Destiny 2 was the successful followup of Destiny, a game that took the looter shooter category by storm and was a great experience from the very capable developer of Bungie. However, with microtransactions being everywhere, is Destiny 2 pay-to-win?
Destiny 2 is not pay-to-win as you don’t gain an advantage by pumping money into it through the shop. However, the free version of the game is quite limited in content, so you do need to purchase the game and add-ons to get the most out of it.
Let’s look at how Destiny 2 works in terms of monetization, how it is presented for purchase and download, and whether it’s a game still worth playing. Destiny 2 offers a fun experience if you purchase the full game.
Is Destiny 2 a Pay-to-Win Kind of Game?
Destiny 2 is not a pay-to-win game in the normal sense of the word, as once you have bought the full game then you won’t have any advantages over other players that also own the full game.
Destiny 2 has a free-to-play (F2P) version, however, this version of the game is severely limited content-wise.
It is more accurate to say that Destiny is a pay-to-play game. The F2P option is really just a demo, and you’ll want to grab the full game and the associated DLC to get the most out of the game.
The big difference in a shooter like Destiny 2 is whether weapons and armor are locked from players who are not willing to put money in. Destiny 2 doesn’t do this once you’ve purchased the full game, as you will be able to access all weapons.
Even items like the Season Pass (minus the premium tracks) and artifact powers can be accessed by everyone, with artifact powers not mattering in competitive activities.
How Does Destiny 2 Make Money?
Destiny 2 makes money from the purchases of the game and DLC, weekly offers and season passes.
DLCs can cost $24.99, and $39.99 and thus can bring in a lot of revenue over a huge player base. They are brought out relatively quickly so you can expect to be dropping a lot of money on these if you play for years.
A season pass can be purchased for 1000 silver or approximately $10. As mentioned above, the season pass does not provide an unfair advantage over other players and does provide some exclusive items.
The way the in-game currency, silver, works is also another way that Destiny 2 makes money. Silver can’t be transferred from one Destiny account to another, and even with cross-platform save you can’t send silver from your PC Destiny account to a PlayStation account.
Destiny 2 also has the Eververse Store where items can be purchased for silver, which is itself purchasable with real money.
The prices are as follows, for 500 Silver it will cost you $5, 1000 Silver, which will also net you an extra 100 silver on top, which will cost $10.
For 2000 Silver (that comes with a bonus 300 silver), you’ll have to shell out $20, and 5000 Silver (with an amazing bonus of 800) costs you a cool $50.
Other items in the Eververse store need to be purchased with bright dust, which while it can be earned in-game through grinding, you can also purchase via silver.
But all the items in the Eververse store are merely cosmetic or give slight advantages which don’t really have any massive impact on the game.
Is Destiny 2 Worth Playing?
As a F2P game, Destiny 2 does not have a lot of content and you will get bored quickly as most of the items, questlines and many things are all inaccessible.
If you splurge and buy the DLC, you’re going to get the proper experience and have lots to do. However, the F2P version of the game is like a generous trial that doesn’t run out.
As new expansions are released you get access to new missions, locations, player versus player (PVP) elements, campaigns, events, raids, strikes, and much more even as a F2P.
Destiny 2 is quite different from the original Destiny, with many players criticizing it for not being as fun and it really just being a simplified, watered down version of the original.
However, the DLC and expansions are filled with content, allowing you to explore a very good and entertaining story that is built with engaging missions and in-depth lore.
With the Gambit mode, a player versus environment versus player game mode, you get a lot of community involvement and multiplayer fun via playing with friends or taking part in public matchmaking.
The Crucible mode is also a great way to explore the PVP mode.
Destiny 2 has also introduced the concept of raids, which are player versus environment (PVE) 6-player cooperative game modes.
In the end, Destiny 2 is similar to a massive multiplayer online game rather than an all-out shooter. Loot and grinding is very important, and you’re not going to get these things without playing the game a lot.
The new player experience is still not great due to the amount of content, quests, tasks, and things to do, and can be overwhelming still.
The grinding and random number generation-style of looting mean you won’t be ‘finishing’ it anytime soon, if that is even really possible.
Keep in mind that older DLCs and expansion backs are not always available, but they do get replaced with arguably better contact at each point, meaning you’re not really missing out on anything significant.
Destiny 2 does lend itself to either a solo or group experience, so no matter what type of game you want to get into, Destiny 2 offers both.
However, a lot of the endgame content is not really possible unless you can get a group of friends, although you can find players via the public join system but this is not that reliable, particularly given that daily players are not going to be as high as when it first came out.
