New or Returning to Destiny 2? Read this. Clearing up confusion.

[haisoon]

I have been monitoring and trying to help clear up questions people have about this game and its launch on Steam. However there have been several topics that have been continuously popping up, and some misinformation spreading around. So this thread is to address and provide correct information. If you have a question not listed here, feel free to ask and I will do my best to help. If it is something important I missed, I will edit it to the list here.

Before I begin, I would like to make one thing clear. If you are a new player who wants to start playing Destiny 2, I recommend you do not buy Shadowkeep. Destiny 2 isnt a game for everyone, and with of the game becoming free to play, you should play the game for free to determine if you even like the game . After you have played the game for a while and you find out you love it and want more, then you can consider getting Shadowkeep. This has nothing to do with Shadowkeep being good or bad, just a smart and frugal decision. I would hate for anyone to spend money for Shadowkeep, only to wind up regretting it because they dont like Destiny 2.

Also, anyone who has bought Forsaken, or anyone who has played Destiny 2 and wants their progress on steam, should follow the steps on the link below to connect their Battle.net account to their Steam account, so all gear,progress, characters, and purchases will transfer over to their steam account. This should be done regardless of whether you plan on using Cross save or not(which is something entirely separate)

https://www.bungie.net/7/en/PCMove

Should I buy Destiny 2?

This is probably the number 1 question that is loading with misconceptions, misunderstandings, and confusion.

First. Destiny 2(the Base game+more)will NOT cost money on steam The listings you currently see available on steam are PRE-ORDERS for Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, and Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Digital Deluxe Edition. Both of those are optional EXPANSIONS/DLC to the game and NOT REQUIRED. They add extra content the game for those who want even more. Both of these listings are PRE-ORDERS

When Destiny 2 goes live on Steam on October 1st ~10am PST, the free to play portion will be available to play. So be patient, and wait for it to appear in the store for download.
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Destiny 2(as well as Forsaken and the Forsaken Annual Pass)since September 3rd, have been unavailable for purchase on Battle.net in anticipation of the migration from Battle.net to Steam. The only possible way to even buy it, would be to purchase codes from 3rd parties such as gamestop. I do not recommend trying this however, as it very possible for places to try to scam you with a fake code. Just wait 3 weeks for it to arrive on steam.
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As far as answering the question "Should I Buy Destiny 2", that breaks down to 2 real questions: "Should I Play Destiny 2" and "Should I buy Shadowkeep". I will answer these separately.

"Should I buy Shadowkeep?"

My answer would be a question to you. Have you been a active player in Destiny 2 on Battle.net, or are you a "new or returning player"?

If you have been a active player and have really enjoyed the game since Forsaken, then Shadowkeep will likely be worth it for you, and you might consider buying. If you are unsure, then simply wait until it launches, and watch streamers, or read reviews and see the specific details exactly what it contains and make your own decision based on whether it seems fun.

If you are a NEW OR RETURNING PLAYER my response would no.

If you are a new or returning player, there is no reason for you to spend money, when a large majority of all current content will be available for you to play completely free. Destiny 2 is a fun game for many(there are at least several million active players per month). But it is a game that just isnt for everyone. Buying Shadowkeep without knowing if you even like the game, is just a unwise decision. Try all of the expansive free content, and once you either find you dont like the game(in which case you just uninstall), or you love it and want more, then consider whether the specific content in Shadowkeep is worth the money to you or not.

There is two exceptions to the above. If you are a returning player that enjoyed Forsaken, then it is up to you whether you should buy Shadowkeep. It is likely that you will enjoy it, and find it worth it. But for you, I would recommend if you are not sure, to just wait until some reviews are in to make your final decision. Expect Shadowkeep to be smaller than Forsaken.

The other exception is if the money spent doesnt really matter to you, and you are excited for Shadowkeep, then you are free to preorder regardless.

Does Shadowkeep contain Forsaken and the Annual Pass?

The answer, WITHOUT QUESTION, is absolutely no .

