Destiny 2: 10 Beginner Tips And Tricks

Destiny 2 is an expansive online shooter that blends fast-paced combat, deep customization, and cooperative gameplay across a vast universe. As a beginner, the game can feel overwhelming with its multiple classes, weapons, abilities, and activities, making it easy to get lost or miss out on essential mechanics. Without the right approach, new players often struggle with leveling up, managing gear, and understanding progression systems, which can slow down their experience.

This guide covers 10 essential beginner tips to help you level up efficiently, choose the right gear, understand subclasses, and get the most out of Destiny 2’s open-world activities. Whether you’re looking to dive into PvE missions, dominate in PvP, or prepare for endgame raids, these tips will help you progress smoothly and become a powerful Guardian. Let’s get started!

#10: Focus on Campaigns First

As a beginner in Destiny 2, your first priority should be completing the main campaign missions before diving into endgame activities. Campaigns introduce you to the game’s core mechanics, story, and different destinations while providing valuable gear, experience, and abilities that will help you progress.

Each expansion has its own campaign, but new players should start with the New Light questline, which serves as a tutorial for the game. After that, playing through expansions like The Witch Queen, Beyond Light, or Lightfall will unlock powerful weapons, subclass abilities, and exotic gear that make future content easier.

Campaign missions are also one of the best ways to increase your Power Level, as they frequently reward higher-level gear that will help you scale up quickly. Once you’ve completed a campaign, you’ll gain access to additional activities like Nightfall Strikes, Raids, and high-level PvP.

By focusing on campaigns first, you’ll unlock essential abilities, learn core game mechanics, and obtain powerful weapons before moving on to more challenging content in Destiny 2.

#9: Explore All Activities

Destiny 2 offers a wide variety of activities beyond the main campaign, and exploring them early will help you level up faster, earn better gear, and find what you enjoy most. Many beginners stick only to story missions and miss out on the rewards and progression systems tied to other game modes.

PvE players should try Strikes, which are quick three-player missions offering great loot and helping you practice teamwork. Public Events and Patrols on different planets provide easy ways to earn gear and XP while exploring the open world. If you’re looking for more challenging content, Nightfall Strikes, Dungeons, and Raids offer high-end rewards and require team coordination.

PvP fans should check out Crucible, Destiny 2’s competitive multiplayer mode, where you can test your skills against other players and earn powerful rewards. Gambit, a hybrid PvE/PvP mode, is another fun way to mix both styles of gameplay while farming gear and materials.

By engaging in different activities, you’ll gain better loot, progress faster, and unlock more content, making you a well-rounded Guardian. Don’t be afraid to try everything Destiny 2 has to offer—you may find a new favorite mode that keeps you coming back for more.

#8: Upgrade and Master Your Subclass

Your subclass is one of the most important aspects of your Guardian’s power in Destiny 2, and mastering it early will significantly improve your combat effectiveness. Each Guardian class—Titan, Hunter, and Warlock—has multiple subclasses, each tied to different elemental abilities: Solar, Arc, Void, and Stasis (with Strand available in Lightfall).

Beginners should focus on unlocking and upgrading their subclass abilities by completing their respective quests and gathering Aspects and Fragments, which allow for deeper customization. Each subclass offers different Supers, grenade types, movement abilities, and melee attacks, so experimenting with different combinations will help you find a playstyle that suits you best.

For example, Hunters excel at mobility and critical damage, making subclasses like Arc (for speed) or Void (for invisibility and stealth) great choices. Titans are frontline tanks, with Solar being excellent for survivability and Arc for high-impact melee attacks. Warlocks specialize in support and damage-over-time abilities, with Solar offering healing and Arc focusing on aggressive AoE damage.

To maximize your subclass, make sure to equip the right armor mods and weapons that complement your build, such as weapons that generate Orbs of Power to charge your Super faster. Fully mastering a subclass will make all activities—PvE, PvP, and endgame raids—much easier and more rewarding.

#7: Learn How to Complete Public Events Efficiently

Public Events are a great way for beginners to earn XP, loot, and materials while exploring different destinations in Destiny 2. These open-world activities appear randomly in various locations and can be completed solo or with other players. However, many beginners don’t realize that Public Events have a Heroic version, which offers better rewards and higher difficulty if certain conditions are met during the event.

Each type of Public Event has a unique Heroic trigger. For example, during the Glimmer Extraction event, destroying all small generators before the timer expires activates the Heroic mode. In Ether Resupply, focusing on destroying the small Servitors instead of the main boss triggers the Heroic version. Learning these mechanics helps you get better loot drops and additional XP for faster leveling.