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FAQs
Destiny 2 isn't Pay 2 Win. There is nothing you can buy that gives you an inherent advantage over everybody else, even in Crucible. Anybody that tries to go "durr hurr but what about *insert weapon I don't like* that is from an expansion" is full of it.
Why is Destiny 2 so p2w? ›
This game as a free to play game is just a generous trail that doesn't run out. You get a taste but that's it. You have to pay to experience everything in destiny so in essence it is pay to win only because it assumes all players are paying players or will be eventually.
Can you beat Destiny 2 without paying? ›
Only buy Forsaken and Shadowkeep. Destiny 2 and all previous DLC, apart from the ones I just mentioned, are now free to play. That means you get the base game, Curse of Osiris, and Warmind all for free. Forsaken is last year's big expansion, and it was fantastic.
Is Gjallarhorn pay to win Destiny 2? ›
Having access to Gjallarhorn is a tangible advantage for players and it's only available to players willing to pay for premium content. It's the textbook definition of pay-to-win, even if there are plenty of other powerful, free weapons players can use. This isn't just an issue of free-to-play versus paid content.
Does Destiny 2 use anti cheat? ›
BattlEye is Destiny 2's proactive anti-cheat protection service which protects our game and players from hacking, cheating, and other malicious attacks.
Is it worth jumping into Destiny 2? ›
While it added some promising new gameplay mechanics and some truly dazzling new locales, it's hard to feel like the content within and surrounding them is really worth the price. For new players, it can all feel a little intense to jump into, but then that could be said for any aspect of Destiny 2.
Is Destiny 2 truly F2P? ›
Destiny 2 is a free-to-play online first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie. It was originally released as a pay to play game in 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.
Is Destiny 2 declining? ›
Destiny 2 player count falls on PS5 and PS4 while Destiny 1 rises. Looking at the active PS5 and PS4 player data that powers our PlayStation Chart, there's one very easy trend to spot: Destiny 2 has been steadily losing players every week bar one since Lightfall's launch (we'll get to that exception shortly).
Why do people play P2W games? ›
More often than not, P2W games give equal access to the same content for players who are willing to pay and those who are not. The advantage given to players who are willing to pay is often in the form of time. Many pay-to-win games implement waiting periods or long cooldowns on many parts of their gameplay loops.
Is Destiny 2 unplayable without DLC? ›
You'll be able to play all the content except for the new stuff introduced with beyond light. So you won't be able to play the new story, new raid, likely any new strikes added with Beyond Light, etc. But you'll still retain access to everything you have now that is not going into the DCV. Hope this helps!
Can you enjoy Destiny 2 without DLC? We think that Destiny 2 can certainly still be good without DLC, but only up to a certain point. There's only so much content that the base game can offer that it will eventually start becoming repetitive if it's played for an extended period of time.
Is the Lightfall campaign free? ›
It's free to all players and definitely one of the more entertaining and rewarding things to do in Destiny. As a way to entice players to purchase an expansion, free players are given a taste of each campaign via the campaign's first mission, which is available for free.
Is Xur selling Gjallarhorn? ›
Bungie Confirms Destiny's Xur Is Selling Gjallarhorn Through Chance Alone. Senior Contributor.
What is the drop rate of Gjallarhorn? ›
There's an extremely low chance, probably below 1 percent, of getting an exotic as an end-of-match reward in the Crucible PvP mode, or from finishing a playlist strike.
Is Gjallarhorn locked behind a paywall? ›
Most notable among these is the return of the fan-favorite Gjallarhorn rocket launcher and an accompanying Pirate-themed Loot Cave Dungeon. Unfortunately, these iconic rewards are locked behind a paywall, forcing players to pay more if they want to keep pace with others.
Are macros illegal in Destiny 2? ›
Conversation. , this week's TWAB states that “advanced macros” will be a bannable offense in Destiny 2 but does not state what would make one advanced as opposed to a simple macro.
Can Cronus get you banned Destiny 2? ›
Destiny 2 players who have been buying third-party hardware to essentially “cheat” their way through the ranks in the game are going to be banned soon according to Bungie.
Are macros cheating in Destiny 2? ›
Using macros in a pvp setting is cheating as you can perform inputs otherwise impossible.
Is Destiny 2 at its peak? ›
Destiny 2 Peak Player Count
The highest daily peak number was 289,895 concurrent players in February 2022.
Will Destiny 2 stop vaulting? ›
In August 2022, it was announced that Destiny 2 expansions would no longer be vaulted.
Nightfalls elevate the difficulty of Strikes and have a recommended Power Level of 1510. But if you want a truly punishing Strike, there's only one answer: The Grandmaster Nightfall.
Is Witch Queen f2p? ›
Destiny 2's The Witch Queen campaign is free to play ahead of Lightfall's launch | Shacknews.
