Destiny 2 guide: every bit of intel on Bungie’s Next Big Thing we could get our hands on

By Staff

Destiny 2 is already one of the heavyweights of 2017. Here’s everything you need to know.

Destiny 2 makes a lot of changes to the formula established by the first of Bungie’s shared-world shooters, which had itself evolved a great deal in the three and a half years between its launch and final major update.

Whether you’re a returning Guardian or a brand new player, we’ve got everything you need to know about Destiny 2’s gameplay, story and setting, classes, subclasses, multiplayer, destinations, activities, Exotics, weapons and more.

We’ve also got plenty of Destiny 2 trailers and gameplay footage, details on the Destiny 2 beta, information regarding the PC version of Destiny 2, and much more.

All of that is available right here on our Destiny 2 guide: regularly updated, lovingly maintained, and hopefully ever-growing. Bookmark us and come back often; this is everything you need to know about Destiny 2.

Destiny 2 gameplay reveal

Let’s start off with Destiny 2’s gameplay reveal, which took place in Los Angeles on May 18. Bungie and Activision were proud to show off their new baby for the first time, revealing story, gameplay and more. You can watch the full Destiny 2 gameplay reveal above.

If you don’t have over an hour to spare, don’t worry – Bungie released a number of short videos presenting individual segments of the gameplay reveal for easier digestion, so you can cherry pick what you want to watch.

To start us off, here’s a Destiny 2 gameplay trailer with a montage of footage from the first mission of the story campaign, which is called Homecoming.

Although the montage edit doesn’t give you the full context for the mission, what it does do is show off Destiny 2 gameplay – shooting stuff. Yep. Guns a plenty to ogle in their brief appearances. You’ll also get a look at the new supers, and more.

Next up is a quick recap of what’s changed in Destiny 2 – the story and setting, new activities, the new subclasses, how weapons have changed, and more.

The next segment to be released covered how Guided Games and in-game clans mean Destiny 2 players can always find a game.

During the Destiny 2 gameplay reveal event, Bungie also released a new Destiny 2 cinematic trailer, which we’ll look at a little further down the page, too.

Destiny 2 story and setting

After the first game was criticised for its lack of substantial narrative content, Bungie has jokingly said Destiny 2 has so much story you’ll get sick of it.

Destiny and its sequel are both set far in the future, in the wake of an event known as the Collapse. This event was the end of Humanity’s Golden Age, an era of scientific marvels and industry, brought on by the arrival of the mysterious Traveller. Unfortunately, the four races of the Darkness wanted the Traveller’s Light for their own, and their invasion of Earth and surrounds proved apocalyptic to Humanity. The last remnants survive in the Last City, sheltered by the Vanguard, leaders of the undead Guardians who channel the Traveller’s Light to protect the city. (That’s us!)

The main campaign of Destiny 2 is called the Red War. It kicks off when the Red Legion, an elite force of Cabal led by Lord Ghaul, invades Earth – or more specifically, the Tower. The attack is successful and the Vanguard are driven from the Last City.

Ghaul locks the Traveller in a strange sort of cage, severing the Guardians’ connections to the Light, and explaining why we start without most of our powers (and guns) in Destiny 2.

Bungie has said that the story of Destiny 2 is focused on the Light, and what it means to be chosen by it. The Guardian’s connection to their Ghost and thus the Traveller comes under examination, and antagonist Ghaul is envious of the player’s Light. The Darkness will not play a major part in Destiny 2; Bungie has admitted it didn’t originally have a plan for what the Darkness was, and is ret-conning the first game’s descriptions of alien races as “minions of the Darkness”.

Our quest to combat Ghaul and win back the Light will take us around the solar system. There are four main Destinations players will visit in Destiny 2:

• Earth
  On Earth, the centre of human occupation shifts, and players will be exploring the European Dead Zone rather than the Cosmodrome in Old Russia. It’s the “largest destination yet” at twice the size of any area in Destiny the First. It features a lush forest, abandoned town and a cave system, as well as a Red Legion base. This is also where you’ll find the new social space, The Farm.
• Titan
  A moon of Saturn, Titan is a marine planet with no surface landmasses. Players will explore a series of crumbling Golden Age relice, platforms which were once the site of a utopia. Commander Zavala, the Titan Vanguard, is set up here.
• Nessus
  In our time, Nessus is an icy, minor centaur planet, but in Destiny 2 it has been almost completely terraformed and taken over by the Vex. It’s a land of majestic canyons and bursts of colourful vegetation lashed together with inexplicable Vex caverns. Cayde-6, the Hunter Vanguard, is questing here.
• Io
  Io is the last place the Traveller touched before the Collapse, and is sacred to Warlocks – which is why Warlock Vanguard Ikora Rey is hanging out on this moon of Jupiter. Now tainted by the presence of troops of the Darkness, it’s a land of strange technological wonders.