Shadowkeep contains exclusively: Shadowkeep Expansion+ 1 free "Season"
Shadowkeep Digital Deluxe contains exclusively:Shadowkeep Expansion + 4 "Seasons"

Forsaken, and the Annual Pass(which is correctly named: "Forsaken Annual Pass")will become available as a SEPARATE purchase on the Steam Store.(The Forsaken Annual Pass, as of September 17th, will be given free to ALL Forsaken owners, and included in all Forsaken purchases.

Does Shadowkeep contain the Annual Pass?

The answer once again is no. People are confusing the Forsaken Annual Pass, with the Seasons Pass. The season Pass does not come with Shadowkeep unless you buy the digital deluxe.

Shadowkeep launches WITH entirely separate called "Seasons". Seasons is expected to roughly be similar in type and amount of new content as the "Forsaken Annual Pass", but available to purchase ala carte(meaning you can purchase only the seasons that you want, rather than being forced to pay upfront for them as a bundle)

Seasons are NOT a part of Shadowkeep, but something separate. Players will be able to purchase Seasons of their choice, without having to purchase Shadowkeep.

With Purchases of Shadowkeep, players get "Season of the Undying" content included for free.
With Purchases of Shadowkeep Digital Deluxe, player are preordering the other 3 "Seasons".

Should I buy the Digital Deluxe/Seasons?

The answers is unless you have been a consistent player that loves the game, find Destiny 2 well worth it already, and already know you will buy everything in the future anyways, I do not recommend buying the Seasons. Until specifics of exactly what kind of content the Seasons will have is released, I cannot recommend buying this otherwise at the moment.

Why wont this game open in my library on Steam even though I bought it?

As noted above any purchases is not purchasing the game, but a pre-order of the expansion(DLC) Shadowkeep.

The game doesnt open in steam, or allow download or launching, because it isnt available yet. The game will not open in steam until it launches on Steam on October 1st probably around 10 am PST.

Why cant I download the game?

This is because it still is on Battle.net. The game is not on Steam and will not launch on Steam until it leaves Battle.net on October 1st.

Will there be preload/why cant I preload now?

Preloading, almost NEVER happens multiple weeks in advance of a game launching, period. I've seen several questions about wondering why it isnt available for download now.

The more common and frequently asked question is if there is going to be preload.

The Answer is: We dont know , maybe. Preloading is something usually announced closer to release, so we should find out in the next couple of weeks.

That said, I would guess that it is likely that preloading will happen. In EVERY single major content release of Destiny, back at least as far as the Destiny 1 Beta(Including Destiny 1, The Taken King, Rise of Iron) to throughout Destiny 2 releases(Destiny 2 Beta, Launch, PC launch, Forsaken), there has always been preloading either the game, or the new big expansion.

In most cases, preloading was available 1 week before the launch day of the game/expansion/beta. All cases were available at least 2 days before launch.

So based on the past if we have preloading,it should begin NO EARLIER than September 24th, and no later than September 29th.

But again, NOTHING has been announced either way. Bungie has done preloads in the past, but they also have never done platform transfers, or been independent before. Just wait and see for announcements.

I completed the Steam transfer what do I do now? Why isnt the game showing up in my library?

If you "completed the Steam transfer" good for you. You have done what you needed, to copy everything from Battle.net for the Steam migration.

However this is a misconception. You have not actually transferred anything yet. What you actually did, was link your Battle.net account to Steam, for when the transfer does happen for all players on October 1st. So any new gear earned, accomplishments made, campaigns completed on Battle.net until October 1st, will all transfer.(so you can keep playing without worrying about losing your progress)

Again, the reason the game isnt showing up in Library, is because it isnt available in the store yet. The game is still on Battle.net until October 1st. It will not show up on the store, or in your library, until October 1st, or if it is available for preload.

As long as you followed the steps for the PC move, and linked the correct accounts, there is nothing to worry about. Everything will transfer over seamlessly.

What is Cross Save, and how does it work?

Before I answer this, a common misconception is that the PC move, is Cross Save, or Vice versa. The PC move is a one way, one time transfer that will move your PC account, characters and purchases to Steam, basically copy and paste. It actually moves EVERYTHING from one platform to another, and MUST be done unless you want to lose your PC progress, and DLC ownership(which matters if you own Forsaken).

