The short answer is – no, The Shattered Throne dungeon in Destiny 2 currently requires ownership of the Forsaken DLC pack to play.
Let me explain in more detail…
As a fellow gamer, I know it can get confusing trying to keep track of what content is free or paid in Destiny 2. I‘ve played enough hours of this looter shooter MMO to understand the struggle!
So I wanted to provide a comprehensive, expert-level guide to definitively answer whether or not you can access The Shattered Throne for free, and what your options are as either a free player or paid player.
What Exactly is The Shattered Throne?
For those who may not be familiar, The Shattered Throne is a 3-player dungeon activity that first appeared in Destiny 2‘s Forsaken expansion in 2018.
Here‘s a quick overview:
- Location: The Shattered Throne is hidden within the Dreaming City destination.
- Enemies: You‘ll fight unique Taken enemies and bosses as you progress through the dungeon.
- Bosses: Major bosses include Vorgeth, the Boundless Hunger, and Dul Incaru, among others.
- Rewards: Exclusive loot such as Wish-Ender bow, ship, sparrow, dungeon mods and high stat armor.
- Quests: Completing The Shattered Throne is required for certain exotic weapon quests.
I‘ll explain how to actually access The Shattered Throne a bit later in this guide.
But first, let‘s get into the key question – is this iconic dungeon free or does it require a paid expansion?
Does The Shattered Throne Require Paid DLC?
Here is the deal:
The Shattered Throne dungeon is only accessible to players who own the Destiny 2: Forsaken DLC expansion.
This has been the case since it first launched with Forsaken in 2018.
Now, for a brief period in late 2021 and early 2022, The Shattered Throne was temporarily made free to all players.
Bungie made the entire Forsaken expansion campaign free to promote the upcoming Witch Queen expansion. This opened up the dungeon for all players to try out.
However, once the Witch Queen released on February 22, 2022, the Forsaken campaign and Shattered Throne reverted back to being paid content requiring the DLC to play.
So at the current time in 2024, The Shattered Throne is exclusively for Forsaken owners.
I know this might be disappointing if you‘re a free-to-play Guardian hoping to take on this iconic activity. But let‘s explore some workarounds and alternatives…
What Dungeons Can I Play For Free?
While The Shattered Throne requires paid DLC, there is one dungeon in Destiny 2 that is 100% free for all players:
Prophecy
Added back in June 2020, the Prophecy dungeon is free for all Guardians – no expansions needed!
This is a great option if you want to experience Destiny 2 dungeon content on the free track. Prophecy features:
- Cool setting of the mysterious Nine realms
- Epic boss fights like the Kell Echo
- Exclusive loot like the Falling Guillotine sword
The Prophecy dungeon is an excellent example of the quality content Bungie makes available for free. I‘d highly recommend giving it a try if you haven‘t yet!
The only catch is that Prophecy is the only dungeon accessible without paid DLC. All other dungeons like Pit of Heresy, Duality, etc require owning expansions.
But Prophecy is totally free and offers hours of replayable action!
Can I Get Forsaken Free or Cheap?
Now, I totally get it if you‘re craving The Shattered Throne specifically and want to know how you can get access.
Here are a few options to consider:
1. Wait for temporary free events
As I mentioned, Bungie has made parts of Forsaken free for limited times in the past. It‘s possible they could do this again in the future to promote new releases.
So keep an eye out around the launch of the upcoming Lightfall expansion and maybe you‘ll get lucky!
2. Buy Forsaken DLC when on sale
While Forsaken normally costs $24.99, it frequently goes on sale for 50% off or more. The DLC was recently discounted to $8 during the holidays.
So if you don‘t mind paying, consider waiting for a Forsaken sale to get the best bang for your buck.
3. Share with a friend
If you have a buddy who already owns Forsaken, ask nicely if you could do The Shattered Throne using their account! This lets you experience it without spending money.
Just make sure to return the favor and offer to sherpa them through an activity in the future.
Step-by-Step Guide to Accessing The Shattered Throne
Now that you know whether or not The Shattered Throne is free, let‘s quickly cover how you actually access it with the Forsaken DLC owned.
Here is a step-by-step walkthrough:
Ensure you own the Destiny 2: Forsaken DLC expansion. This is required to unlock the activity.
Wait until the weekly reset during a week when the Dreaming City curse is at its strongest. The Shattered Throne is only available on full curse weeks.
Travel to the Confluence zone of the Dreaming City destination. Head towards the large tree overlooking the green mist.
Look for a Taken portal that will appear near the cliff when the curse is active. Approach it to get a prompt to enter The Shattered Throne.
Select the prompt to begin the dungeon! Make sure you and your fireteam are at least Power level 1320 before attempting.
And that‘s it! Follow these steps to access The Shattered Throne dungeon whenever you see the Dreaming City at maximum curse strength.
It‘s only available every 3 weeks, so make sure to jump on it whenever the Taken portal opens up.
Let me know if you have any other questions on how to access The Shattered Throne in Destiny 2!
Is Forsaken Going Away?
I want to briefly clarify for anyone concerned that Forsaken is going away:
While the Forsaken campaign was removed from Destiny 2 and placed in the DCV (Destiny Content Vault), the expansion itself is still available.
This means key parts of Forsaken remain playable for owners:
- The Shattered Throne dungeon
- Last Wish raid
- Dreaming City destination
- Blind Well, Ascendant Challenges
- Exotics like Ace of Spades
So you can still access the major endgame content even though the story campaign is no longer playable. The DLC has not been fully "vaulted" and the dungeon remains intact.
Rest assured The Shattered Throne isn‘t going anywhere in 2024! It will likely remain tied to the Forsaken DLC for the foreseeable future.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this detailed guide helped explain whether or not The Shattered Throne dungeon is free, and how you can gain access to it!
To summarize:
- The Shattered Throne currently requires the paid Forsaken DLC
- It was temporarily free during a promotional period in late 2021/2022
- The only permanently free dungeon is Prophecy
- Wait for a sale or temporary free event to get Forsaken cheap
- The dungeon itself is not going away any time soon
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to help fellow Guardians master the expansive world of Destiny 2. Best of luck in your loot hunts and may you banish many bosses in The Shattered Throne.