The Red War isn’t the only story in Destiny 2, so expect plenty of adventures as you explore these spaces.

Because we’re jerks, we’ve put together a giant three part feature on how the first Destiny’s story woes lead directly into what Bungie’s doing with the sequel. Keen?

• Why Destiny’s alien-walloping story disappointed you so much
• What Bungie learned over three years of hits and misses
• The story of Destiny 2: going back to basics and picking up the dangling threads

Destiny 2 gameplay, changes and new content

Quite a lot has changed in Destiny 2 compared to Destiny the First. We won’t rehash every Destiny system here (you can visit our Destiny guide for that sort of thing), but instead offer information from the Destiny 2 gameplay reveal of most use to returning veterans:

• Everyone starts fresh even if they import a character. Bungie wanted to “break bones” with game design. No guns, no levels.
• The primary, secondary and heavy weapon slot systems have been axed. Players can now equip a kinetic, energy and power weapon.
• Weapons no longer feature random rolls. What you see is what you get, every time.
• Weapons have a mod slot in Destiny 2. That may mean skins rather than attachments, though.
• Armour stats have changed to armour, agility and recovery. No more Intellect, Discipline and Strength.
• There is no need to go to Orbit when moving between activities. A seamless Navigator gets you into the action faster.
• Players can now open the world map anywhere. The map will show public events and discovered activities.
• NPCs will populate social hubs in gameplay spaces. Chat with NPCs to pick up story quests and leads on other activities.
• Destiny 2’s social space is called the Farm. It has a football field with scoreboard, secrets to unlock, and more.
• There’s a Strike called the Inverted Spire. Set on Nessus, it has players battling the Cabal and the Vex.
• Clans are now an in-game feature. You’ll have emblems and all sorts now.
• There will be matchmaking for raids and other activities. It’s called Guided Games and it extends to all kinds of activities.
• Guided Games are only available for normal difficulty activities. You can still use it to matchmake raids, but not the heroic versions.
• There are new activity types. The full list revealed so far is Story Campaign, Strikes, Patrols, Quests, Public Events, Crucible (returning), as well as Adventures, Lost Sectors and Flashpoints (new).
  • Adventures are side missions granted by NPCs.
  • Lost Sectors are dangerous dungeons, again unlocked through NPCs.
  • Flashpoint is a weekly PvE event with Nightfall-tier loot.
  • The first Raid is about “a place you’ll believe is real”.
• Grimoire cards will not be returning. All lore will be in game.
• All Destiny 2 activities are hosted on a dedicated server. No host migration as in Destiny the First – but there are still some P2P elements though.
• Returning players will be rewarded in Destiny 2. Bungie is keeping most of it secret, but there are some emblems you can earn right now.

Destiny 2 Crucible: all PvP details so far

Bungie is making significant changes to PvP in Destiny 2, designed to make matches more intense.

For starters, unlike the first game, Destiny 2 PvP modes will be mostly 4v4, as opposed to 6v6.

You’ll still receive limited supplies of more powerful ammo, but only the first player to chest gets power ammo. That means there’s a much smaller chance of having your whole team go down while crowding around the ammo crate – and fewer chances per player to use their big guns. Since power weapons also include things like shotguns, this should mean we see players more reliant on primary weapons than ever before.

Bungie has revealed a new Destiny 2 PvP mode called Countdown in which teams are designated offence and defence, and play one round in each role. The attacking team must deliver a bomb to the defending group’s base, and keep it safe long enough for it to explode. Revives are limited.

The developer has also made significant changes to Control mode in Destiny 2. Teams will start with control of one zone each, can capture zones without neutralising them, and capture zones more quickly. However, they’ll no longer enjoy a capture speed bonus for having multiple players on one control point.

