Destiny 2 is an online multiplayer shooter developed and published by Bungie. It’s the sequel to 2014’s Destiny and was originally launched in 2017. Two years later, with the launch of the New Light title, it became free to play. After this pricing change, it launched on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as Google’s failed cloud gaming platform Stadia. The game was originally published by Activision, but Bungie got full rights to the title in 2018, a year before it went free to play. The game receives regular support to this day in the form of major expansions, introducing new story content and regions to explore.
Destiny 2 Premise
Like its predecessor, Destiny 2 takes place in a setting that has been described by Bungie as “mythic science fiction.” The game combines science fiction elements like space travel, aliens, and advanced technology with high fantasy tropes. This includes supernatural powers and mystical lore. The player is a Guardian, a member of a group of warriors tasked with defending the Last City on Earth. To do this, they use the Light, mystical power granted by a mysterious celestial body known as the Traveler. At the beginning of Destiny 2, an alien race known as the Cabal attacks the Last City. They also begin draining the Traveler of its Light and weakening the Guardians. You must reassemble this legendary order and fight back to defeat the Cabal military commander Dominus Ghaul.
Destiny 2 combines basic first-person shooter gameplay with MMORPG mechanics, allowing players to team up to take on alien threats. RPG mechanics let you improve and upgrade your character over time after you select one of three starting classes. You can choose between the agile Hunter, the spell-slinging Warlock, or the bulky, tank-like Titan. The game also has a heavy focus on loot, sending players searching for rare and valuable weapons and armor with which to expand their arsenal.
Destiny 2 Main Characters
While the majority of the characters populating the worlds of Destiny 2 are players, the story also features many important figures that you will come to rely on during your adventures. Some of these are recurring allies from the previous games, while others are brand new faces. From quest givers to item vendors to PVP organizers, here are some of the most prominent characters you’ll meet in Destiny 2.
- Lord Shaxx: The enthusiastic Lord Shaxx is a beloved NPC who manages the Crucible. This is the prime destination for PVP content in Destiny 2, so highly competitive fans will be keen to pay him a visit. Lord Shaxx is well known for his bravado, and you can hear him enthusiastically cheering players on in Crucible matches.
- The Drifter: The Drifter, a mysterious interstellar traveler, serves a similar role to that of Lord Shaxx. He runs Gambit, a unique PvPvE mode where players team up to compete against each other.
- Lord Saladin: Like Lord Shaxx, Lord Saladin is a PvP moderator. He oversees the Iron Banner, a special event that only happens three times per season.
- Cayde-6: Cayde-6 is a robotic exo and former Hunter who serves as the Vanguard for the class, selling armor and gear to Hunter players as well as offering quests. He is famous for his sense of humor and for his pistol, the Ace of Spades. He also has a pet chicken known as the Colonel.
- Ikora Rey: The Warlock Vanguard is a mysterious and secretive human woman. She provides gear and quests for Warlock players, and also runs the Hidden, a secret group of Guardians dedicated to infiltration and information gathering.
- Commander Zavala: This imposing figure serves as the Titan Vanguard, selling gear and offering quests to players who prefer this heavy-hitting playstyle. He also oversees military operations for the Guardians.
- Ada-1: This blacksmith is a quest vendor who grants rewards in the form of random weapons and armor. She’s a good person to acquaint yourself with if you want to kit your Guardian out right. She also sells special shaders which you can’t find out in the field. These shaders rotate out every week, so you’ll want to keep an eye on her inventory.
- Xur: Xur is an especially important figure to dedicated Destiny 2 players. This rare item vendor appears every week with new wares. His inventory contains some of the most valuable items in the game, so you should check in with him frequently.
Destiny 2 Video Games in the Series
As the name suggests, Destiny 2 is a sequel to the original Destiny. Since Destiny 2 is continuing to receive new content updates through major DLC like The Witch Queen, it’s unlikely that there will be a third game any time soon. There has, however, been much speculation about such a title, especially since Destiny 2 is nearing the end of its current story arc. Until such speculation is confirmed, here is the list of both Destiny games and all their major DLC updates.
- Destiny (2014)
- Destiny: House of Wolves (2015)
- Destiny: The Taken King (2015)
- Destiny: Rise of Iron (2016)
- Destiny 2 (2017)
- Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris (2017)
- Destiny 2: Warmind (2018)
- Destiny 2: Forsaken (2018)
- Destiny 2: Shadowkeep (2019)
- Destiny 2: Beyond Light (2020)
- Destiny 2: The Witch Queen (2022)
- Destiny 2: Lightfall (2023)
- Destiny 2: The Final Shape (TBD)
Destiny 2 Cheat Codes
Unfortunately there are no cheat codes available for Destiny 2. Bungie enforces this rule very strictly, and bans people caught using third-party software to exploit the game. Since the game is entirely multiplayer, cheats severely upset the balance of Destiny 2 and make it unfair for legitimate fans. This also makes it much harder to find a safe source of third-party software for Destiny 2. Since Bungie expressly forbids cheating the game, websites that would allow you to do so are highly suspect. Downloading software from these sites carries a heavy chance of infecting your computer with viruses and malware.
Some enterprising players have found ways to exploit the game without relying on cheats, though. This includes the use of glitches and exploits to perform moves not intended by the developers. One of the most famous of these glitches is sword skating. If you play as a hunter with Shatter Dive equipped, you can use a combination of attacks and abilities to ride your sword across the map, covering great distances in little time. As fun as this ability can be, you should be careful with it. If you run into a wall while sword skating, you could die.
Destiny 2 Cheats FAQ
What is the Destiny 2 Cheats Lawsuit? Destiny 2’s fierce opposition to cheaters goes well beyond simply banning them. Bungie also has a history of filing lawsuits against the creators and distributors of such software. In August of this year, Polygon announced that the company had filed another one against Ring-1. This isn’t the first time Bungie has sued this particular company either, having teamed up with Ubisoft to bring complaints against them back in 2021. And it’s certainly not the first cheat maker Bungie’s gone after, either. This company takes cheats seriously, and will not hesitate to ban anyone caught using third-party software.
Is Destiny still active? With the advent of the sequel, the original Destiny has fallen by the wayside somewhat. While Bungie is no longer adding content to the game, it is still playable. You can access all content through the Rise of Iron update on PS4 and Xbox One. PS3 and Xbox 360 users, however, will be limited to content through 2015’s Taken King expansion instead. This can be helpful for players who want to go through the main plotline of the game before diving into Destiny 2, but since the latter is free to play, players who want to engage with the multiplayer aspect of the series have no real reason to linger.