When Destiny 2 removes its expansions from the Xbox Game Pass for consoles the second week of December, a lot will change for Guardians on Xbox devices. Xbox Game Pass has been providing an inexpensive way for Xbox players to enjoy Destiny 2 content for a while, and this will result in a lot being taken away. Getting all of the Destiny 2 expansions can be expensive, and some fans might not feel like investing the extra money necessary to get their hands on every piece of content they had access to with Xbox Game Pass in the past.
This is especially true for players more interested in the newest activities that Destiny 2 has to offer. The Bungie 30 Anniversary Pack will be released on December 7, just a day before Destiny 2 removes its paid content from Xbox Game Pass, and The Witch Queen expansion is slated to be released a couple of months later on February 22 in 2022. While deciding what to purchase can be hard as these two big releases approach, there is still some good news for players that enjoy Destiny 2 but aren’t yet ready to invest almost $100 for its previous expansions.
Forsaken
For starters, there is the major decision of vaulting the Forsaken storyline in Destiny 2. While this has had some fan backlash, it has also led to Forsaken becoming free on December 8. This is the same day that Destiny 2 will be removed from Xbox Game Pass for consoles, which might even it out for some fans. While players still won’t have access to Shadowkeep or Beyond Light, they will be able to play through a campaign that has had almost as much influence on the Destiny community as Gjallarhorn.
Forsaken was the first stone laid to pave the way for the Light and Darkness story in Destiny 2. It solidifies Savathun and Xivu Arath as enemies, with the two Hive Goddesses taking over their brother’s former forces in the Sol system. It also brings the Taken Ahamkara, Riven, to the forefront of Destiny 2, with her acting as the final boss for the Last Wish raid. While the raid and Dreaming City locations will remain free-to-play in Destiny 2, Guardians should still take the opportunity to experience the Forsaken storyline in December regardless of whether they use Xbox Game Pass.
The Crucible Playlist
Players with Xbox Game Pass will also still have access to the other activities provided by the free-to-play approach that Destiny 2 uses. Like many other free-to-play games with PvP, the Crucible for Destiny 2 will continue to be accessible. This includes two of the most competitive modes that Destiny 2 has to offer: the Trials of Osiris and the Iron Banner. Both these modes have gotten love this fall, with the Trials of Osiris being almost completely reworked and Iron Banner armor glow being added as an entertaining visual effect.
The recent Trials of Osiris experiments are also a great reason for Xbox Game Pass players to try their hand at the game mode. While they won’t have access to as much endgame content as they have in the past, the Trials of Osiris continues to be a great place for Guardians to test their mettle against one another. Specific rewards from the game mode even feature some of the most sought-after weapons in Destiny 2, with flawless runs providing access to Adept weapons.
Gambit and Vanguard Activities
Similar to the Crucible is the Gambit game mode. While Gambit has its own node in the UI for Destiny 2, it doesn’t feature as many options as the Crucible or Vanguard. However, Gambit is a fun yet challenging combination of the PvE and PvP aspects of Destiny 2. Recently, though, players have expressed the need for Gambit labs since the mode has gone unimproved for almost a year. Despite this, the sometimes-frustrating Gambit mode does act as a great cross between the competitive PvP of the Crucible, with the added adrenaline of clearing out waves of strong PvE enemies.
However, Gambit doesn’t bring the same difficulty that the other pieces of endgame PvE content in Destiny 2 do. Through the Vanguard node, players can access the strike playlist as well as certain Nightfall strikes. While strikes that are tied to paid content in Destiny 2 won’t be available to players who don’t have that content, there are still several strikes from the base game available. This includes the New Light campaign with The Disgraced strikes as well as some of the easiest Grandmaster Nightfall strikes in Destiny 2, like the Lake of Shadows and Arms Dealer.
These types of strikes can be important to getting pinnacle gear and raising a player’s Light level in Destiny 2. There may be weeks that free players miss out on, but with several of the base game’s strikes still in rotation, there are opportunities for those that don’t want to spend extra money once Destiny 2 leaves Xbox Game Pass. These strikes are also great for those fans looking to grind as they prepare their Guardians for the arrival of The Witch Queen expansion.
Destiny 2 on Xbox Game Pass for PC
It’s worth noting that Destiny 2 leaving Xbox Game Pass doesn’t necessarily mean that those who are subscribed will suddenly lose access to all content. Players that have paid for expansions in the past or items like seasonal content can still access that until it’s vaulted or the season ends. This includes being able to experience the end of Season of the Lost and also participate in strikes that are a part of paid content.
On top of this, the removal of Destiny 2 from the Xbox Game Pass has only been announced for console and cloud gaming. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will still have access to the game if they are on PC, which makes sense since it was only recently that Destiny 2 was added to Xbox Game Pass on PC. With cross-save features enabled, this should mean that some Xbox Game Pass subscribers might not have too much to worry about. While they won’t have the option to choose between console and PC, they can still access Destiny 2 on their preferred PC device and keep up the fight with their Guardian.
Destiny 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.