So far, Bungie has shown off three Destiny 2 PvP maps, the most unusual of which is the alien Endless Vale on Nessus. On Earth, the more familiar Midtown takes us back to the European Dead Zone and Vostok is set around the Iron temple on Felwinter Peak.

Private matches will not be available in Destiny 2 at release, but on the other hand, there may be some sort of ranked play system in place then or soon after.

Destiny 2 classes and subclasses

All three original classes return in Destiny 2 – Hunter, Warlock and Titan – and each will have multiple subclass options.

As in the original Destiny, Destiny 2 players will be able to freely switch between subclass and upgrade paths at any time.

The three classes and their skill trees have been overhauled. Each of three classes now has a unique class skill shared across all subclasses, which comes in two variants.

• Warlocks can conjure a Rift that continually heal or buff teammates.
• Titans can place Barriers to provide total shelter or tactical cover with ammo.
• Hunters can perform a Dodges that reload their weapon or increase melee energy.

Jump abilities return and, like class abilities, are shared across all subclasses. Grenade, passive skill trees and supers are unique to their associated subclasses.

We’re waiting on confirmation on which original subclasses will also appear in Destiny 2, but we do know that the Hunter Gunslinger, Warlock Voidwalker and Titan Striker return.

Destiny 2 adds at least three new subclasses – one each for Hunter, Warlock and Titan.

• The new Hunter subclass is called Arkstriker. The super summons a staff of Arc.
• The new Warlock subclass is Dawnblade. The super summons a sword of Solar.
• The new Titan subclass is Sentinel. The super summons a Void shield, which can be thrown.

The new Destiny subclasses seem to replace subclasses from the first game – Hunter Bladedancer, Warlock Sunsinger and Titan Defender. Bungie has said the Sunsinger’s resurrection super was boring – but that it’s possible we’ll see other support-focused subclasses in Destiny 2 one day.

Destiny 2 subclass guides

We’re putting together detailed guides on every subclass in Destiny 2 – things have changed since the first game. These guides will list every skill and passive ability as we discover them, giving you full details so you can plan your build and co-ordinate with your buddies for co-op.

Each of these pages includes gameplay footage of the subclass in action, so you can see how your chosen Guardian will play in Destiny 2.

• Hunter Gunslinger subclass guide
• Hunter Arcstrider subclass guide
• Titan Striker subclass guide
• Warlock Dawnblade subclass guide

We’ll have full details on each of the other Destiny 2 subclasses as they come in, but for now you can enjoy some PvP footage of Destiny 2’s new Warlock Voidwalker and Titan Sentinel subclasses. If you’d like a better look, check out these more in-depth analyses of Titan Sentinel gameplay and abilities.

Exotics and weapons

Destiny 2 will put narrative front and centre, but c’mon – we all know why we’ll be lining up. Although it’s early days yet, we’ve already had a look at a slice of Destiny 2’s arsenal; here’s what we know so far.

• Destiny 2 ditches the old primary, secondary and heavy weapons system for kinetic, energy and power weapon slots
  Although you can still equip three weapons at a time, this isn’t just the old system under a new name. Find out exactly how things have changed in Destiny 2.
• An explanation of the kinetic and energy weapon slots in Destiny 2
  See what weapons you can equip in each slot, see some of them in action, and dive deep on the differences between the two everyday weapon equip slots in Destiny 2.
• These are the six weapon types in Destiny 2’s power weapon category so far
  Some of the old secondary weapons have been promoted to power weapons in Destiny 2, making your choice in this category even more important than picking a Heavy in the first game
• Confirmed Exotic weapons in Destiny 2: Riskrunner, Sunshot and Sweet business
  Bungie has formally revealed and detailed three of Destiny 2’s Exotics so far. Perks, gameplay footage and more on these sweet new rarities.
• All 14 Exotics spotted in Destiny 2 so far
  Although officially we only know about three, we’ve spotted many more Exotics in Destiny 2. Take a peek at them all.
• PS4 Exclusive Destiny 2 content includes Borealis sniper rifle
  We don’t know much about this one yet, unfortunately. Screenshots suggest it comes in three elemental types, though.
• All the swords we’ve seen in Destiny 2 so far – broadswords, katana and more
  Swords return in Destiny 2 and we love them more than ever. With this much variety in just one weapon type, how will you ever change over to rocket launcher or sniper rifle…?
• First look at Exotic armour pieces in Destiny 2
  Bungie’s being even more close-mouthed on armour than weapons, but we’ve spotted three pieces of plate that can only be Exotics.

