In Destiny 2, a Guardian is currently doing everything possible to reach a power level of 999 in Season 8. He takes on the arduous grind daily. But what exactly drives him?
What is the status of power levels in the new season? At the beginning of Year 3 – with the launch of Shadowkeep and Season 8 – the power level was set to 750 for all Guardians.
The new regular max level in the ongoing season of the Undying is now 960. However, it is possible to level further beyond that – with the seasonal artifact. By earning XP, you can also level this artifact and gain additional power levels. These are added on top of a Guardian’s regular power level.
The only limit is the time factor. Progressing the artifact and earning extra levels can only be done during the current Season 8. At its end, the artifact and thus the extra power levels will reset.
What exactly is the Guardian Zupah trying? The player Zupah has made it his top goal in Season 8 to reach the power level of 999. This is considered magical by many Guardians. Not because it represents the maximum, since with enough time, one could infinitely level with the artifact. But because players hope for something special from it.
What drives him at all? The reason for his striving is essentially just a small piece of lore from the world of Destiny 2. But this very piece makes the power level 999 magical for Zupah and numerous other fans.
In the lore entries regarding the Darkness, there is the book “From Truth to Power.” And according to a widespread fan theory, a clear hint is hidden there on how the curse in the Dreaming City can finally be broken.
More about the Dreaming City and the curse itself can be found here: Theory shows how you can break the curse of the Dreaming City in Shadowkeep.
The entry “act/choose/react” states: “Reach Light Level 999 and defeat Dul Incaru in a solo strike to unlock the true ending of the Dreaming City.”
To end the curse, it means
- Reach power level 999
- and defeat the final boss of the dungeon “Shattered Throne” alone
And that’s ultimately what drives Zupah.
Is the path to power level 999 difficult? Yes, it is not particularly challenging, but it is associated with an enormous grind. The XP needed for each further level-up of the artifact continues to increase. This results in power level progression becoming slower and more laborious as the power level increases.
As an example: If one wants to level the seasonal artifact from level 33 to level 34, one needs 3.6 million XP. From 34 to 35, it takes 3.7 million.
How far along is he now? Currently, Zupah is already at power level 984. His regular power level is 951 (defined by gear), with 33 levels coming from the seasonal artifact on top. He is only 15 levels away from his goal, but that is much more than it actually sounds.
Since he does not make any more progress through gear, he needs a total of 45 million XP for the last 15 power levels through the artifact by the end of the season. And that’s a whole lot. For example: A regular bounty gives you 6,000 XP.
It is thus a race against time. Whether Zupah will succeed, he does not know. But he is giving it his all.
How exactly does he level? In short: very one-sided, boring and grind-heavy. At vendors, you can acquire unlimited random bounties in Season 8. He does this at Eris Morn on the Moon.
He buys 5 of them, then goes to the Lost Sector K1 Communion, also on the Moon, and completes them there. Then he buys 5 more bounties from Eris. And he repeats this until exhaustion.
With this method, he managed to level from 983 to 984 in 2 days. And he still has almost a month and a half left to climb the last 15 necessary levels for power level 999 before all his efforts dissolve into thin air.
What happens at power level 999? Whether the curse can actually be broken then or possibly something else exciting happens is unknown. Therefore, many are curious whether it will indeed be possible to achieve power level 999. We will continue to keep an eye on the matter for you and report whether Zupah ultimately succeeds (and what happens then) or not.
What do you think of Zupah’s goal and the path to it? Would you be willing to take this on, or are you perhaps ambitious yourself to crack 999? How far are you currently with your power level?