Will there be a Destiny 3? ›
However, despite Destiny 2's next expansion likely being it's last, Bungie has reiterated in the past that the studio has no plans to create a Destiny 3. Back in early 2021, design director Jacob Benton went on record to state that Bungie has no plans to create a Destiny 3.
What is the max level in Destiny 2 f2p? ›
The Powerful cap for Destiny 2 is 1800, meaning that between 1750 and 1800, the only way to increase your Power level is to get a reward from activities which grant Powerful or Pinnacle gear.
Is Destiny 2 nearing its end? ›
Destiny 2 is nearing the end of its current story saga, with the release of The Final Shape signaling the close of the Light and Dark saga. The Final Shape will be the last major expansion of the saga, with minor seasonal patches introduced quarterly to keep Destiny 2 players engaged.
How many years are left for Destiny 2? ›
There will also be a final chapter in 2024 marking Year Seven, The Final Shape, to close out the first saga of Destiny, called the "Light and Darkness Saga," before beginning a new saga for the franchise.
How much longer will Destiny 2 last? ›
But this doesn't mean Destiny 2 is likely to be sunset anytime soon. Bungie has long shut down rumors of a sequel in the near future, and has been signaling that the game will remain a platform for new updates even after 2024's expansion.
What's the most pay to win game? ›
So far, the most pay to win I ever played in my entire life is Rise of Kingdoms. It's an RTS mobile game on Android. The main purpose of the game is you have to build your city to proceed to the next age (for example stone age, iron age, etc.)
Do games actually pay you? ›
Paid gaming apps don't pay cash directly. Instead, you generate “coins,” which can be redeemed for gift cards, PayPal, or other cash equivalents. Some paid gaming apps let you cash out your coins in increments as small as $5, while others have pushed the goalpost farther and farther to $30+ (more on that in a bit).
Do any games actually pay? ›
Games like Swagbucks, InboxDollars, MyPoints and QuickRewards are real Cash App games.
Yes, Destiny 2 is one of the better FPS titles in 2023 so getting into it is still worth it even now. Although the Lightfall expansion campaign leaves a lot to be desired, a large number of players are enjoying the post-game content that it has on offer so the latest DLC isn't entirely bad.
Is Destiny 2 pay to play? ›
Destiny 2 is a free-to-play online first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie.
What can f2p players do in Destiny 2? ›
Destiny 2 Free to Play Content
- Playlist Activities — These include Vanguard Operations, Gambit, and Crucible.
- Dares of Eternity — A six-person matchmade activity that launched with the Bungie 30th Anniversary Event.
- Prophecy Dungeon — An older three-person activity that's still one of the coolest in the game.
When focusing on the main objectives, Destiny 2 is about 12 Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 148 Hours to obtain 100% completion.
How far can you progress in Destiny 2 without DLC? ›
depends on what your goal is. you cant play any dlc content without the dlc's, all you can do is travel to moon and such, but not do any shadowkeep stuff, etc. If you only want to play content once and be done with it then you won't get much out of the game even with all the dlc.
Is Lightfall better than Witch Queen? ›
Unfortunately, based on the campaign at least, Lightfall doesn't match The Witch Queen's quality. It doesn't even come close. Community reaction has been pretty negative, with much of the surface-level griping being about the campaign's tone.
How to get Witch Queen for free? ›
To play Witch Queen for free, You need to log in to the game, and a message is displayed to play the Witch Queen for free.
Do I get Witch Queen if I buy Lightfall? ›
Will you get The Witch Queen if you buy Lightfall? Unfortunately, you will not get The Witch Queen if you buy Lightfall. You'll only be able to get and play the previous expansion if you purchase it by itself.
Why is Gjallarhorn famous? ›
In Norse mythology, Gjallarhorn (Old Norse: [ˈɡjɑlːɑrˌhorn]; "hollering horn" or "the loud sounding horn") is a horn associated with the god Heimdallr and the wise being Mímir. The sound of Heimdallr's horn will herald the beginning of Ragnarök, the sound of which will be heard in all corners of the world.
What armor set is Xur selling? ›
Thankfully, Xur is now selling it for all three classes in the Winding Cove in the EDZ. These armor sets are the Yuga Sundown (Warlock), Abhorrent Imperative (Hunter), and Midnight Exigent (Titan). Each one features angular, robotic designs similar to the Season of the Seraph armor and IKELOS weapons.
Yes, he does! His arsenal now includes Exotic and Legendary armor and weapons with random rolls. The main currencies you need to buy from Xur are Legendary Shards and Glimmer, but some of his exotic wares require spending Ascendant Shards and Exotic Cyphers as well.
