Anyone who wants to start with Destiny 2 has picked the perfect time. The action shooter currently impresses with the continuation of one of the most gripping stories, linking to the Light and Darkness saga of Destiny 1. MeinMMO has looked into how Destiny 2: Witch Queen plays when you play the game in its free version, that is, Free-2-Play.
After more than 7 years, Destiny 1 and 2 can indeed be described as a mainstay among action shooters. Bungie has poured a lot of heart into its first-person shooter and is currently working to conclude one of the biggest stories in its universe. The launch of Witch Queen has already indicated that this will be epic, as the start of Witch Queen has shown. So we’ve also taken a look at what players can expect when they want to enter the game for free and how that feels.
How good is Destiny 2 in 2022? Overall, the game has improved significantly since Year 1 and will likely continue to improve in the future. So if you’re considering it, the best thing you can do is to explore the free content of Destiny 2 first, before you fully fall under the spell of Destiny magic and buy one or more expansions.
- With “New Light”, the Free-2-Play version of Destiny 2, the game is available for free to anyone who wants to know what the action MMO has to offer in 2022.
- Players can try out weapons and test the excellent gunplay of Destiny 2.
- Many contents can be tried for free, such as Gambit, Crucible, or even a legacy raid.
What is Destiny 2: New Light? New Light is the name for the free-to-play version of Destiny 2, which went live on October 1, 2019, with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion. This offers many contents of the previous Destiny 2 experience completely without any cost.
With New Light, Bungie aimed to “tear down walls” and bring as many players together in the Destiny universe as possible, so they can experience adventures together. There should be nothing in the way of a spontaneous Destiny evening with friends, except for a download.
For our personal test of Destiny 2’s free version “New Light”, we got the game through Steam and created a blonde Hunter class, who was to explore the Destiny universe as a new Guardian.
MeinMMO editor becomes your “Blueberry”
The MeinMMO editors have played Destiny 1 and 2 for many thousands of hours and know every corner of Bungie’s universe. But even we are happy to become “Blueberry” for you again to get a picture of what new Guardians can expect in the free version of the game in 2022.
These free contents await New-Light players in Destiny 2
New players start in the Cosmodrome: If players haven’t done their research beforehand, they receive the most important information about the universe in their first mission and meet their Ghost for the first time. The introductory mission itself is now a bit longer, as it has been extended for Witch Queen.
In the New-Light mission, Bungie essentially sends new Guardians into a Destiny 2 bootcamp. The entry campaign explains all the important aspects.
- How is the map used? How do you use the grenade? Where can you see your quests?
- And what is the deal with the super ability? And why does everything want to kill me?
- Additionally, they receive a ship and a Sparrow at the end of the campaign to get to the Last Safe City, where they are supposed to introduce themselves to the NPCs in the Tower.
- Starting their second life for the Vanguard without memory of what happened before their death.
If you want to know more about how things work in Destiny 2, we recommend our ultimate Destiny 2 beginner guide:
Free-2-Play offers generous free content
During our test, we were surprised how much new players can actually discover from Destiny 2 without paying anything. Free-2-Play players are even allowed to travel to the newest location, Savathun’s Throne World, and experience the first two Witch Queen campaign missions, “The Arrival” and “The Investigation.” Classic and Legendary campaign options can also be chosen.
This way, players can also take their first shot at the main character of the latest Witch Queen expansion: Savathun, the Witch Queen.
- Free-to-Play players also have all listed locations available to them, allowing them to play patrols in the open world or public events, and even complete some story missions. However, some destinations are only accessible after unlocking them with experience points.
- Strike, Crucible, and Gambit playlists are also free. The strikes correspond to the active locations. The PvP playlists are a “best-of” mix of maps from Destiny 1 and 2.
- The new weapon crafting is also a usable feature available to Free-2-Play players.
- Additionally, you can fully explore the dungeon “Prophecy” and also play the legacy raids “Vault of Glass” as well as King’s Fall for free.
- Some events, such as the Guardian Games, the Halloween event, the Dawning, or the Solstice are also accessible.
On the other hand, certain missions and especially new activities are not free:
- After the first two Witch Queen missions, that was it, and we hit the paywall.
- New multiplayer activities could only be tried out once in some cases, and afterwards, we had no more access to them.
- Current raids, such as “The Witch’s Curse”, and the entertaining dungeon “The Haunting Force” (available through the 30th Anniversary Bungie bundle) are also not accessible.
- Exotic missions, such as “Vox Obscura” or “Of Queens and Worms” for current exotic meta weapons can only be started if you have purchased the corresponding expansion.