Public Events are especially useful for farming planetary materials, which are needed for upgrading weapons and armor. If you see a Public Event starting, it’s worth joining, even if just for the extra loot and reputation with that planet’s vendor.

By understanding how Public Events work and triggering Heroic versions, you’ll gain better rewards, progress faster, and make the most out of your time exploring Destiny 2’s open world.

#6: Join a Clan for Better Rewards and Support

Joining a Clan in Destiny 2 is one of the best ways to earn extra rewards, find teammates for activities, and progress faster. Many beginners struggle with solo play, especially in harder content like Nightfalls, Raids, and Dungeons, but being in a Clan provides access to a community of experienced players who can help guide you through tougher challenges.

Clans offer weekly rewards for completing activities together, including powerful gear drops that help increase your Power Level. Even if you prefer playing solo, simply being in an active Clan lets you earn Clan Engrams by completing various PvE and PvP activities. These engrams provide weapons, armor, and other useful gear without any extra effort.

Clans also make it much easier to find Fireteams for Raids, Strikes, and PvP matches, eliminating the frustration of random matchmaking. Many veteran players enjoy helping beginners learn mechanics, making it easier to complete endgame content like Grandmaster Nightfalls and Master Raids.

To join a Clan, you can search for one through the Bungie website, Destiny 2 Discord servers, or in-game Fireteam finder. If you prefer a smaller community, you can also create your own Clan and invite friends to earn the same benefits.

Being in a Clan improves your experience, gives you access to better loot, and makes high-level activities more enjoyable, making it a must for any new Destiny 2 player.

#5: Complete Bounties for Fast XP and Loot

Bounties are one of the easiest and most efficient ways to gain XP, earn rewards, and level up your Season Pass in Destiny 2. Many beginners overlook bounties, but completing them regularly helps you increase your Power Level faster, unlock seasonal rewards, and progress vendor ranks for better gear.

Most vendors, including Zavala (Vanguard), Shaxx (Crucible), and the Drifter (Gambit), offer daily and weekly bounties that reward XP and materials upon completion. These objectives are usually simple, such as defeating enemies with specific weapons, completing activities, or using subclass abilities. Since bounties can be stacked, it’s best to pick up multiple at once and complete them while playing Strikes, Public Events, or Crucible matches to maximize efficiency.

Seasonal XP is crucial because it unlocks artifact mods and seasonal rewards, which improve your build and gameplay experience. Weekly bounties offer the highest XP boosts, so prioritizing them will speed up leveling and help you unlock powerful gear more quickly.

Always grab bounties before starting any activity to ensure you’re earning extra XP and rewards passively. By making bounties a part of your daily routine, you’ll level up faster, progress through the Season Pass efficiently, and gain better gear in Destiny 2.

#4: Master Your Subclass for Maximum Efficiency

Your subclass defines your Guardian’s abilities, playstyle, and effectiveness in both PvE and PvP, so mastering it early on is crucial for success in Destiny 2. Each Guardian class—Titan, Hunter, and Warlock—has multiple subclasses, each tied to a specific elemental damage type: Solar, Arc, Void, Stasis (Beyond Light expansion), and Strand (Lightfall expansion). Learning how to use your subclass effectively will make combat smoother and help you contribute more to your Fireteam.

Each subclass comes with unique abilities, melee attacks, grenades, and Supers, all of which can be customized with Aspects and Fragments to enhance your build. For example, Solar subclasses excel at burning enemies and healing allies, Void subclasses focus on debuffing enemies and generating overshields, while Arc subclasses are centered around speed and aggressive damage. Stasis and Strand introduce crowd control and mobility-based mechanics for more advanced playstyles.

Beginners should experiment with different abilities and playstyles to find what suits them best. If you enjoy tanking and frontline combat, Titan’s Void Overshield build is a great choice. If you prefer high mobility and precision damage, Hunter’s Solar Gunslinger or Arc Strider subclass is ideal. Warlocks thrive as support and damage dealers, with Solar offering healing and Arc delivering chain lightning damage.

To maximize your subclass effectiveness, pair it with armor mods and weapons that complement its strengths. For example, weapons that generate Orbs of Power will charge your Super faster, and specific mods can reduce ability cooldowns. Fully upgrading your subclass will make endgame content easier, improve your survivability, and enhance your overall gameplay experience in Destiny 2.

#3: Understand the Power Level System

Your Power Level in Destiny 2 determines how strong your Guardian is and affects your ability to take on higher-level activities like Nightfalls, Raids, and Dungeons. Many beginners get confused by how Power Level works, but understanding it is key to progressing efficiently and accessing endgame content.

