Among many other things, Destiny 2 is a game about discovering and experiencing things on your own. Which class is your favorite? What element resonates with you the most? What Exotics? What fashion?
We want players to be surprised by the worlds we have created for them, but if you are feeling a bit lost, we recommend you start by playing the content of Destiny 2 in a specific order; one that’s mostly chronologic, from the older expansions to the newer ones. That way you’ll get to know characters as they develop and you’ll grow as a Guardian along with them. But again, the game won’t block your progression if you start with the most recent expansion and then go back to others. Feel free to play how you want to!
Follow the Story
Here's a recommended path that might help you if you don’t know where to begin and what to focus on and that will allow you to experience the story of Destiny, alongside getting some nice and useful Exotic weapons.
New Light
- It takes place in the Cosmodrome, found in the World Tab.
- Progress and complete the A Guardian Rises quest.
- You will visit the Tower and meet some allies for the first time.
- One of them, Ikora Rey, will share some initial builds with you.
- Exotic quests available:
- A Spark of Hope
- Another Last City
Timeline Missions
- Complete the mission "Cayde's Fate" from the Timeline.
- You can currently find the Timeline in the World tab, top right corner.
Note: There are other missions as part of the Destiny 2 Timeline that cover most of Destiny 2's key story moments. You can play them as a fast track to get up to date.
Shadowkeep
- Complete the campaign on the Moon, found in the World Tab.
- Get more familiar with Eris Morn and complete some side quests.
- Activities to try:
- Altars of Sorrow
- Nightmare Hunts
- Exotic quests available:
- The Journey
- A Death of Nightmares
Beyond Light
- Complete the campaign on Europa, found in the World Tab.
- Unlock additional Aspects and Fragments for the Stasis subclass.
- Complete side quests with Variks.
- Activities to try:
- Empire Hunts
- Chance of getting Cloudstrike (Exotic weapon) upon completion.
- Empire Hunts
- Exotic quests available:
- Stasis Prototype
- Lost Lament
30th Anniversary
- Content pack located in Eternity, found in the World Tab.
- Activities to try:
- Dares of Eternity, for six players.
- Exotic quests available:
- And Out Fly The Wolves
- Magnum Opus
The Witch Queen
- Complete the campaign in Savathûn’s Throne World, found in the World Tab.
- Craft your first weapons!
- Earn Fynch reputation and progression.
- Complete the Evidence Board:
- This requires various quests you earn playing the expansion.
- One quest rewards a class exclusive Exotic weapon.
- Activities to try:
- The Wellspring
- Exotic quests available:
- Of Queens and Worms
- Kill The Messenger
Lightfall
- Complete the campaign on Neptune, found in the World Tab.
- Unlock the Strand subclass and earn additional Aspects and Fragments.
- Earn Nimbus reputation and progression.
- Activities to try:
- Time trails
- Vex Incursion Zone
- Vex Strike Force Public event
- It's not always available, but rewards Exotics you don’t own yet.
- Exotic quests available:
- What Remains
- The Final Strand
- Strider
The Final Shape
- Complete the campaign in The Pale Heart, found in the World Tab.
- Unlock the Prismatic subclass and additional Aspects and Fragments.
- Earn Ghost reputation and progression.
- Explore and find secrets.
- Activities to try:
- Cysts Missions
- Exotic quests available:
- Wild Card
- Convalescense: Budding
- Destined Heroes
The Edge of Fate
- Complete the campaign on Kepler, found in the Timeline (Portal tab).
- Start earning New Gear:
- Weapons now have Tiers.
- Armor now has Tiers.
- Progress your Power Level
- More Power level means better rewards.
- Activities to try:
- The Sieve – You can get Exotic armor!
- Upgrade to a new World Tier.
- Exotic quests available:
- Graviton Through the Ages
Renegades
- Complete campaign in Tharsis Outpost
- Unlock your Praxic Blade from the Exotic Mission “Fire and Ice.”
- Choose your syndicate at Tharsis Outpost to complete contracts and gain reputation.
- Activities to try:
- Fire and Ice Exotic Mission
- Lawless Frontier
- Run the Equilibrium dungeon
We want to emphasize that this simple progression guide is just a suggestion, and that you don't need to complete all activities listed here if you want to jump into a different type of content at any given time. Following it will allow you to best understand the story of Destiny.
Playing some Portal activities on the side while progressing though the campaigns might help you get a better understanding of how Destiny 2 works overall, so feel free to follow your gut. You can always come back to this guide to keep progressing.
The Portal
The Portal, now found under the Director menu, is where a large amount of content lives in the game. In the Director screenshot above, you'll see a row of familiar icons at the bottom of the screen.
The Portal has five types of activities you can customize to your level to earn different kinds of gear, some of which is unique to said types of activities. Some activities offer bonus gear if you reach a certain score upon completion, so pay attention to the tooltips to better understand how you can earn the most out of your time..
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Solo Ops
- Short activities that can only be played alone.
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Fireteam Ops
- Medium-length activities that can be played with up to two other players.
- Some of them have matchmaking on.
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Arena Ops
- Medium-length activities for fireteams of up to six players.
- Some of them have matchmaking on.
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Pinnacle Ops
- Long duration activities that will challenge a team of up to three players.
- No matchmaking available.
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Crucible Ops
- PvP experiences with different game modes.
- Matchmaking is always available.
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Gambit Ops
- A competitive PvPvE mode.
- Matchmaking is always available.
There's no need to rush into the Portal if you still feel you are learning the ropes of the game. Once you are comfortable with your progress in Destiny 2, the Portal will allow you to earn new gear and to level up your Power Level. Keep an eye on weekly challenges to progress faster.
Advanced Activities
This progression guide does not include all Destiny 2's content and we have omitted strikes, Nightfalls, PvP activities, dungeons, raids, and more. You will get a taste of some of those while playing expansions, but just in case you need further help, we have will have a section for them in the 'Activities’ New Player Guide article you can find here.