Now what Cross Save basically is, is you connect the desired accounts of the different platforms you play, or have played on(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia). After you link all of your accounts together you choose one platforms account as your main account. That "main account" will then essentially become saved to the cloud. Now when you log on to any of your linked accounts, instead of loading the normal account, they will load the "main account" in the cloud. Any progress made, gear earned etc, is saved to the cloud and that one main account. You are not actually transferring anything between platforms, or moving your accounts anywhere. You are just LOADING the one account everywhere else. Your other accounts still exist, they just are deativated while cross save is active.

Its like going to a friends house, signing in to your profile, and playing Red Dead redemption 2. Or Spiderman. Any progress you made there, you save to the cloud and keep when you play on your console. While you have your account signed in and are playing the game, your friends account is inactive, his save intact, and any progress you make changes nothing on his save. You did not transfer anything to your friend. Cross save is the same.

Cross Save does NOT

• Transfer your console characters to PC(You can load and play console save, but any progress will only be made for that console save)
  
• Merge your linked accounts into one.
  
• Transfer any DLC ownership(If you want to play shadowkeep on PC and PS4, you have to buy it on both PC and PS4)
  
• Allow you to play with people on other platforms(you cant play with PS4 friends while on your PC)

When setting up Cross save, take your time, and make sure you select exactly what you want.If you select the wrong save, you may be stuck with it for a while. Cross save should only be used if you want the same save across multiple platforms. The steam transfer should not interfere with it at all.

To set up cross save.
https://www.bungie.net/7/en/CrossSave

[haisoon]

What content is Free to Play?

I will not explain every activity in game, but explain everything made free. Individual items listed are items from either Forsaken, the Forsaken Annual Pass, or Shadowkeep DLC that are also made free to play. Things that in the past would have required purchase of the respective DLC.

The free to play content is announced as part of a package called "Destiny 2: New Light "
New light is the free to play content all players get, whether they bought the game before, or have never played. It is designed so that new players can instantly jump in with what their friends are doing, and generally so they dont have to do things like beat the campaign to try out a raid. Its designed so you have everything available to you ready to go, like a buffet.

Destiny 2:New Light(Destiny 2 free to play content) includes:

Destiny 2 game(base game)Destiny 2 DLC#1 Curse of OsirisDestiny 2 DLC#2 WarmindAll Destiny 2 Strikes(including 4 strikes introduced with Forsaken, and 2 with Shadowkeep)All Destiny 2 Planets/Locations(Including the Tangled Shore, Dreaming City and Moon)All Destiny 2 unique planetary weapons and gear(different gear earned on each planet)All Crucible(PvP) maps, loot, playlists, and game modes(including upcoming 3 maps)All Non quest based Exotic gear(Exotics from raids or Forsaken/Shadowkeep quests require ownership of the respective expansions)Blind Well, Black Armory Forges, Jokers Wild Reckoning, and Menagerie activities and loot.Gambit(competitive PvE vs PvE game mode) and Gambit prime(variant of Gambit) activities.All Pinnacle weapons(special difficult quest legendary weapons that have unique perks)(if exotics are like gods, these are like demigods)Free Holiday events(Falls "Festival of the Lost"(Halloween), Winters "The Dawning", Springs "The Revelry", Summers "Solstice of Heroes")Some other small loose things and additions.

Otherwise in the words of a Bungie employee:
"It's just easier to say what you DONT get from New Light than what you do.

Don't get Shadowkeep & Season Passes, Forsaken Raids, Shattered Throne, Y2 Annual Pass Exotic Quests, Forsaken Campaign."

Really from an objective standpoint regardless of Bungies motives, or opinions on Destiny 2, the raw percentage of the game with all of its DLCs being made Free to Play is astounding. I have never heard of any other game doing anything quite like this.

Should I Play Destiny 2?

This is not a easy question to answer. There are people who will excitingly tell you "Yes absolutely, it is amazing", and others who will tell you it is a piece of trash.

My advice is to listen to none of them. Destiny 2, the entire base game with a large portion of its DLC content, will be completely free to play. As such I recommend you try the game out for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

I have seen many people who were encouraged to play Destiny 2, end up hating it completely, as well as many people who were constantly told how bad it was, only for them to try it and love it.

