Hey friend! If you‘re new to Destiny 2 or thinking about trying it out, you may be wondering – which dungeons can I play without paying anything?
The good news is there are some great 3-player cooperative dungeons available completely free! In this guide, I‘ll give you the full breakdown of every Destiny 2 dungeon and whether it requires purchase or not.
Let‘s start with the quick answer to our question:
The only dungeon fully free in Destiny 2 right now is Prophecy. All other dungeons are tied to paid expansions or DLCs.
But don‘t worry! Even as a free player, there is still plenty of content to enjoy, including some free raids and exotic quests. I‘ll cover everything you can experience without spending money.
Now let‘s dive deeper into the world of Destiny 2 dungeons!
What Are Dungeons in Destiny 2?
Dungeons are 3-player cooperative activities focused on challenging team-based gameplay. They are like mini-raids, featuring intricate encounters and big boss fights.
Dungeons take around 30-45 minutes to complete and offer awesome loot like high stat armor, unique weapons, shaders, ships, sparrows, and more.
These are some of the most rewarding and replayable PvE content in Destiny 2. I have fond memories farming dungeons with my clan to get that perfect roll on a new gun!
Prophecy – The Only Free Destiny 2 Dungeon
Let‘s talk about the one dungeon you can play right now completely free – Prophecy.
Released in June 2020, Prophecy takes place in the mysterious Derelict Leviathan destination. You and your fireteam will battle through ominous wastelands, laser cube contraptions, and ascend to face off against a massive ogre named Kell Echo.
The Prophecy dungeon has some really fun encounters and rewarding loot to chase like the kinetics shotgun Premonition or the auto rifle Judgment.
My advice – grab 2 friends and give Prophecy a try! It provides an awesome high-end 3-player activity on par with the paid dungeons, 100% free.
I‘ll often run Prophecy a few times a week to earn materials, test new builds, or just experience the challenging combat and teamwork required once more.
Paid Dungeons – Shattered Throne, Grasp of Avarice, etc.
While Prophecy is the only free dungeon, Destiny 2 does offer other dungeons tied to paid expansions and DLCs:
- Shattered Throne – Part of Forsaken expansion
- Pit of Heresy – Part of Shadowkeep expansion
- Grasp of Avarice – Part of 30th Anniversary pack
- Duality – Part of The Witch Queen expansion
- Spire of the Watcher – Part of upcoming Lightfall expansion
These paid dungeons each feature unique environments, enemies, challenging encounters, and exclusive loot. For example:
- Shattered Throne has you delve into the ascendant plane of the Taken King Oryx
- Grasp of Avarice is a chaotic loot cave created by the famed Emperor Calus
- Duality takes place on the swampy pyramid ship of Savathun
I can‘t recommend these dungeons enough – they are some of the most unique and rewarding 3-player PvE content in Destiny 2. But again, you‘ll need to purchase the related expansions to experience them.
Luckily, the free Prophecy dungeon still provides an excellent taste of that challenging 3-player action!
Plenty of Free-to-Play Content to Enjoy
While only Prophecy is free in terms of dungeons, Destiny 2 actually offers a generous amount of free-to-play content:
Activities Include:
- Story missions – New Light + first missions of each expansion
- Open world destinations – European Dead Zone, Nessus, Cosmodrome, Moon
- Core playlists – Vanguard Ops, Crucible, Gambit
- Dares of Eternity – Hectic 6-player seasonal activity
- Vault of Glass – Remastered year 1 Destiny raid
What You Can Earn:
- Exotics like Riskrunner, Sleeper Simulant, Whisper of the Worm
- Year 1 raids & raid exotics like Legend of Acrius
- Trials of Osiris weapons like Adept Messenger, Shayura‘s Wrath
- Prime Engrams and Legendary Shards for gear purchase
So don‘t feel rushed to buy expansions right away. Play the free content at your own pace, join a clan, level up your Guardian, collect exotics, and experience the core of what makes Destiny 2 so addicting and fun.
You can play the free content for dozens if not hundreds of hours before running out of activities. And Bungie is good about making older expansions cheaper over time.
Trying Destiny 2 Free-to-Play – Tips for New Players
If you think you may want to try Destiny 2 as a free player, here are some tips to get started:
Download on your platform – Destiny 2 is available free on PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC (Steam), and Google Stadia. Just search and install.
Complete the New Light quest – This will teach you the basics, take you through an intro mission, and set you up with some blue starter armor and weapons.
Experiment with activities – Jump into Crucible matches, Vanguard strikes, Gambit, destination patrols. Try a bit of everything to see what you enjoy.
Explore destinations and find secrets – There are hidden chests, scannables, exotic quests, and lore to uncover.
Research guides and meta weapons – Learn what gear, subclasses, and builds are strong in the current sandbox.
Find Xur each weekend – This special vendor sells exotic gear in exchange for Legendary Shards. His stock rotates weekly.
Join a clan for added rewards – Being in a clan has bountiful benefits, like being able to earn additional Engrams each week.
Try the Prophecy dungeon – Gather 2 buddies and test your skills in this free challenging 3-player activity with cool loot rewards.
The core Destiny 2 gameplay loop is satisfying and addicting. And as a free player you have a generous amount of content to enjoy solo or with friends.
Free vs. Paid Content Summary – What‘s Available?