Destiny 2 release date

Destiny 2 will release on September 6, 2017 on PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version of Destiny 2 will release on October 24, 2017.

This Destiny 2 release information is current as of E3 2017, when Activision revealed the PC date and brought the console date forward from its originally announced window. Bungie has said it made this decision so that Destiny 2’s servers wouldn’t melt at launch, since the previous date was a weekend.

Destiny 2 beta start times

There will be a Destiny 2 beta, allowing lucky Guardians to try out the sequel ahead of release date. Content available will be similar to that experienced by attendees at the Destiny 2 gameplay reveal event; you can see the full list of Destiny 2 beta content and get directions on code redemption here.

Pre-ordering Destiny 2 on any platform grants you early access to the Destiny 2 beta on that platform (on PC, you’ll also get Destiny 2 beta access with purchase of a GTA 1080/GTX 1080 TI bundled with Destiny 2). However, the beta will later open doors to everyone. Console players will need an active PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription as appropriate.

The Destiny 2 beta begins on July 18, but access is staggered by console and pre-order status. Here are the details.

• Destiny 2 beta PS4 pre-orders early access – July 18 10:00am PT (1:00pm ET/6:00pm UK)
• Destiny 2 beta Xbox One pre-orders early access – July 19 10:00am PT (1:00pm ET/6:00pm UK)
• Destiny 2 beta general PS4 and Xbox One access – 10:00am PT July 21 (1:00pm ET/6:00pm UK)
• Destiny 2 PC beta – late August, details TBC

Click the time links to see Destiny 2 beta start times relevant to your local timezone.

If you’re having trouble with the test, check in with the list of known Destiny 2 beta issues.

Destiny 2 pre-orders

Destiny 2 pre-orders are now available through retailers and digital portals.

If you’re ready to preorder Destiny 2 (gotta get that Destiny 2 beta invite, right?) you have several options to choose from when it comes to editions, with some digital and physical goodies on offer.

You can find full details on the Destiny 2 Limited and Deluxe Editions here, but we’ve also summarised the information below. If you’d like to know more about the individual bonuses, we have a run down on what you get with Destiny 2 special editions which goes into detail on some of the physical extras like the fancy bag.

In addition to pre-orders through Battle.net, the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, most online and bricks-and-mortar retailers are carrying Destiny 2 pre-orders. Some retailers are offering extra bonus content like figurines, steelbooks and more.

Destiny 2 Limited Edition and Collector’s Edition packages are sold out at some retailers, but you can use Bungie’s tool to find retailers in your country that carry it, and check in with each of them to see if they have any allocation remaining.

Special Editions: Limited and Collector’s contents

• Destiny 2 Standard Edition
  • A physical copy of Destiny 2
• Destiny 2 Digital Standard Edition
  • A digital copy of Destiny 2
• Destiny 2 Digital Deluxe Edition
  • A digital copy of Destiny 2
  • Expansion Pass
  • Legendary Sword
  • Legendary Player Emote
  • Cabal Empire Themed Emblem
• Destiny 2 Limited Edition
  • A physical copy of Destiny 2
  • Expansion Pass
  • Legendary Sword
  • Legendary Player Emote
  • Cabal Empire Themed Emblem
  • Limited Edition SteelBook Case
  • Cabal-themed Collector’s Box
  • Cabal booklet
  • Cabal Schematic
  • Cabal Postcards
  • Cabal Military Pawns
• Destiny 2 Collector’s Edition
  • A physical copy of Destiny 2
  • Expansion Pass
  • Legendary Sword
  • Legendary Player Emote
  • Cabal Empire Themed Emblem
  • Limited Edition SteelBook Case
  • Cabal-themed Collector’s Box
  • Cabal booklet
  • Cabal Schematic
  • Cabal Postcards
  • Cabal Military Pawns
  • Frontier Messenger Bag
  • Frontier Kit
  • Solar USB charger with light
  • Paracord
  • Solar blanket

Destiny 2 on PC: Blizzard and Battle.net

Destiny 2 is coming to PC, but there are some things you need to know about it.

