve a transcended battle state.

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Lightfall

Travel to a Neptunian neon metropolis as the end to all things approaches - the Witness is here. Collect new rewards and Exotics, wield the new Dark power of Strand to pluck at the threads of reality, and triumph in Lightfall’s unforgettable Legendary mode. When the new raid opens and the race for World First begins, you’ll be ready.

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The Witch Queen

Take back the Light from Savathûn, the Witch Queen. Enter her Throne World, experience a thrilling campaign and survive the truth. Master a brand new weapon crafting system and powerful weapon archetype, the Glaive.

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Beyond Light

Eramis, the Kell of Darkness, has occupied Europa with her Fallen army, and Guardians must respond. Travel to Jupiter’s frozen moon, hunt down Eramis, and prepare to wield the Darkness. The Beyond Light Pack includes access to over 15 Exotics, The Glassway and Proving Grounds Nightfalls, as well as the Deep Stone Crypt raid.

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Shadowkeep

As the heroes of the last safe city turn their attention to the far-reaching frontiers of our galaxy, new Nightmares have emerged from an ancient evil that once slumbered beneath the Lunar surface. The Shadowkeep Pack includes access to over 15 Exotics, the Scarlet Keep Nightfall, Pit of Heresy dungeon, and Garden of Salvation raid.

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