What I will say, is the things Destiny 2 does well, they do extremely well. For example I have never heard someone say Destiny 2 is a ugly game, and that its gun/gameplay does not feel amazing. Also the game as a whole is a game built on investment, and overall playing the game as a whole. You may seek to do one activity to get certain weapons or gear, to do another(such as a raid), which you use to enjoy your favorite activity even more. Destiny 2 setting and deep background lore, is quite excellent, but is often not adequately presented in the main campaigns.

I love the game. Many dont. Try it for free and make up your own mind. Play what you enjoy.
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I hope this answers some questions. If any explanations didnt help you, or you have other questions, please let me know so I can fix them, and help you.

[Vampire Detective]

You're the best. Truly. Confusion, GONE.

Excellent work!

[Blexx3r]

Great work! Thanks.

The sad thing is that it requires this much text to even describe this whole mess.

[TWiZTED]

Thank you, great work, very informative. Already did the migration from battle.net to steam.


I'm a new player, today I played Destiny 2 for about and hour or so and I really like it so far, but won't pre-order anything till I see if it grows on me first.

[haisoon]

Messaggio originale di Blexx3r:

Great work! Thanks.

The sad thing is that it requires this much text to even describe this whole mess.

I disagree. I wrote so much because I am awful at typing things concisely and short, as well as I wanted to answer questions before they were asked. Additionally I wanted to explain some of the why and how behind things.

Most of this stuff is pretty simple, but people tend to overthink it, have unrealistic expectations or not pay enough attention to what is said.(such as the store listing Shadowkeep as Pre-Order, or the game listed as "Available October 1st" and people wondering why it wont launch now)(or expecting DLC ownership to transfer across consoles/platforms despite that not existing for almost any games) Ultimately people just get bogged up or stuck on different things for different reasons

Either way, I am working on a easy to see infographic, and a shorter version of this post that just answers with the needed information. Honestly I made much of this more complicated than it needed to be.

If you have any questions, let me know!

Messaggio originale di TWiZTED:

Thank you, great work, very informative. Already did the migration from battle.net to steam.


I'm a new player, today I played Destiny 2 for about and hour or so and I really like it so far, but won't pre-order anything till I see if it grows on me first.

Smart Decision! If you have any questions about the game or need help figuring out stuff in game, feel free to message me on discord cptenn94#5749 and I would be glad to help unless I am busy.

[Khronok]

if new player already liked the game which dlc he should get first forsaken or shadow keep ?

[haisoon]

Messaggio originale di Khronok:

if new player already liked the game which dlc he should get first forsaken or shadow keep ?

Good question. Until Shadowkeep goes live and I have had a chance to play and experience the content I cannot make a solid recommendation.

In general, I would lean towards recommending Forsaken, as it has quite a bit of content, and is the next chronologically. Also if you enjoy raids, this definitely would be the better buy for you, since it has 3 included.

But if a player plays with a bunch of friends or clanmates, buying Shadowkeep may be best to allow you to play with them, doing all the new content they are doing.


All in all, I recommend waiting until after Shadowkeep launches before you make up your mind. You will have some new content(for you) from Forsaken and the Forsaken Annual pass given to you for free(Gambit, Gambit Prime, Menagerie, Black Armory Forges) without buying either Forsaken or Shadowkeep.

Feel free to ask me the question again then, and I can give a better answer.

[Geko]

Thank you for that, I do have a question though. I plan to buy DLCs for the most part, but my friends on the other hang may be a different story. My question is will I have to find other people that bought the DLC in order to do Raids/Strikes/Quest Things like that, or dose Bungie have a plan for that?

I only ask because I don't know where, I recall hearing something about if the leader of the group or something has the DLC the rest of the group dose as well? Is that correct or did I just imagine it?

Thank you for your time

[haisoon]

Messaggio originale di Geko:

Thank you for that, I do have a question though. I plan to buy DLCs for the most part, but my friends on the other hang may be a different story. My question is will I have to find other people that bought the DLC in order to do Raids/Strikes/Quest Things like that, or dose Bungie have a plan for that?

Your friends will be able to do ALL strikes regardless of what DLC they get.


