If you‘re a Destiny 2 player, you may have seen the exciting news that Bungie is making the acclaimed The Witch Queen expansion campaign completely free to play for all players starting now until February 26th, 2023!
This gives every Guardian the chance to experience the thrilling story campaign and explore the foreboding Throne World, even without owning the paid expansion.
So let‘s dive in and answer the key question on your mind:
How long is The Witch Queen campaign free until? You can play the entire Witch Queen campaign completely free from now through 11:59 PM PST on February 26, 2023.
That gives you just over 2 full weeks as of writing to take on the 7 story missions against Savathun‘s forces. After the 26th, the campaign will once again require purchase of The Witch Queen to access.
Now, what exactly does this free campaign event include? And how can you make the most of it as a new or existing Destiny 2 player?
As a dedicated Guardian who has put over 500 hours into Destiny 2, I‘m here to walk you through everything you need to know about playing The Witch Queen story campaign for free.
We‘ll cover:
- What content you get with the free campaign
- Power level details and recommendations
- Campaign length and structure
- Exotics, weapons, loot and rewards
- How to actually start playing the free campaign
- What carries over if you upgrade to the full DLC
- Tips to get the most out of this limited-time event!
Let‘s dive into Savathun‘s Throne World together and experience one of Destiny‘s best stories!
What Does the Free Witch Queen Campaign Include?
First, what exactly is available for free during this campaign event? Here‘s a quick overview:
- All 7 story missions taking place in the Throne World destination
- Exploring the misty swamps, twisted ruins, and cursed palaces of Savathun‘s throne world
- Facing off against Savathun‘s elite lucent brood lightbearer hive
- Epic boss battles against Fikrul, Alak-Hul, and more
- The ability to select Legendary difficulty for an extra challenge
- Powerful gear, weapons, exotics, triumphs, and loot rewards
So as a free player, you get the entire core storyline campaign that longtime Destiny fans have been praising as one of the best in the series.
You‘ll uncover Savathun‘s secrets, explore her personal realm, and ultimately confront the Witch Queen herself in an epic showdown.
Now, the raid, weapon crafting, post-game content, and Season Passes will still require buying the full expansion. But you get 5-10 hours of quality campaign content free.
Recommended Power Levels for The Witch Queen Campaign
The recommended Power level to start The Witch Queen campaign is 1500, as that‘s the soft cap for this expansion. However, you can dive in at a slightly lower level if needed, perhaps around 1480. Enemies and loot will scale to your level.
I was able to complete the normal campaign at around 1510 Power pretty comfortably. The missions gradually boost your gear level as you go.
For Legendary difficulty, having 1520 Power or higher is advised. This harder difficulty scales enemies up to 1590 Power, so being a bit over-leveled helps offset the increased damage and health pools.
Don‘t worry too much about grinding Power levels before starting. Just jump in and enjoy the story, you‘ll get plenty of drops. And the final rewards are worth it!
How Long Does The Witch Queen Campaign Take to Beat?
In terms of length, most players report beating The Witch Queen campaign in 6-8 hours on their first run:
- Just rushing the critical path takes approximately 5 hours
- Playing at a moderate pace with some exploration nets 6-7 hours
- Completing all optional objectives and extras adds 1-2 hours
- For 100% completion across all missions, expect around 8-10 hours
Attempting the more challenging Legendary campaign typically adds 1-3 hours to your overall playtime. The increased difficulty forces you to slow down, play carefully, and optimize your loadout.
So in total, expect between 7-11 hours depending on your playstyle and skill level. With 2 weeks to play for free, you have ample time to take it at your own pace.
Here is a rough breakdown of the campaign structure:
- 7 core story missions, each 30-60 mins long
- Gradual unlocking of the Throne World open world
- 3 Strikes mixed into the campaign missions
- Explorable patrol zones in between story beats
- Legendary version remixes layouts and encounters
Bungie struck an excellent balance between tight narrative focus and gameplay variety with this campaign. And it‘s quite replayable if you want to relive the experience!
Can You Earn Exotics and Weapons During the Free Event?
While the Glave crafting ritual weapons and raid content is locked out, you can earn Destiny 2 Exotic weapons and armor during the free campaign event.
Here are some of the highlights:
- The new Parasite exotic heavy Grenade Launcher has a chance to randomly drop from campaign activities. It‘s amazing for boss DPS!
