Understanding Destiny 2’s Quest Order

In Destiny 2, Bungie has crafted a vast and intricate narrative spread across multiple expansions, seasons, and updates. As players take on the role of Guardians, tasked with protecting humanity from various alien threats and uncovering the mysteries of the universe, the game delivers its story through numerous quests and campaigns. With so much content, players often find themselves lost or overwhelmed by the sheer volume of quests and their often non-linear progression. The concept of quest order is crucial for players, especially newcomers or returning veterans, who want to follow the storyline chronologically and understand the key events in the Destiny universe.

This review will explore the importance of quest order in Destiny 2, the recommended sequence for playing the campaigns, and the challenges players face when navigating this ever-expanding game world.

1. Why Quest Order Matters

Understanding the quest order in Destiny 2 is essential for several reasons:

Narrative Coherence

Destiny 2’s lore is rich, and its narrative spans multiple story arcs involving different characters, factions, and cosmic events. Playing the game in a random sequence can lead to confusion, as players might miss key plot points, character developments, or revelations. A coherent quest order helps players appreciate the overarching story, which ties together the events of different expansions like The Red War, Forsaken, Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and The Witch Queen.

Progression and Power Level

In Destiny 2, quests often serve as gateways to new content, loot, and power-ups. Following a logical order ensures that players progress through the game at a manageable pace, gaining the necessary power level (or Light level) to tackle more challenging activities. If players jump ahead to endgame content too early, they may find themselves under-leveled, leading to frustration and difficulty in completing objectives.

Unlocking Game Features

Certain features and mechanics, like weapon crafting, subclass upgrades, and exotic quests, are unlocked through specific quests and campaigns. Completing quests in the right order ensures players don’t miss out on these essential features that enhance gameplay.

Access to Seasonal Content

Destiny 2 follows a seasonal model, where each season introduces new quests, activities, and storylines. Understanding the sequence of seasonal content helps players engage with time-limited events and keep up with the latest developments in the game’s evolving world.

2. A Breakdown of Destiny 2 Campaigns and Questlines

The Destiny 2 universe is divided into several key campaigns, with additional seasonal content and expansions. For players looking to follow the story in chronological order, here’s a breakdown of the major campaigns and how they fit into the overall narrative.

The Red War (Vanilla Destiny 2)

This was the base campaign that launched with Destiny 2 in 2017. The Red War storyline follows the Guardian’s battle against Dominus Ghaul, the leader of the Cabal Red Legion, who invades Earth and strips the Guardians of their Light. Players must reunite the Vanguard, take back the Last City, and defeat Ghaul to restore the Traveler’s Light.

While The Red War campaign has been vaulted and is no longer playable, it still serves as the starting point for Destiny 2’s narrative. Players now begin their journey with the New Light questline, which acts as an introduction to the world of Destiny for new players.

Curse of Osiris and Warmind (DLCs)

Following The Red War, Destiny 2 released two smaller expansions: Curse of Osiris and Warmind.

• Curse of Osiris focuses on the Guardian’s quest to find the legendary Warlock Osiris and stop a Vex threat on Mercury. The story delves into time-travel mechanics and the infinite simulations run by the Vex.
• Warmind shifts the focus to Mars, where the Guardian teams up with Ana Bray to awaken the Warmind Rasputin and stop the Hive from using a giant worm god to destroy the solar system.

Both of these campaigns have also been vaulted, but they introduced key characters and plotlines that are referenced in later expansions. For returning players, understanding these stories can add context to the ongoing narrative.

Forsaken

Forsaken is one of the most pivotal expansions in Destiny 2’s history. It begins with the murder of Cayde-6, one of the beloved Vanguard leaders, by Uldren Sov (later known as Crow). The Guardian embarks on a quest for revenge, hunting down the Barons who helped Uldren in his plot. The story takes players to the Tangled Shore and the Dreaming City, two key locations introduced in the expansion.

Beyond the personal story of revenge, Forsaken also introduces the Awoken Queen Mara Sov, the Dreaming City’s curse, and the emergence of the Scorn. These elements play a significant role in shaping the events of later expansions like The Witch Queen.

For players, Forsaken remains one of the most important expansions to experience, though some content has been vaulted. The Dreaming City and its weekly curse cycle, however, are still accessible and offer endgame activities.

Shadowkeep

After Forsaken, the narrative shifts to the Moon with the Shadowkeep expansion. In this story, the Guardian teams up with Eris Morn to investigate strange nightmares emerging from a newly discovered pyramid ship buried on the Moon. These pyramid ships, known as the Black Fleet, are precursors to the Darkness, a major antagonist in Destiny’s lore.

Shadowkeep sets the stage for the game’s broader narrative arc involving the Light versus Darkness conflict, which continues to unfold in later expansions. The expansion also reintroduces the Moon as a key location for patrols, quests, and endgame activities.

Beyond Light

Beyond Light marks a major turning point in Destiny 2’s story. The expansion introduces a new subclass, Stasis, which allows Guardians to wield the power of Darkness for the first time. The story takes place on Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter, where the Guardian must stop Eramis, the Fallen leader who seeks to harness Stasis to overthrow the Traveler.

This expansion also delves into the origins of the Darkness, the Exo Stranger’s return, and the ongoing battle between Light and Darkness. Beyond Light is essential for players who want to understand the current state of the Destiny universe, as it sets up key storylines for future content.

The Witch Queen

The Witch Queen expansion revolves around the mysterious Hive god Savathûn, sister of Oryx (the antagonist of the original Destiny’s The Taken King expansion). The expansion takes place in Savathûn’s Throne World, a surreal location filled with secrets and puzzles.

