While free-to-play, Destiny 2 hides the majority of its end-game activities and powerful Exotics behind paid Expansions and DLC.
If you are a new player trying to decide what to buy to get the most out of your game, this is the guide for you.
Recommended Read: How to Get Divinity in Destiny 2
New players of Destiny 2 should start with the Armory Collection before buying the newest Expansion, Lightfall. The Legacy Collection includes The Witch Queen, Beyond Light, and Shadowkeep Expansions.
Table of Contents
What Do the Expasions/DLC Include?
Before we go over which Expansions and DLC you should get, you may want to know what each of them has to offer, especially if you have an idea of what you are looking for.
Lightfall
The most recent Expasion in Destiny 2. With it comes a new campaign.
The community reception of this campaign is a little mixed, as it isn’t as difficult or long as some of the older campaigns, though it definitely has some major story points.
The planet Neptune is unlocked with Lightfall, giving you a new space for public events, patrols, lost sectors and weekly missions.
Lightfall also introduced the newest darkness subclass, Strand, Which can be unlocked by completing the Lightfall campaign.
Strand has been a monster subclass in Destiny 2 since release. Find out how to unlock it in our How to Unlock Subclasses guide.
The newest Raid, Root of Nightmares, comes with this Expansion. It is on the easier side, which makes it a good starting Raid for less experienced players.
You will also unlock some new Exotic weapons and armor pieces.
The Witch Queen
Regarded as one of the community’s favorite Expansions. The Witch Queen brought with it an excellent campaign with a mix of difficult sections and story bombs. You will unlock Mars as an explorable Destination.
The Vow of the Disciple Raid is included in this Expansion and is an excellent Raid that drops some of the best craftable PVE weapons.
The Witch Queen introduces some decent Exotic weapons, such as Osteo Striga, though nothing that stands out too much.
Included in the Legacy Collection.
Beyond Light
Another great campaign experience that will have you visiting Europa, a new planet and destination for you to enjoy.
You are introduced to the first darkness subclass, Stasis, which is still one of the strongest PVP subclasses in the game.
The Deep Stone Crypt Raid is a very fun Raid and also contains some very good weapons for both PVE and PVP.
The Cloudstrike Exotic Sniper Rifle and the Lament Exotic Sword are found in this Expansion. Both are still amazing weapons to this day.
Included in the Legacy Collection.
Shadowkeep
A shorter campaign that brings the story to the Moon, which means a new planet for you to explore.
Shadowkeep includes a new Raid, the Garden of Salvation, which has some pretty challenging encounters for new and experienced players alike.
The Pit of Heresy Dungeon is a shorter Dungeon and doesn’t include any particularly amazing loot. It is required for unlocking the Xenophage Exotic Machine Gun.
You will unlock access to some great Exotic weapons, including the Divinity Trace Rifle.
Included in the Legacy Collection.
Forsaken
One of Destiny 2’s greatest campaign experiences, which has sadly been sunset and is no longer playable as of today. Should this ever change, you will definitely want to pick it up and play the Forsaken campaign for yourself.
What this Expansion gives you is access to what many call the best Raid in Destiny 2, the Last Wish.
You will also unlock the Shattered Throne Dungeon, as well as its associated Exotic Bow, Wish Ender.
This Expansion added some of the best Exotic weapons in Destiny 2 history with Izinagi’s Burden, Anarchy, and Le Monarque.
Included in the Armory Collection.
Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack
Comes with the Grasp of Avarice Dungeon, where you will unlock the Gjallarhorn Exotic Rocket Launcher, one of the best Exotic weapons in the game. Included in the Armory Collection.
Legacy Collection
Bungie bundled the last three Expansions into one purchase, giving you The Witch Queen, Beyond Light, and Shadowkeep at a discount.
Witch Queen Dungeon Key
Unlocks access to the Duality and Spire of the Watcher Dungeons.
Armory Collection
Bundles both the Forsaken Pack as well as the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack. Buy this if you plan on getting either of them, as you will save a fair bit of money.
What Expansions/DLC to Buy for Destiny 2
The answer to this question will vary from player to player, as everyone will have different needs and budgets. we will go over a few different routes that you could take.
New Player
If you are a newer player who has recently completed all of the New Light missions and is looking to dip your toes into some end-game content, the Armory Collection is the cheapest place to start.
The Armory Collection includes both the Forsaken DLC as well as the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack.
This gives you a great selection of end-game activities, including two Dungeons and the Last Wish Raid, which is highly regarded as one of the best Raids Destiny 2 has ever seen.
You will also have access to some of the best end-game Exotic weapons, including Izinagi’s Burden, Anarchy, and Gjallarhorn, preparing you for the challenges that are ahead.
You could buy either the Forsaken Pack or the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack separately, though this bundle is a very good deal for the price.
Returning Player
If you want to experience the most recent Destiny 2 Expansion and get a feel for what you can expect when The Final Shape Expansion releases, then the Lightfall Expansion is your best bet.
You’ll get the full new campaign experience, the new darkness subclass Strand, the Root of Nightmares Raid, which is considered a very beginner-friendly Raid, as well as access to the most recent Season of content.
If you are enjoying Destiny so far and plan on sticking around, you should definitely consider upgrading to the Lightfall Annual Pass.
This will give you access to all four Seasons that are planned for Lightfall as well as the Lightfall Dungeon Key, at a discount. This way, you can experience all of the changes and story developments that come with every new Season.
The Story Player
If you are invested in the story that Destiny 2 has to tell and want to play through all of the available campaign missions, then you will want to pick up the Legacy Collection.
This unlocks the last three expansions, The Witch Queen, Beyond Light, and Shadowkeep, along with their respective campaigns.
This is one of the most valuable DLC options available, giving you a ton of content and new, powerful Exotics.
If you manage to finish all of the campaigns that this bundle includes and still want more, you may want to consider Lightfall as your next Expansion.
The Dedicated Player
If you’ve fallen in love with Destiny 2 and want to experience everything it has to offer, then you will definitely want to pick up Lightfall, The Legacy Collection, and the Armory Collection.
These bundles will include all of the Expansions and DLC that Destiny 2 currently has available.
You should now have a pretty good idea of what Expansions and DLC to get in Destiny 2.
Do you have any tips you would like to give new players? Leave them in the comments!
