Destiny 2
MMO FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER (2017) by BUNGIE — creators of HALO. Free-to-play core game with paid annual EXPANSIONS. Play as a GUARDIAN wielding the LIGHT + DARKNESS across a sci-fi solar system. Tight best-in-class shooter gunplay + rich loot chase + raids for 6-player teams (widely considered the best PvE raid design in gaming). MMO story arc spanning 8+ years (2017-2025 = 'Light and Darkness Saga' concluded with FINAL SHAPE 2024; new story arc began with EPISODE HERESY 2025 + FRONTIERS 2026). ~25M active accounts.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Team sport
Players
1–6
Duration
~3600 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
2017 launch (September 6, 2017); annual expansions to 2026+
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Progress through story campaigns + raid endgame + PvP; wield light + darkness to defeat cosmic threats.
Rules
Basic rules
Choose 1 of 3 classes: Titan (tank), Warlock (space wizard), Hunter (rogue)
Class selection.
5 subclasses per class: Solar, Arc, Void, Stasis, Strand
Elemental subclass system.
PvE modes: Strikes (3-player), Raids (6-player), Dungeons (3-player), Nightfalls
Cooperative content.
PvP modes: Crucible (6v6), Trials of Osiris (elite 3v3), Iron Banner (weekly)
Competitive PvP.
Endless loot chase: weapons + armor with random rolls + perks
MMO loot loop.
Live-service: seasons every 3 months, expansions annually
Continuous evolution.
Scoring
Power Level (currently 1810+) + Trials + raid completion rankings; PvP KDA + Trials flawless.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Power Level maximum for season | ~5-10 hours weekly to reach cap |
| Day 1 Raid clear | Elite achievement (~1000 teams worldwide) |
| Trials of Osiris Flawless (7-0) | Elite PvP achievement |
| Grandmaster Nightfall completion | Endgame PvE |
Win condition · Live-service — endless narrative + progression; individual season/raid clears are the milestones.
Equipment
PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, PC (Windows) via Steam
Multi-platform crossplay + cross-save
Controller (recommended) or M/KB
Both work well
Free-to-play New Light + paid expansions
Currently $50 per annual expansion
Terminology
- Guardian
- Player character — resurrected warrior of the Light.
- Ghost
- Guardian's companion AI (voiced by Nolan North + originally Peter Dinklage).
- Traveler
- The Light-giving cosmic entity above Earth.
- Vex, Fallen, Hive, Cabal, Taken, Scorn, Dread
- Enemy races.
- Raid
- 6-player elite PvE endgame content — 3-8 hours per completion.
- Trials of Osiris
- Elite 3v3 PvP; Flawless (7-0 wins) is peak accomplishment.
- Nightfall
- Elite 3-player Strike with modifiers.
- Exotic
- Yellow-tier weapons/armor with unique perks; 1 per loadout.
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Bungie (developer)
Founded 1991 · Bellevue, Washington, USA (owned by Sony since 2022)
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Luke Smith (former game director)
- Joe Blackburn (former game director)
- Datto, Aztecross, Fallout Plays (major streamers/content creators)
- Global Day 1 Raid race community (Elysium, Redeem, Clan Redeem clans)
Frequently asked
Destiny 2 vs Halo — Bungie's two big shooter franchises?+
Same developer BUNGIE created both. HALO (1999-2010 Bungie): tight sci-fi FPS focused on cinematic single-player + tight multiplayer; Bungie sold Halo to Microsoft 2007 (last Bungie Halo was Reach 2010). DESTINY (2014+ Bungie): MMO-FPS with continuous live-service updates + loot chase + raids. Different genres but recognizable Bungie gunfeel + design DNA. Halo now under 343 Industries; Destiny still Bungie (Sony subsidiary since 2022).
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Destiny 2— Wikipedia