With raids, your friends would need to get the dlc for the specific raids they want to do. For free without buying any DLC, both you and them will have the Leviathan Raid, Eater of Worlds Raid Lair, and Spire of Stars Raid Lair.
With Forsaken(which now includes the Forsaken Annual Pass), they would get the Last Wish Raid(current biggest raid), Scourge of the Past Raid, and Crown of Sorrows Raid.
With Shadowkeep there will be the Garden of Salvation raid.
It is not known if the Seasons dlc will contain any raids or not.

So assuming your friends do not own Forsaken or Shadowkeep, if you wanted to do either Last Wish, or Garden of Salvation raids for example, you would indeed have to find other players that own the respective DLC to attempt that raid.

The only hard part about finding people for the raid is yourself learning the raid the first time. Once you learn the raid, it is very easy to find groups of players in the same position.



As far as quests go, yes your friends would need the respective DLC if you are doing a Forsaken or Shadowkeep quest. Quests in general, can be done alone without needing a group.



As for whether there is a plan, Bungie offers 2 resources for finding players for a raid. The first is one in game called "Guided Games", which works similar to normal matchmaking. I do not generally recommend it, because there are usually far more people requesting help with the raid, than people trying to help, and you will face long wait times.

The other resource is Bungies "Find Fireteam" Feature. It is super easy to use. You simply go to the Bungie.net website, or use the Destiny 2 companion app on your phone. From there you select category for the activity you are looking for, and can then look at all of the groups for various activities. You can either join one, or create your own group.
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That said, I highly recommend using the Destiny 2 PC LFG discord. There are a high number of users there, and in general PC players tend to use Discord for voice chat communication regardless. https://discord.gg/ZnN3vP2

I have done hundreds of raids and other activities, and almost all of them were with complete strangers using the Find Fireteam, or D2 LFG discord I mentioned. You can look for groups for anything using these resources.

An additional resource for finding someone to teach you a raid, can be the subreddit r/DestinySherpa . I myself can also teach you if my schedule permits.

I only ask because I don't know where, I recall hearing something about if the leader of the group or something has the DLC the rest of the group dose as well? Is that correct or did I just imagine it?

Thank you for your time

It is absolutely false that a fireteam leader confers the DLC to the rest of his group. If a activity is selected that fireteam members do not have access too, the game will prevent the leader from launching the activity, and the fireteam members without access will flash, with a message announcing unable to start activity.


All in all, there are plenty of activities that you can play with your Friends that you all will have access for free. Playing Destiny 2 with friends, and making new friends with Destiny 2 is part of what can make the game so much fun. If you have questions or need help in game, let me know and I would be glad to help!

[Geko]

Holy crap thank you for that very detailed information, I have no idea where I heard it and It was bugging me. Thank you for that clarification! +1

[haisoon]

Messaggio originale di Geko:

Holy crap thank you for that very detailed information, I have no idea where I heard it and It was bugging me. Thank you for that clarification! +1

Glad I could help! Its not your fault for hearing some misinformation. There certainly has been plenty of that going around.

Since you mentioned you were thinking of buying one or both DLC, you will find this official Bungie infographic[www.bungie.net] released today useful.

It contains the content/activity release Schedule for Shadowkeep and Season of the Undying.

[haisoon]

An infographic[www.bungie.net] of the content release schedule for Shadowkeep

[dentorium]

all of these packages, expansions, dlcs ... Why dont you just make a single price for a single game and sell it ? Freemium bussiness model is a cancer.

[nasojjr]

I think I might be more confused than ever although I haven't really been following the game. I got it when it was new and played through the campaign and that was pretty much it.

So if Forsaken is remaining seperate, what would ever be the point in purchasing that if anything to do with would be lower power and/or level than the new xpac? Or do you have to progress through Forsaken before you can undertake anything to do with the upcoming xpac?

[Dani3009]

Messaggio originale di dentorium:

all of these packages, expansions, dlcs ... Why dont you just make a single price for a single game and sell it ? Freemium bussiness model is a cancer.

not sure what you mean

There are only 2 dlcs


You get the base game for free

You can buy Forsaken

You can buy Shadowkeep