There is always something new to do in Destiny 2, whether you are a free-to-play player or someone who owns all of the Expansions.
Newer players will want to know whether or not they are required to own all of the Expansions and DLC to enjoy the game.
Recommended Read: Can You Play Without PlayStation Plus in Destiny 2?
This guide will explain everything that is available to you as a free-to-play player, as well as everything that is locked behind paid Expansions and DLC packs.
You do not need to buy all Expansion and DLC in Destiny 2 to play the game. Players can purchase Expansions separately in whatever order they choose to cater to their experience with the game.
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Do You Need to Buy All Expansions/DLC in Destiny 2?
There is a lot to do in Destiny 2. Players are constantly met with new goals every time they boot up the game, from continuing their Power Leveling to finding new god roll weapons that they need to grind.
While Destiny 2 is a free-to-play game with plenty of base content for you to enjoy, it is designed with the addition of Expansions and DLC in mind to keep its players engaged. This is important to keep in mind when beginning the game.
Destiny 2 is a seasonal game, with new weapons, armor pieces, missions, and activities being added to the game with every new Season.
It is currently set up with an annual release schedule for major content drops known as Expansions.
These Expansions often bring with them new campaigns, planets, and Exotic gear for players to obtain.
In the months between annual Expansion releases, Destiny 2 will see an average of four Seasons throughout the year, each with its own new story while continuing the over-arcing story set within the newest Expansion.
Players who do not purchase an Expansion will not be able to access the new campaign, Raid, Dungeon, or any activities that are tied to that Expansion.
Similarly, players who do not buy into the current Season of Destiny 2 will not be able to access the new Seasonal activities or take part in the weekly Seasonal story.
Does this mean that you are required to buy all Expansions and Season Passes to play Destiny 2? No.
While you will be locked out of participating in any of the new content, free-to-play players can still do a handful of Legacy Raids and queue up into any of the playlist activities of Strikes, Gambit, and Crucible matches.
All players will have access to any new planets added to the game with every Expansion, allowing them to freely explore.
All players are also able to try out the introductory campaign mission for any Expansion added to the game. This will give them an idea of the story that follows in the Expansion as well as a look at any of the new enemies that are present in the campaign.
So, there are still a lot of reasons to play Destiny 2 without having to spend money on it. What are the reasons for purchasing any Expansions or DLC, then?
An obvious reason would be to experience the new campaign missions and keep up with the very deep story being told within the game. This alone is often the reason many players continually purchase the new Expansions every year.
If you don’t care so much about the story and are a hardcore fan of end-game PvE content, Expansions and DLC will give you access to some of the best Raids and Dungeons in the game.
These Raids and Dungeons are not only more difficult than the ones available for free, but they also contain some of the strongest weapons in the game.
If you don’t care about the story and also don’t much care for PvE and only play Destiny 2 for its fast-paced PvP game modes, you will be happy to know that the entirety of The Crucible is available for free with no restrictions.
Just don’t complain when you die to a weapon that you can’t unlock because you don’t own the Expansion containing it.
While you can find success inside the Crucible with many different weapons and Loadouts, it is no secret that some of the best, meta-defining weapons and Exotic armor pieces can only be found inside Expansions and Seasonal activities.
This does give players an edge if they choose to spend the money, though the better player will always win.
One last major factor for many players is the fact that both of the new subclasses added to the game, Stasis and Strand, are locked behind separate Expansions.
You can not obtain these subclasses if you do not own their respective Expansions.
With all of this in mind, it is up to the player to decide what they want from the game and if a particular Expansion or DLC pack can enhance their experience within the game.
If you want more info on what each of the Expansions and DLC packs has to offer, be sure to check out our guide on What Expansions/DLC to Buy.
Now you know that there is plenty to do in Destiny 2 without spending any money on the game. You will definitely have more options and an easier time on some of the end-game activities if you do choose to spend money on Expansion though.
What do you think of the different Expansions in Destiny 2? Are there any that you would consider a necessity for newer players? Let me know in the comments!