How many kills for the Gjallarhorn catalyst? ›
After finishing the quest, players will just need to defeat targets to upgrade the catalyst for the Gjallarhorn. The amount is 400 enemies, which, given the Gjallarhorn's ability to kill a bunch of enemies at once, shouldn't be too difficult of a task.
What perks does Gjallarhorn catalyst give? ›
Gjallarhorn Catalyst effect
The Gjallarhorn Catalyst adds a perk called More Wolves. This is what will make Gjallarhorn even more powerful than it already is: More Wolves – Increases magazine size. Final blows with Wolfpack Rounds spawn a faster, more powerful missile at the target's location.
How many chests does Gjallarhorn catalyst have? ›
Your goal is to kill three yellow bar Reaver Vandals and deliver the Burden by Riches debuff they drop to three different chests scattered throughout the dungeon. You will not get anything for opening the first two chests, but unlocking the third one will reward you with the Gjallarhorn Catalyst.
Is Gjallarhorn pay to win? ›
Having access to Gjallarhorn is a tangible advantage for players and it's only available to players willing to pay for premium content. It's the textbook definition of pay-to-win, even if there are plenty of other powerful, free weapons players can use. This isn't just an issue of free-to-play versus paid content.
Do you need witch queen for Gjallarhorn? ›
How to get Gjallarhorn in Destiny 2. First thing's first – you'll need to buy either the Witch Queen Deluxe Editon and 30th Anniversary Pack bundle, or the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack on its own, to get access to the Gjallarhorn quest.
How do you get Gjallarhorn easy? ›
Here's a quick rundown of the steps needed to obtain Gjallarhorn:
- Complete the Dares of Eternity event (begins automatically after downloading the Bungie 30th Anniversary update)
- Talk to Xur in the Treasure Hoard and pick up the And Out Fly the Wolves quest.
- Talk to Shaw Han in the Cosmodrome.
Destiny 2 is a free-to-play online first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie.
Is Destiny 2 pay to win reddit? ›
It's pay to play. The free-to-play part is really just a glorified demo.
Is Destiny 2 worth playing 2023? ›
The double-edged sword of Destiny 2 is that most players will never run out of things to do in the game. This is great for a player who only wants one game to play and to put all of their effort into. But for those who have limited time or like to play other games, Destiny 2 is hard to keep up on.
There's only so much content that the base game can offer that it will eventually start becoming repetitive if it's played for an extended period of time. If you're a beginner and you're only getting started with Destiny 2, then we definitely recommend playing through the base game first to get a feel for how it works.
Did Destiny 2 ever cost money? ›
Destiny 2 is a free-to-play online first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie. It was originally released as a pay to play game in 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.
How much does it cost to play everything in Destiny 2? ›
How much is Destiny 2 in total? It costs $150 in total to buy all of the Destiny 2 expansions. At time of writing, the total price includes the Destiny 2 Legacy Collection, Lightfall, and The Witch Queen expansions.
What is better Warframe or Destiny 2? ›
Destiny 2 arguably has a more sophisticated suite of weapons and gear available for all players. On the other hand, Warframe gets rid of the looter shooter's repetitive loop with its randomly generated levels that makes each run different from previous ones.
Is the free Destiny 2 the full game? ›
Click on the game, download, wait for DL/Install to finish, and play. TLDR Destiny 2 (The base game, as well as some things from later expansions) is free to play. You do need to pay for the expansions however.
Is Destiny 2 competitive? ›
Destiny 2's competitive PvP multiplayer modes are beset with a serious issue that continues to elude Bungie, from the looks of it.
What is the max money in Destiny 2? ›
A player's supply of Glimmer is shared among all of that player's Guardians. The maximum amount of Glimmer that can be held in a player's inventory is 25,000 in Destiny and 250,000 in Destiny 2.
What is the best class in Destiny 2? ›
1. Warlock Dawnblade (Solar 3.0) A subclass primarily used for support, Dawnblade fills its lack of ad clear and boss damage with some of the most powerful buffs in the game. Radiant provides a whopping 25% increase to damage, and Restoration provides continuous health regeneration even through damage.
Will Destiny 3 ever be made? ›
Bungie Is Supporting Destiny 2 For The Long Haul, And There's No Room For Destiny 3. Furthermore, it's important to note that Bungie has already stated that there are no plans for Destiny 3 at the moment, and it's unclear if they have any plans for future releases beyond Destiny 2.
What is the lifespan of Destiny 2? ›
Both systems came out in fall 2020 and fall 2027 would be a seven year lifespan, just as Destiny 2 would theoretically be finishing up this new saga.
