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Every Destiny 2 Season Ranked Worst to Best

Here, you’ll find all the Destiny 2 seasons ranked from worst to best. The current seasonal model in Destiny 2 is a relatively new concept that took the place of smaller expansions in late 2018. Their introduction meant no more middling DLC like Curse of Osiris, which locked players out of specific events in favor of new, questionable content. Seasons, instead, allow the team at Bungie to progress story beats, test out new mechanics and create free and paid tracks that keep the community engaged.

With Season of the Chosen now a little under a month from finishing up and talks of major quality of life adjustments coming next season — now seems like the best time to look back. Which of Destiny 2’s nine seasons have been the best? Which have been the worst? Let’s take a Sundial Run down memory lane and try to answer that by ranking every season in Destiny 2.

Every Destiny 2 Season Ranked From Worst to Best

For our rankings, we’ll be looking at the following criteria:

  • How the season continued the story
  • How interesting and enjoyable any new events were/are
  • How good the seasonal rewards were/are
  • How the season impacted the broader Destiny 2 experience

It may be obvious where a few seasons are on this list, but most fall somewhere in the middle ground. The Bungie team hasn’t made an outright bad season since they adopted this system, but some stand out compared to others.

9. Season of the Undying

Season of Undying
Bungie Inc.

Release Date: October 1, 2019

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the first season is the worst Destiny 2 season of the bunch. Season of the Undying released alongside Shadowkeep, which was its first problem. Unlike future seasons, which would separate content from any large expansions, Undying combined the two. So anyone that bought the season or Shadowkeep gained access to the Vex Offensive activity.

In theory, this was a good thing. It kept activities open to most players and ensured that the story progressed between the expansion and the season. The only issue is that the activity itself, a short matchmade horde mode, was really basic and forgettable. 

And on top of that, the storyline was separate from what was happening in Shadowkeep. The only redeeming factor was the Eriana’s Vow Exotic Hand Cannon that you could earn, but other than that, it’s a fairly forgettable season.

8. Season of the Drifter

Season of the Drifter
Bungie Inc.

Release Date: March 15, 2019

This season, as you can probably tell, was all about Gambit. So, how much you enjoyed this season likely depends on how much you like that game mode. Yes, this introduced Gambit Prime, a much faster version of traditional Gambit, but there’s honestly a reason it’s no longer around. It’s just not all that different.

Now, if you aren’t a fan of Gambit, you could always run the Reckoning activity instead. This was another matchmade activity that had you take on hordes of Taken enemies while trying to uncover secrets across the play area. Unfortunately, this was another highly repetitive activity that lacked any of the fantastic Pinnacle rewards found in Gambit.

The only saving grace is that this did introduce the Zero Hour mission that allowed you to obtain Outbreak Perfected. This mission would pave the way for future Exotic Quests and gave players a taste of what Bungie would lean into in later seasons.

7. Season of the Hunt

Season of the Hunt
Bungie Inc.

Release Date: November 10, 2020

Seasons releasing alongside large expansions just never seems to work. Season of the Hunt was easily overshadowed by Beyond Light — rather than having story and gameplay tie into the expansion, they were completely separate. This alone made Wrathborn Hunts feel inconsequential and annoying to unlock.

You couldn’t just run these missions, you had to charge them by grinding out specific playlists. While the target loot pool was great, the time it took to charge a lure made them impossible to grind. And to make it even more frustrating, progression with the new vendor felt random and arbitrary, often making you choose between earning gear or progress.

All that being said, the Crow storyline, which revealed a revived Prince Uldren, was excellent. It also tied directly into a fun and engaging quest to earn the Hawkmoon Exotic, making for a solid grand finale to the season.

6. Season of the Worthy

Season of the Worthy
Bungie Inc.

Release Date: March 10, 2020

This season can be summed up in two words — Warmind Cells. These mods were introduced in connection with the Seraph Towers activities, public events that required you to activate and protect connection ports that were somehow connected to Rasputin. The activity itself was dull and frustrating to complete, but the Warmind Cell Mods that came with it were, and still are, incredibly powerful.

Those rewards aside, the rest of this season is really bare bones and left many wondering what they were supposed to be playing. Sure, Trials of Osiris returned and replaced Trials of the Nine. But it was just Trials again; there was no new twist or change to make it different from the original version in OG Destiny

However, the one thing that we can all agree on is how cool the live event of watching The Almighty crash to Earth was. This was one of the first times Bungie dabbled in a live, simultaneous event for all players, and while it started a bit slow, it ended spectacularly.

5. Season of Dawn

Season of Dawn
Bungie Inc.

Release Date: December 10, 2019

Season of Dawn almost feels like an apology for Curse of Osiris. It brings the titular Osiris back into the fray and reveals a long-lost character in Saint-14 who has only been known by his helmet up to this point. The whole goal of this season is to rescue Saint-14 and run through multiple iterations of the Sundial activity to stop the Vex from finding a timeline where they succeed.