Let‘s summarize everything you can access in Destiny 2 either for free or by purchasing expansions/DLCs:
Free Destiny 2 Content:
- Prophecy Dungeon
- New Light Campaign
- All Core Playlists (strikes, Crucible, Gambit)
- 5 Open World Destinations
- Xur Exotic Vendor
- Vault of Glass Raid
- Dares of Eternity Activity
- Year 1 Raids and Exotic Quests
- Trials of Osiris (rotating free access)
Destiny 2 Paid Content:
- Major Expansions (Forsaken, Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, Witch Queen)
- Season Passes – 3 months of seasonal activities
- 5 Dungeons (Shattered Throne, Pit, Grasp, Duality, Spire)
- 4 Raids (Last Wish, Garden, Deep Stone Crypt, Vow)
- Campaign Missions
- Exotic Quests
- Exotic Weapons/Gear
- Lore Books
- Cosmetics
As you can see, Destiny 2 offers a generous free experience with no time limits. But purchasing expansions unlocks all the content and gear available.
Destiny 2 Promotions – Free Trials of Expansions
In addition to the always free content, Bungie will occasionally open up paid expansions for free for limited periods.
For example, in the lead up to a new expansion, they may enable a free trial week of:
- Previous campaign expansions
- Raids and dungeons
- Exotic quests
- Bonus loot and cosmetics
It‘s worth keeping an eye out for these special promos if you want to sample paid content temporarily.
Bungie has also made some expansions permanently free after several years – like Year 1 content going free-to-play in 2019.
Is Destiny 2 Worth Playing in 2024?
We‘re currently nearing the end of Destiny 2‘s current era with the Lightfall expansion arriving 2/28/2023. This will close out the story that has been told over the past 6 years.
You may be wondering – with this reset coming, is it still worth jumping in as a new player in 2024?
In my opinion, yes absolutely! Here are some key reasons:
Pros of Starting Now
- Tons of content – 6+ years worth of expansions
- Polished gameplay, activities, progression
- Active player population leading up to Lightfall
- Experience the full arc of the current story
- Grab expansions on sale before they enter "vault"
Cons/Things to Note
- Current era/storyline concludes with Lightfall
- Some content will be removed from the game this year
- Investment in gear/power will reset somewhat
My advice is jump in and experience the insane amount of content across six expansions while you still can! Try what is available for free and purchase add-ons at your own pace if you‘re enjoying yourself.
Destiny 2 will remain active and supported for years to come. And Bungie seems to have a bright future planned with the series.
Is Destiny 2 Pay to Win?
One common question from new free players – is Destiny 2 "pay to win?" Can paying players gain advantages over free players?
The answer is no, Destiny 2 is decidedly not pay to win. Here‘s why:
- No content is locked out of competitive modes based on purchases
- Expansion owners don‘t gain direct power advantages over free players
- Top weapons can be earned through gameplay alone
- All classes and subclasses are available to all players
Paying for expansions simply unlocks access to new story content, gear, and activities. But free players can keep up just fine in all playlists and competitive modes like Trials and Iron Banner.
While veterans and paid players may have larger arsenals, skill and practice are the ultimate differentiators in Destiny 2. Your ability to win comes down to mastery of mechanics, teamwork, and weapon skill.
So rest assured, Destiny 2 maintains fair competitive balance across all players regardless of purchases. No need to worry about pay-to-win advantages.
Bungie‘s Free-to-Play Philosophy
Transitioning to free-to-play in 2019 was a bold move by Bungie, but it has paid off through growing engagement and sales. Offering a free entry point to Destiny 2 seems to serve a few core goals:
Lower barriers to entry – Allow anyone to easily try Destiny 2 for free
Retain veterans – Keep existing players engaged with new content
Drive sales – Entice free players to buy expansions to experience more
Sustain revenue – Fund ongoing development via expansions/season passes
Maintain population – Keep player population healthy across all modes
This model gives Bungie continued revenue streams via paid content, while also providing an approachable free on-ramp for new and returning players.
No need to pay anything upfront – try the free content, and make purchases later if you are invested in the experience. Well played, Bungie!
Destiny 2 Has a Bright Future Ahead
While the current era will reset with Lightfall, Destiny 2 continues to evolve as a franchise. Bungie has supported the game with consistent content updates for over 6 years now.
And they have bold plans for the future, recently partnering with Sony for investments to grow the team and universe even further.
Destiny really pioneered the "live service" model in the FPS genre. And Bungie‘s talented team of developers seem as passionate as ever about continuing to innovate within Destiny 2 and beyond.
The airtight shooter gameplay loop is so satisfying. The worlds they‘ve built are gorgeous, vast and imaginative. And the communities that have blossomed around raiding and conquering challenges are awesome to be a part of.
Having tried every major update since the original Destiny‘s launch in 2014, I can‘t wait to see what Bungie has in store next for Destiny 2. The future looks bright for veteran players and new Guardians alike!
Which Destiny 2 Dungeons Are Free: Key Takeaways
Alright my friend, let‘s recap the key tips from our dungeon free vs paid guide:
- Prophecy is the only dungeon available for free – give it try!
- Other dungeons like Shattered Throne require purchasing expansions
- But there is plenty of free content – campaigns, destinations, raids, PvP and more
- New players should focus on New Light quest, subclasses, meta weapons
- Consider buying add-ons if you‘re enjoying the free experience
- No need to worry about "pay to win" – all players are on equal footing
- Grab expansions on sale if you want to see the full story through Lightfall
Whether you decide to play as a free Guardian or purchase some add-ons, I hope you have a blast with Destiny 2. It‘s a special game with countless adventures to be had.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help new players get started and share my passion for Destiny.
Now get out there and forge your legend, Guardian!
