Destiny 2 to get fewer raids and dungeons—but Pantheon-like event is also in the works

Destiny 2 players can expect fewer raids and dungeons with Year 11. Bungie will only release one raid and one dungeon yearly in the next expansion, the developer confirmed today, though the studio promised a special event inspired by Pantheon. Mid-year updates are also on the docket.

Each year will kick off with a new raid and the following expansion will bring a dungeon, Bungie confirmed in a Developer Insight blog post today. There will be updates to each of them roughly every three months after their release, though the result is still fewer of each after the release of Codename: Apollo.

The first expansion for Destiny‘s Year 11 will launch with a new raid. The middle of the expansion will bring a “Challenge Update” to the raid, “adding new rewards, new mechanics, new Feats, and potentially even new encounters,” according to Bungie, with a catalyst for the raid’s Exotic weapon also on the table. This kicks off another raid race.

The second expansion of Year 11, Codename: Behemoth, will bring a new dungeon. This is tied to the expansion, removing the need for a dungeon key. The last major update for that year will bring a Pantheon-inspired event. Bungie was scant about its details, though, given it’s early in development.

The developer also mentioned “raid feats,” an upcoming system slated for Codename: Apollo. These are essentially challenging modifiers that increase the difficulty and the rewards for a run. It’s unclear if the usual raid challenges will be locked behind the first major update in that expansion.

The drop in raids and dungeons—usually considered a high point in the franchise—could be due to the studio’s struggles to keep players excited for or returning to Destiny 2 in a meaningful, long-lasting capacity. Burnout has loomed heavily throughout parts of the community, and the critically acclaimed The Final Shape was followed by the disappointing, four-months-long Episode Echoes. Its Steam player population is at an all-time low (via SteamCharts), an ill omen for the studio.

The developer may also be trying to figure out its future with an undermanned ship. Bungie had two devastating waves of layoffs since 2023, and the most recent trimmed its workforce by 17 percent this July, according to CEO Pete Parsons.

Still, the changes to raids and dungeons are one of the several changes headlining Bungie’s “new direction” following The Final Shape and beyond—though this new future won’t come until next year. In the meantime, this year’s Episode Revenant releases on Oct. 8, with a new dungeon dropping under contest mode on Oct. 11.