- Completing the "Lightblade" campaign mission unlocks purchasing the Osteo Striga SMG from Ikora Rey. It spreads poison damage on rapid hits.
- Finishing the final "Resistance" mission lets you buy the Dead Messenger grenade launcher. It unleashes delayed Void detonators and is a top-tier PvE weapon.
- The Exotic Hunter gauntlets Secant Filaments can also randomly drop from final campaign encounters.
So while not everything is available, you can grab some nice Exotics to carry forward if you decide to buy The Witch Queen later.
And campaign missions themselves reward you with cool legendary weapons and armor themed around Savathun‘s ominous throne world. Expanding your arsenal and gear!
How Do You Actually Start Playing The Witch Queen Campaign For Free?
If you‘re jumping into Destiny 2 for the first time, starting the free campaign is easy. Just follow these steps after creating your character:
- Play through the short introductory mission on Europa if prompted.
- Travel to the Tower and look on your Director map for the Throne World destination.
- Select Throne World and launch the first story mission from the map.
- When starting each mission, choose your preferred difficulty – either normal or Legendary.
- Let the campaign missions guide you through the story, explore at your own pace!
As a longtime player, I suggest taking time to explore the misty swamps and dark corridors of Savathun‘s throne world in between missions. Complete public events, find collectibles, take in the sights!
And when you unlock the ability to freely roam, consider playing with friends or LFG teammates. Tackling objectives together and watching the epic story unfold is always more fun.
What Progress Carries Over if You Buy The Full Expansion?
One common question is: if I play the free campaign but don‘t buy The Witch Queen yet, what carries over if I decide to purchase it later?
The good news is that all campaign progress will be saved and carry over. Here are the key elements:
- Your campaign completion, unlocked missions, chests etc will remain intact
- Any exotics, weapons, gear, materials you gained
- Triumphs and unlocks like Landing Zone fast travel
- Exploration percentage and chests opened in the Throne World
- Working towards the Throne World Seal triumphs
So you lose nothing by trying the free campaign as an extended demo. All of your effort applies if you choose to buy the full expansion!
Tips for Maximizing the Free Witch Queen Campaign Event
If you‘re excited to jump into The Witch Queen campaign for the first time, here are some tips from a Destiny 2 veteran:
- Don‘t worry about "wasting" the experience if you don‘t plan on buying the DLC yet. Just have fun with it!
- Try out abilities and weapon types outside your comfort zone while you can. Grenade launchers and Glaives are a blast to use against Hive enemies!
- The campaign steadily rewards upgrades, so enjoy your power level rising rapidly.
- Definitely attempt the Legendary version if you want a stiff but very rewarding challenge. It remixes every mission.
- Take time to explore off the main path and find hidden chests/loot. The throne world is gorgeous and intricate.
- Experiment with campaigndropped weapons and armor to find perks you like for crafting later.
- Don‘t feel rushed, soak in the story and environment at your own pace. This is a special campaign.
- Grab the Dead Messenger and Parasite exotics if you can, they are top-tier additions to your arsenal.
- Play with friends or LFG teams to experience the epic scope together. It‘s a fun ride!
As a Destiny fan since 2014, I think The Witch Queen stands out as one of Bungie‘s best story releases yet. Don‘t miss your chance to save humanity from the Witch Queen‘s schemes for free!
Closing Thoughts on The Witch Queen Free Campaign Event
Bungie opening up The Witch Queen campaign for free is an outstanding opportunity for all Guardians, both new lights and veterans.
You can experience Savathun‘s Throne World and clash with her Lucent Brood without paying a dime. See the next chapter of Destiny 2‘s evolving universe unfold before your eyes.
My advice? Gather your fireteam and dive in to explore the foreboding swamps and cursed palace ruins of her throne world. Outsmart eldritch puzzles and overcome the elite hive forces. And steel yourself for an epic final confrontation with Savathun herself at the height of her power.
Just make sure to savor this limited-time free content while you can. Grab those special exotics like Dead Messenger and Parasite to add firepower to your arsenal going forward.
This is a special campaign that you won‘t want to miss. It represents Bungie at their blockbuster best. Enjoy it, Guardian!
Whether you‘re a new player or a returning veteran, don‘t hesitate to jump into The Witch Queen story and leave your mark on Savathun‘s Throne World. It‘s an adventure you won‘t forget.
See you starside!