Your Power Level is an average of your equipped gear, including weapons and armor. The fastest way to increase it is by completing campaign missions, Strikes, Crucible matches, and Gambit rounds, all of which reward higher-level gear. The game sets soft, hard, and pinnacle caps for each season, meaning that at certain levels, regular drops stop increasing your Power, and you’ll need Powerful or Pinnacle rewards to progress further.

Here’s how Power Level progression works:
• Soft Cap – Easily reached by playing regular activities (Strikes, Public Events, Gambit, Crucible).
• Hard Cap – Requires Powerful Gear drops from Weekly Challenges (Vanguard, Crucible, Gambit, Seasonal Events).
• Pinnacle Cap – The maximum level, reached only by earning Pinnacle Gear from high-level activities like Raids, Nightfalls, and Trials of Osiris.

Once you hit the soft cap, focus on completing weekly milestones for Powerful Gear to continue progressing. Avoid infusing gear too early, as you’ll constantly get better drops while leveling up. Instead, save upgrade materials for high-end gear once you reach a stable Power Level.

By understanding how Power Level works and farming the right activities, you’ll level up faster, unlock more content, and prepare for Destiny 2’s most challenging missions.

#2: Choose Your Class Carefully

In Destiny 2, your class choice greatly affects your playstyle, abilities, and role in both PvE and PvP. While all three classes—Titan, Hunter, and Warlock—can handle all activities, each one has unique strengths that cater to different playstyles. Picking the right class for you will make your experience smoother and help you perform better in missions, Strikes, and Raids.
• Titans are the tanks of Destiny 2, excelling in survivability and melee combat. They have access to overshields, barricades, and powerful melee abilities, making them great for frontline combat. If you enjoy soaking up damage, supporting teammates with defenses, and charging headfirst into battle, Titan is the best choice.
• Hunters are high-mobility assassins, perfect for players who prefer speed, agility, and precision damage. Their dodge ability, quick melee attacks, and invisibility perks (Void subclass) make them excellent for sniping, fast movement, and hit-and-run tactics. Hunters shine in PvP and solo play, making them a great choice for players who like high-speed combat and skill-based gameplay.
• Warlocks function as spellcasters and support specialists, capable of healing teammates, dealing massive AoE damage, and buffing allies. Their Rift ability provides healing or extra damage, making them essential in endgame activities like Raids and Nightfalls. If you enjoy playing a hybrid role with strong abilities and team-based support, Warlocks are an excellent choice.

Each class has multiple subclasses (Solar, Arc, Void, Stasis, and Strand) that allow further customization, so experimenting with different builds will help you find what suits you best. While all classes are viable, choosing one that matches your playstyle will make Destiny 2 more enjoyable and help you progress faster.

#1: Complete the New Light Quests

If you’re new to Destiny 2, the New Light questline should be your first priority. This beginner-friendly introduction guides you through the game’s core mechanics, weapon types, abilities, and activities, helping you get familiar with everything before diving into high-level content. Many new players skip these quests, but completing them makes progression much easier and ensures you don’t miss out on essential systems.

New Light introduces you to Shaw Han, the NPC in the Cosmodrome, who provides step-by-step missions that explain movement, combat, subclasses, gear management, and upgrading weapons and armor. These quests also reward basic but effective gear, helping you increase your Power Level early on. Additionally, you’ll learn how to navigate the Tower (the main social hub), interact with vendors, and pick up bounties for extra XP.

By finishing the New Light questline, you’ll unlock access to Strikes, Crucible, Gambit, and planetary exploration, giving you more ways to earn loot and progress. This tutorial also ensures you don’t feel lost when jumping into multiplayer content like Raids, Nightfalls, and Dungeons.

Completing the New Light quests first sets you up for success, giving you a strong foundation, essential gear, and a clear path forward as you explore everything Destiny 2 has to offer.

Conclusion

Getting started in Destiny 2 can feel overwhelming, but by following these 10 essential beginner tips, you’ll set yourself up for success and enjoy a smoother progression through the game. Completing the New Light quests, choosing the right class, understanding Power Level progression, and mastering your subclass will help you build a strong foundation. Exploring different activities like Strikes, Public Events, and Crucible, while also joining a Clan and completing bounties, will earn you better rewards and faster XP.

Focusing on campaigns, learning the importance of modding gear, and managing resources wisely will further improve your experience, making it easier to handle both PvE and PvP challenges. With patience and the right strategies, you’ll level up efficiently, unlock powerful gear, and be ready for high-level content like Raids, Nightfalls, and endgame activities.

By applying these tips, you’ll quickly become a stronger Guardian, ready to take on the many challenges of the Destiny 2 universe. Stay focused, experiment with different playstyles, and most importantly—have fun on your journey through the stars!