Free to play rarely means actually free these days. That goes doubly true for some online RPGs, and it’s disgustingly so for Destiny 2. There are technically more than $500 worth of DLCs you can buy, but you don’t need to spend nearly that much. Here are all the Destiny 2 DLCs you should buy.
All Destiny 2 DLCs and Should You Buy Them
There are an absurd 14 purchasable DLC packs on the Destiny 2 Steam page for a whopping price tag of $564.86. If you want to get into D2 for the first time, that’s a hefty price tag for what purports to be a free game. However, you can actually spend significantly less and get the most important content the game has to offer. I’ll go through each DLC in the order of their release here and detail whether you need to buy it or not. Because I already did, much to my own chagrin.
Forsaken Pack
Do you need to buy? No.
If we lived in any other reality, I would say buying the Forsaken Pack is a no-brainer. It has the best Raid in the game with access to some of the best weapons, the first and most impressive Dungeon, and a few of the game’s better Exotics. But those are all you get. No extra destinations, activities, or story missions. Just a Raid, a Dungeon, and some gear. You don’t need any of it in the current Destiny 2 sandbox, and while it’s all good, it doesn’t change the game for not having it.
Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and the Witch Queen Standalone Expansions
Do you need to buy? No.
Or should I say, “Maybe?” All three of Destiny 2‘s previous expansions, purchased individually, come to more than $85 after taxes. And while there are worthwhile Exotic weapons and armor available in each, there’s a better way to buy them if you don’t own any. If you happen to own any one of them, you can either buy the others or buy another product, the Legacy Collection, for about the same price.
Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack
Do you need to buy? Yes.
There are two main reasons for buying the 30th Anniversary Pack. The first and most important is access to the Gjallarhorn Exotic Rocket Launcher, which completely redefined the DPS meta when it was reintroduced. The second is access to the Grasp of Avarice Dungeon, where you get not only the Gjallarhorn but also tons of high-quality gear and one of the easiest enemy farms in the game.
The Legacy Collection
Do you need to buy? Yes.
As I mentioned in the standalone DLC section, if you don’t own Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, or the Witch Queen, you shouldn’t buy them individually. The Legacy Collection contains all three for a $25 savings. You won’t get all of the important story bits, as those would have been delivered during that expansion year’s seasons, but the main beats are all there, as is access to all the Raids, Dungeons, and Exotic gear.
Lightfall and the Annual Pass
Do you need to buy? No.
Lightfall is perhaps the biggest disappointment since year 1 of Destiny 2. While the current Season of the Witch is a definite high point for the year, and the Lightfall Exotics are some of the best in the series, are they necessary? Should Bungie be rewarded for a piss-poor product? No to both. And with the Final Shape coming in due time, we can hopefully put Lightfall behind us.
The Final Shape and Annual Pass
Do you need to buy? No.
At least, not yet. The Final Shape is the grand finale of Destiny‘s first story arc and will hopefully be a return to form for the franchise, the third time it’s needed to do so. But I don’t recommend buying it out the gate. There’s too much uncertainty about whether it will actually be the return of Destiny‘s greatness. I’d wait for reviews from yours truly first.
The Armory Collection
Do you need to buy? No.
The Armory contains both the Forsaken and 30th Anniversary packs, but you lose access to both content packs should you refund the Armory Collection itself. And while it’s a better deal, I don’t think the Forsaken Pack, even at a discount, is worth the cost.
Any of the Silver/Emote Bundles
Do you need to buy? Hell no.
These bundles are an overpriced waste of money, to put it bluntly. They offer nothing in-game beyond signaling you spent more money needlessly. Sure, the emotes are cool and all, but not with the $15 of real-world money.
In short, if you want to get into Destiny 2, you only really need to buy the Legacy Collection and, I think, the 30th Anniversary Pack. If you play through all that content — and it’s a lot — and you want to be sure you’re as up-to-date as possible, you can buy Lightfall and its Annual Pass for the full year of mostly good seasonal content. As for the Final Shape, I’d play wait and see unless you find yourself invested.
That’s everything you need to know about Destiny 2 DLCs and which you should buy. For more on Destiny 2 if you decide to take the plunge, check out our guides on the best Unstoppable weapons, the Positive Outlook god roll, and more in our D2 guides hub.