The story explores Savathûn’s manipulation of the Light and her creation of Hive Guardians who wield powers similar to the player’s own abilities. The Witch Queen introduces new gameplay mechanics, like weapon crafting, and expands on the lore of the Hive, the Light, and the Darkness.

For players looking to stay current with Destiny 2’s ongoing narrative, The Witch Queen is a must-play expansion, as it sets up future conflicts and reveals key information about the Traveler and the Darkness.

Lightfall (Upcoming Expansion)

Scheduled for release in 2024, Lightfall will continue the saga of Light versus Darkness, with the Guardian facing new threats from the Witness, the ultimate antagonist behind the Black Fleet. This expansion promises to be a climactic chapter in the ongoing narrative and will likely introduce new locations, powers, and enemies.

While details are still emerging, Lightfall is expected to conclude several long-running storylines, making it a critical expansion for players invested in Destiny 2’s lore.

3. Seasonal Content and Quest Order

In addition to the major expansions, Destiny 2’s narrative is further developed through its seasonal model. Each season introduces a self-contained story that ties into the larger narrative, often bridging the gap between expansions. Some notable seasons include:

• Season of the Chosen: Introduces Empress Caiatl, leader of the Cabal, and her alliance with the Guardians to stop the Darkness.
• Season of the Splicer: Focuses on the Vex threat and the Guardians’ partnership with Mithrax, a Fallen leader, to stop a Vex simulation.
• Season of the Lost: Revolves around Mara Sov’s return and her quest to free her brother, Uldren Sov (now the Guardian Crow), from Xivu Arath’s influence.

Each season introduces new quests, activities, and loot. For players who want to follow the story in chronological order, it’s important to engage with seasonal content as it is released. Missing a season can mean losing access to key plot points or character developments, although Bungie often provides recap videos or lore entries to help players catch up.

4. Challenges in Following Quest Order

While Destiny 2 offers a vast and engaging narrative, following the correct quest order can be challenging for several reasons:

Vaulting of Content

As part of Bungie’s Content Vaulting strategy, older content is periodically removed from the game to make space for new expansions and updates. This has led to the vaulting of entire campaigns like The Red War, Curse of Osiris, and Warmind, making it difficult for new players to experience the full story. While some elements of these campaigns are referenced in later content, the removal of key storylines has created gaps in the narrative for players who didn’t experience them when they were available.

Non-Linear Progression

Destiny 2’s quest structure is often non-linear, with multiple questlines running simultaneously. Players may find themselves juggling different objectives, such as exotic quests, seasonal activities, campaign missions, and side quests. This can make it difficult to prioritize tasks or follow a coherent storyline. Without a clear roadmap or guidance from the game, players may accidentally skip essential quests or become sidetracked by other content. Destiny 2 offers freedom in how players approach its quests, but this also increases the risk of missing important narrative beats.

Multiple Entry Points

As Destiny 2 expands with new content, Bungie has created various entry points for players, depending on when they join the game. For example, players who started during Beyond Light or The Witch Queen expansions may begin their journey without the context of earlier storylines. This can make it challenging to understand certain characters or plot points, as the game doesn’t always do a thorough job of summarizing past events. New players often have to rely on external resources, such as lore videos or community guides, to piece together the full story.

Complex Quest Requirements

Some quests in Destiny 2 have complex requirements or hidden steps, especially exotic weapon quests or pinnacle activities. These quests often require players to complete a mix of campaign missions, strikes, raids, or PvP matches to progress. For players who focus on story-driven content, being forced to switch between different activities can disrupt the narrative flow and make it harder to follow the quest order.

5. Recommended Quest Order for New Players

For new or returning players who want to experience Destiny 2’s narrative in a logical and satisfying sequence, here’s a recommended quest order that ensures you follow the major storylines while still enjoying the game’s content.

Step 1: Complete the New Light Questline

All new players begin with the New Light questline, which serves as an introduction to the game’s world and mechanics. This quest takes players through the Cosmodrome on Earth, reintroducing them to the basics of combat, exploration, and abilities. While this quest isn’t directly tied to the overarching story of Destiny 2, it sets the foundation for understanding the game’s systems and prepares players for future content.

Step 2: Play the Forsaken Campaign (If Available)

Although the Forsaken expansion has been partially vaulted, the campaign is still a crucial part of Destiny 2’s lore. If the campaign is available, players should prioritize completing Forsaken, as it introduces key characters like Crow (formerly Uldren Sov) and Mara Sov. The Dreaming City’s curse and the Barons’ revenge plot are major turning points in the game’s narrative.

Step 3: Shadowkeep Campaign

After Forsaken, move on to the Shadowkeep campaign, which takes players to the Moon. This expansion sets up the conflict between Light and Darkness, introducing the pyramid ships and Eris Morn’s role in unraveling the mystery of the Darkness. Shadowkeep is essential for understanding later expansions like Beyond Light and The Witch Queen.

Step 4: Beyond Light Campaign

Once you’ve completed Shadowkeep, continue with the Beyond Light expansion. This campaign shifts the focus to Europa and the emergence of Stasis, a new subclass powered by the Darkness. The conflict between the Guardian and Eramis, the Fallen leader, is a key moment in the struggle between Light and Darkness. Beyond Light also introduces important lore about the Exo Stranger and the origins of the Exos.

Step 5: The Witch Queen Campaign

The Witch Queen is one of the most recent and significant expansions in Destiny 2’s ongoing narrative. After completing Beyond Light, players should dive into this campaign to confront Savathûn, the cunning Hive god. The expansion provides critical insights into the nature of the Traveler, the Light, and the Darkness, while also expanding the game’s lore about the Hive and their manipulation of Light-based powers. Savathûn’s Throne World and the introduction of Hive Guardians are major highlights of this expansion.