- Likewise, the trials of Osiris are off-limits if you do not own the current annual (paid) expansion – currently Lightfall.
As an entry point, Free-2-Play is more than sufficient: However, if you just want to get a basic understanding of the game, you’ll have plenty to do just with the free content. At least we were occupied for a while with the quests assigned to us. In addition to the Cosmodrome quests, we followed the mission “Concrete Evidence” at the Witch Queen’s Proof Table in the Mars Enclave and played the seasonal quest “Growing Tensions.”
The weapon crafting is also available for free, allowing us to shape, use, and improve the new weapon type “Glaive” without having to pay for it. However, the schematics in free play are limited because neither the Throne World or raid weapons, nor the seasonal Season 16 weapons can be crafted without an expansion.
Thus, in addition to the Enigma Glaive, we were only able to unlock the schematics for the Stasis rocket launcher Palmyra-B, the Stasis pulse rifle Syncope-53, and the kinetic shotgun Ragnhild-D through the first quest.
Destiny 2 unites players from all platforms: It’s also worth noting that even as a free beginner in Destiny 2, you are never alone. Especially in the Cosmodrome, where you start, there are always Guardians who will spontaneously accompany you. For example, a veteran Titan helped us find a few loot boxes in the Cosmodrome, and stayed by our side in the Lost Sector and during the Public Event.
In Destiny, that is normal. You often encounter friendly Guardians in the world. Thanks to cross-play, it’s even more frequent. Additionally, players can play Destiny 2 across PC, Xbox, PS4/PS5, or Stadia using the same account through cross-save, which is quite convenient.
Moreover, there is a LFG system (Looking-for-Group) provided by Bungie on their website that you can use.
For more information on how cross-play works, you can find it here:
The season pass is also usable, but with fewer benefits
In the free version, players also have a free season pass available to them, granting them season pass contents that can be earned by gathering experience points.
This way, they can receive the seasonal weapon exotic “The Grand Overture.” However, to obtain it, they must reach Rank 35 and thus earn experience points first. Paying players receive the exotic immediately, giving them a slight advantage, at least at the beginning of a season.
Is it worth it to buy expansions for Destiny 2?
Starting for free in Destiny 2 is certainly a good start, as Bungie is very generous to new players. Every player is welcome and can explore a lot through New Light with Free-2-Play before hitting the paywall.
These contents are extensive enough if you want to see whether the gameplay suits you. Though I’m sure that even casual shooter fans will quickly find the action and possibilities in Destiny 2 enjoyable.
However, the game is much better when paid: The fact is that Bungie continues to deliver the best Destiny 2 content in the paid expansions.
Especially when playing in a team or with a clan, you can dedicate many hours to the Destiny universe. Eventually, you will inevitably hit the limits of the free version because fellow players may want to play a mission that you don’t have access to as a New-Light player.
Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and especially Witch Queen not only offer story content and missions. They also include exotic weapons, new abilities, and better equipment that you can’t access for free. Depending on the activity, many exotic weapons remain relevant even today, including those from Forsaken.
- For example, to use the exotics from Forsaken, like the iconic hand cannon The Last Word from Cayde-6, you need the now vaulted Forsaken expansion.
- The powerful machine gun “Xenophage” can only be obtained from the Shadowkeep dungeon.
- And to use the latest darkness super “Stasis”, you need to buy Beyond Light, the DLC Beyond Light.
Not to mention the sad, thrilling, and inspiring heroic deeds that you would miss out on in the Free-2-Play version. Bungie simply tells captivating and profound space magic stories best. That’s one reason why many players have followed the game for years. Narratively, the game has long been a novelty in the first-person shooter genre.
In Witch Queen and the current Season 16, Bungie has often placed Guardians in situations where they must question their conscience and actions.
For me, it’s time to leave my newly created Hunter in Destiny-2-New-Light for now. I probably won’t miss her. But there is one thing I will regret a bit leaving her: the vault! I haven’t had that much space in my veteran vault in years. I really need a Vex Tor in this alternate, free dimension.
Nevertheless, I was glad to have my old arsenal back, with all legendary God Rolls and exotic weapons available. The well-equipped armor with a plethora of available mods does make a difference in gameplay. And I would also be reluctant to miss out on the well-crafted exotic missions, like Vox Obscura, that are really fun and challenging.
Have you also tried Destiny 2 for free? What did you think of it? Or are you perhaps someone who is only playing Free-2-Play? Then feel free to share your experiences.
Of course, we are also interested in the opinions of paying players: Do you find it unfair that New Light offers so much for free? Or is that okay for you? Please leave your opinion in the comments.
Or do you prefer to focus on the current features in the game, like weapon crafting?