First, Destiny 2 will run on Blizzard’s Battle.net. If you want to play, you’ll need to sign up for that – but the good news there is that you can use your existing Battle.net credit to purchase Destiny 2. (Go ahead and start gold farming.) As of July 12, you can link your Blizzard ID on Battle.net.

Destiny 2 pre-orders are available now via Battle.net and Battle.net onsellers such as Humble.

Second, Destiny 2 won’t release on PC day and date with consoles.

Bungie has said it’s committed to making Destiny 2 a very good PC game, going deep on mouse and keyboard support, offering a field of view slider, and uncapping the frame rate (which is locked to 30 fps in the console builds of Destiny 2). But Destiny 2 won’t have dedicated servers on PC, and it’s being developed by Vicarious Visions.

It does look very pretty on PC, though, thanks to 4K support. Bungie has refused to give any indication of minimum specs, but we do know the specs of the PCs being used to run Destiny 2 at the gameplay reveal event.

Destiny 2 on PC will also have custom key mapping, text chat, a “detailed” settings screen, and support for 21:9 monitors – among other features. Here’s everything we know about Destiny 2’s PC features so far.

Bungie and Vicarious Visions have made changes to gunplay specifically for the PC version. For example, recoil works differently in Destiny 2 – but don’t worry, Bungie’s trademark, real-feeling boomsticks are still very much present.

For a limited time, you can get Destiny 2 free with a GTX 1080 or GTX 1080 Ti, and secure early beta access as well.

If you’d like to see how the shared-worlds shooter looks on PC, check out Nvidia’s 4K 60fps Destiny 2 video or 12 minutes of Destiny 2 at face-melting 4K. Apparently Destiny 2 hits an “unfaltering” 60fps on PC, which is good news.

Destiny 2 platforms – PC, PS4, or Xbox One?

We know Destiny players can import their characters to Destiny 2. But at present, Bungie has not announced whether players will be able to import Destiny the First characters to Destiny 2 while hopping between platforms – say PS4 to PC, or Xbox One to PS4, or whatever.

Nor has Bungie said whether Destiny 2 will have persistent accounts or cross-play, allowing you to play on and switch between multiple platforms after the game is live.

As such, your choice of platform could be pretty important – do you want to keep your existing character (even though you can’t bring your powers or guns)? Where are all your friends going to play? We’re hoping to get an answer on this soon.

Here’s another important thing to know if you are choosing a platform: Destiny 2 will have PS4 exclusive content. PS4 players will have access to an additional Crucible map, Retribution; a strike, Lake of Shadows; an Exotic sniper rifle; armour; and a ship. Those links will take you to images of the PS4 Exclusive content, if you want to take a squizz.

The good news is, PS4 exclusive Destiny 2 content will come to other platforms sometime in 2018.

As for other differentiators, there’s no difference in frame rate between the two consoles. Destiny 2 will be 30fps on all consoles, including Xbox One X. Sorry. Bungie has said that’s so Destiny 2 remains fun and fair to play for everyone; if some Xbox players are running at a higher frame rate, they’d have an advantage over everyone else.

However, Destiny 2 runs super smoothly at 60fps on PC, so that may be an option if you’re a frame counter.

Destiny 2 trailers

Want to watch some Destiny 2 trailers? We got you covered.

The video above is a Destiny 2 teaser released by Bungie just after it first announced Destiny 2.

This next one is the very first full cinematic trailer for Destiny 2.

Up next is the second Destiny 2 cinematic trailer, from the gameplay reveal event.

Here’s the Destiny 2 E3 2017 trailer, which is called Our Darkest Hour and focuses on antagonist Ghaul.

This trailer shows off Destiny 2’s PS4 exclusive content, and was also released at E3 2017.

That’s all the trailers for now, although the Destiny 2 gameplay reveal montage video is worth a look, too.

Is there anything else you want to know about Destiny 2? Have you seen something we’ve missed? Let us know. Keep it locked here, Guardians; we’ll be updating with everything Destiny 2, as it happens.