Is Destiny 2 worth playing in 2024?

Destiny 2 was the talk of the town this year, and not always for good reasons. The Final Shape was a commercial success and a critically acclaimed end to a 10-year-old saga—but the layoffs that followed it demolished most fans’ hopes for the franchise going forward.

If laying off 17 percent of its workforce wasn’t terrible enough, the new post-seasonal model may be a nail in the game’s coffin. After this year’s episodes, content may be closer to smaller-scale updates like Into the Light instead of its grandiose expansions, according to a report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier.

Despite all its blunders, however, something about Destiny 2 keeps players coming back. Somehow, the game survived burnout, seasonal fatigue, and its catastrophic Lightfall expansion, even if it escaped by the skin of its teeth. The game is still alluring despite the impending sense of doom, which begets enough curiosity to at least consider downloading it.

Friends have asked us over the years if Destiny 2 is worth playing, and our answer has always been, “yes, but.” Here’s why we think it’s worth diving into the game right now—and the caveats that come with it.

Should you play Destiny 2 in 2024?

Destiny 2 can be worth picking up, but with a few conditions. Bungie’s hit is hardly in its finest hour, and its future is far less optimistic than it was before The Final Shape. But most of what made the title so famous is still in there, including its unparalleled gunplay. Destiny 2 remains a unique game, and it’s hard to find a title that can come close to it—even if you’re visiting more for the past and present than its future.

Here’s why you should dive back into Destiny 2 if you’re a beginner or returning player, and what you should expect from the journey.

Is Destiny 2 worth it for beginners?

If you’re a fan of looter shooters and it clicks with you, it’s hard to put Destiny 2 down, and the brilliance of the game shines through early on. There’s a lot of good underneath all its flaws, and we think giving it a fair shot as a beginner is worth it—though you’ll face a few barriers along the way.

New Light, new blood

Destiny 2’s new-player experience can be hard to navigate, with the game throwing a lot of its convoluted systems and story at you at once. Onboarding becomes considerably easier if you have friends who are willing to hold your hand through it, but discovering the game on your own can be a lot to take in.

If you want to brave the game solo, third-party resources like Blueberries.gg’s new player guide can complement official Bungie information and direct you with a succinct rundown. You may have to go outside the game often to answer your questions, but you can generally find what you need.

The New Light quest—styled after the in-universe name given to new guardians—is a passable introduction at best, so there’s no harm in skipping it. On the bright side, it’s easy to gear up early: newcomer kits offer you basic but build-defining armor pieces that can kickstart your journey, and free activities like Onslaught can give you great weapons.

An (in)expensive free-to-play experience

You don’t have to worry about spending anything but time at the beginning of your journey. Destiny 2 boasts a bevy of free activities, including dungeons and raids, which can give you a good feel for how it plays. Think of it as a lengthy free trial rather than a full-on game—though it may give you an idea of what to expect before opening your wallet.

If you’re tired of the free activities, it can be tricky to figure out what DLC is worth buying among a confusing constellation of content packs. Most of its paid-for content gets discounted pretty often, at least on Steam, so take advantage of those steep price drops to complete your collection. You can catch up with all older expansions and packs for around $30 with the right discounts, which is a bargain.

A sharp but splintered narrative

Destiny 2’s storytelling has been a core part of what makes the franchise so unique, and The Final Shape put a dignified end to 10 years of narrative going back to the original Destiny. Its stellar worldbuilding is scattered across several places, however, with most of it removed from the game and the narrative team taking a colossal hit after the layoffs.

Having to piece the lore together can be difficult enough when you’re starting, but it’s even harder when you have to go on a web-wide scavenger hunt for answers. The narrative arcs are expansive enough to fit into a 10-hour video by loremaster My Name is Byf—but understanding them is complicated enough that you may feel like watching a 10-hour video to catch up.

Is Destiny 2 worth it for returning players in 2024?

The math is different if you’re a returning player, but the result is still the same. If you want to relive the halcyon days of Destiny 2, when new content drops felt like Christmas morning, that time may be long past. But the game hasn’t died a final death for good reason, and there’s still a reason players keep hooked to it after all this time, even if the number of diehard fans is dwindling.

If you’re returning, you’re probably also familiar with the monetization structure, which hasn’t changed much. Seasons gave way to episodes, with three episodes a year, each lasting four months. This new model is drip-fed, with a new act arriving every six weeks. Dungeon keys are monetized separately with Silver.

If you’re considering coming back to Destiny 2, here are some of the new elements that arrived in the game in the past couple of years.

If you want to catch up with what’s happened in Destiny 2, it’s worth coming back, especially if you get older expansions on sale. It’s a good build-up to The Final Shape, which ends the Light and Dark saga. We think it’s worth the trip, even if you want to dive in, see how it ends, and jump out.