The latest chapter in the Destiny 2 story, Shadowkeep, released today, but another significant update was made to Destiny 2 that players won’t have to pay for. That’s right, Destiny 2 is now entirely free-to-play, complete with a new title: Destiny 2 New Light. Whether you’re a Destiny veteran who isn’t quite ready to bite the bullet for Shadowkeep or someone brand-new to the Destiny universe, there’s a ton of free content available for you to check out.
What exactly is and isn’t gated behind a paywall can be a bit confusing though, so that’s where we come in. Here’s everything you can play for free in Destiny 2 today, whether you’re on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Steam.
The first and arguably most significant change being made to Destiny 2 with the launch of Shadowkeep and New Light is that everyone starts at 750 power. New guardians will begin immediately at 750, and old guardians who were below 750 will be automatically bumped up. While previous Destiny content had ways for players to catch up, like power bounties that rewarded high-level gear, starting everyone at 750 allows everyone to access all the new and exciting content right off the bat.
And there’s a ton of content to jump into. The entirety of the Red War, Destiny 2‘s vanilla campaign, is available to all players, as are the campaigns of Curse of Osiris and Warmind, the game’s first two expansions. Pretty much all of Destiny 2‘s year one content is free now, including the full suite of strikes, nightfalls, and raids. All year one exotics are available for free alongside a handful of year two exotics like Thunderlord, Outbreak Perfected, and Bad Juju.
The Forsaken and Shadowkeep campaigns require you to purchase them, but you can still access the Forsaken patrol zones in the Tangled Shore and Dreaming City and even the new Moon zone from Shadowkeep without paying a dime. If you want the story missions, raids, and subclasses from either of these expansions, you’ll have to fork over some cash (although you can access the opening mission of Shadowkeep and the two new strikes for free to get a taste of the new content). Alongside patrol zones, all players will also have access to new gameplay features like the newly revamped armor system, melee finishers, and seasonal artifacts.
New Light players will also get access to year two annual pass activities like the Black Armory Forges, Gambit Prime, and The Menagerie free of charge. If you’re more PvP minded, the entirety of the Crucible is free, including the new maps added with Shadowkeep. Destiny‘s PvP/PvE hybrid Gambit mode is free too. If you’re looking to play with your friends, there’s a lot you can do without buying anything. In-game events will also be free for all players, so nobody will have to miss out on Festival of the Lost, Iron Banner, The Dawning, or any of Destiny‘s limited-time events. Access to new seasonal modes like the Vex Offensive activity added with Season of the Undying will require you to own the season pass, however.
If you do elect to purchase Shadowkeep, you’ll get access to the full breadth of new content as well as the Season of the Undying Pass. Right now, you’ll get the complete Shadowkeep campaign and the raid that launches this weekend, but once Season of the Undying kicks into full gear, there will be new content every week, including new exotic quests, a new dungeon, and the aforementioned Vex Offensive activity. Owning the Season of the Undying Pass also gets you access to the premium tier of seasonal rewards, which is Destiny 2‘s new battle pass system that includes everything from Eververse items to exotic engrams. Without purchasing the pass, you can still participate in Festival of the Lost and Iron Banner, but if you want the full package, you’ll have to pick up the expansion.
As it stands, a good chunk of Destiny 2 is completely free. If you want absolutely everything though, you’ll need to buy last year’s Forsaken expansion and the newly released Shadowkeep, which will set you back $25 and $35 respectively. There’s no annual pass this year and you can buy seasons a la carte for $10 each. Season of the Undying comes with Shadowkeep, so you won’t have to purchase anything extra just yet, but if you want to get ahead of the curve and pick up all future seasons today, you can snag the Shadowkeep Digital Deluxe Edition for $60, which will net you the expansion and all four season passes for year three.
Destiny 2 Shadowkeep is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will also be available on Google Stadia once the service launches later this fall.