Complicated stuff, and the Sundial activity was just as interesting and complicated. Each run was varied, challenging, and provided ample opportunities to pull from an intricately refined loot pool. This loot also included the introduction of Charged with Light mods, which help amp up your ability regeneration through multiple methods. 

And like any good season, this also introduced a highly complex Exotic Quest in the form of a community puzzle. It was dense, challenging, and fun to crack, and the Destiny community was hard at work for over a week to unlock it. Unlocking the Bastion Fusion Rifle for all of this work was a bit of a letdown, but the challenge was still a great time.

4. Season of the Forge

Season of the Forge
Bungie Inc.

Release Date: December 4, 2018

Ada-1 and the Black Armory are coming back next season, but they made their presence known during Season of the Forge. The whole purpose of this season was to make you worthy enough to obtain Golden Age weaponry by activating and running a series of Forges that gradually increased in difficulty. Thankfully, these weapons were well worth the effort and introduced some incredible Exotics like Izanagi’s Burden and Anarchy.

The only problem with this season is that the initial light level requirement was ridiculously high. And unlocking the remaining forges required you to run through some frustratingly lengthy questlines that often made the final unlock feel underwhelming. The light level did get shifted mid-season, but for many, it was unfortunately too late to truly enjoy everything the Forges had to offer.

However, like most of the top-tier seasons on this list, it’s the fact that there was plenty to do that sets this one apart. In this case, the introduction of the Scourge of the Past Raid was a nice addition that was somewhat of a surprise due to how soon this came out after Forsaken.

3. Season of Arrivals

Destiny 2 Season of Arrivals
Bungie Inc.

Release Date: June 9, 2020

The introduction of the physical manifestation of The Darkness has been one of the most interesting aspects of Destiny 2. It makes the threat feel all the more tangible, and Season of Arrivals helped escalate that even further. This was mainly done through the core story missions and the semi-interesting Contact Public Event that encouraged you to decode its messages from week to week.

Surprisingly, this seasonal story even explained in-universe why areas were being sunsetted. Rather than arbitrarily locking off areas, the Darkness itself consumed different planets and zones, leaving them unavailable. Sure, it’s frustrating that these areas are no longer accessible, but it shows how forward-thinking the Bungie team has become.

This season also introduced Umbral Engrams, which allow you to target specific loot, and would be something that Bungie reintroduced in Season of the Chosen. It also brought new Charged With Light mods, the excellent Falling Guillotine Sword, and the free Prophecy Dungeon. There was a lot to do during this season, and it all felt fun and purposeful.

2. Season of Opulence

Season of Opulence
Bungie Inc.

Release Date: June 4, 2019

This was another season that provided a one-two punch with a unique seasonal activity and a new Raid. The Menagerie was and still is one of the best seasonal activities they’ve introduced in Destiny 2. It wasn’t just the worthwhile loot but the everchanging series of objectives and puzzles that made it akin to a Raid or Dungeon experience.

The Crown of Sorrow Raid was another fun, bite-sized Raid, but it wasn’t top-tier. But the fact that it came with a season instead of a full expansion made it feel worth it. And surprisingly enough, The Crown has reemerged as a significant plot point in Season of the Chosen, making it all the more important post-season.

The greatest impact of this season is how it affected the game moving forward. The loot structure, activity progression, and story implications are now integral to every change the dev team makes. Here’s hoping that we see The Menagerie return in some form at some point this year.

1. Season of the Chosen

Season of the Chosen
Image: Bungie Inc.

Release Date: February 9, 2021

This is just the best Destiny 2 season, period. Every aspect, from the Battlegrounds activities, the Umbral Engram system, Seasonal Quests, and the cinematic Presage Exotic Quest — there is just so much to love

Sure, the Battlegrounds activities aren’t complicated. They’re just short strikes. However, it’s the fact that they are overloaded with enemies, making late-game encounters feel overwhelming that makes them feel so good. Add in the unique Seasonal Quests that encourage you to run them differently, and unlock slots on your Hammer of Proving, and they simply don’t get old.

Then there’s the fact that this brought two revived Destiny Strikes and the new Proving Grounds Strike into the mix. There’s also The Guardian Games to look forward to, and the ability to keep running the Presage mission over and over for better gear and new lore. It’s simply an excellent season that just keeps getting better, and hopefully that Hammer of Proving becomes a new Exotic by the end of it.

Seasons Are Changing

Bungie has seemingly hit their stride with seasons, and there is a lot to look forward to with the next one.

Do you agree with our list or have a favorite that you think should be higher up? Be sure to let us know by sharing this article on your favorite social channels and tagging us. And for the latest on Destiny 2, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

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