How to level in Destiny 2, including power and artifact levels, caps, battle pass, tips and more

How to level in Destiny 2, including ability and antiquity levels, caps, battle pass, tips and more

How to become your Destiny 2 Guardian into tip-top grade

Guardian with breakdown of the Power Level

(Image: © Future)

Destiny 2 is a daunting experience. Whether y'all're jumping into it for the first time or returning after a season or 2 abroad, you'll notice one major issue pretty quickly: your Power Level.

Your access to content volition be entirely dictated by this number, so if you want to join your pals for difficult endeavors like Raids - or specially aspirational content similar Grandmaster Nightfalls, Master Raids, or Principal Dungeons - you're going to need to level that number up.

That's just one of the leveling systems in Destiny 2, too. For those of you lot who buy into the seasonal structure of the game, you'll notice in that location's also a Battle Pass. How practice you level that? Is that important to your overall Power Level? What's a Soft Cap? What's a Hard Cap? Where do I even begin? It'southward a lot, so allow's break it downwardly, bit past bit.

Ability Levels

What is the Power Level?

Power Level, at its almost basic, is how strong you lot are in Destiny. Currently, in Flavor of the Lost, the Difficult Cap (we'll explain this term in a fleck) goes to 1330. You tin level past that, but for now, just think of 1330 as the max power.

Your base of operations Power Level is adamant by the accumulation of the levels of all your armor and weapons. Every slice of gear is added together and the general average is your Power Level. Your Ability Level will too be affected past your Artifact Level, and we'll talk over that later in the guide.

Equally mentioned before, your Power Level dictates the kind of content you lot tin can take on. Every activity in Destiny 2 has a Power Level associated with it. That being the case, you can get into most activities under-leveled. More often than not, if yous are within 10 or then levels, you lot'll notice getting shot more than your Fireteam, only the content volition be doable. If yous are 20 levels below, you can yet take information technology on, merely it will be similar playing the game on Hard style.

Y'all can fifty-fifty get into content hundreds of levels below your Power Level, but this'll be hell. You'll die to everything in one striking. Your teammates can pull you lot (or more than accurately, your Ghost) through the activeness for rewards at the cease, only you're not exactly going to experience like you've been role of the team effort.

That said, when it comes to Grandmaster Nightfalls, you won't even be able to load into the activity. It's the only activity in Destiny 2 that has a Power Level requirement that will block yous out if you fall nether the threshold. Merely and then over again, if you're reading this guide on how to level, you're probable a fair ways abroad from even attempting a Grandmaster Nightfall, so don't sweat that for now.

In summary, Power Level acts like a soft key into sure activities, with things becoming easier as you arroyo and surpass requirements.

How do you increase your Power Level?

Guardian shooting an Enemy and the experience bar going up. — Even killing enemies fills up your experience bar at the bottom of your screen. (Paradigm credit: Hereafter)

If you are simply starting out in Destiny 2, you lot're in luck. You lot level up by getting experience and gear. How do yous do that? Literally, simply play the game. There are quicker ways than others to gain experience and go gear, but the beauty of just starting is that the game volition reward you lot significantly no matter what y'all do.

Engrams, which comprise diverse goods including armor and weapons, will e'er provide more powerful stuff than what you currently possess. This ways you can count on a constant stream of gear dropping from whatever activity.

As you continue to play, your level volition go up by your gear levels as well. Y'all will also exist getting a 2nd gear up of levels from your seasonal Artifact. The Artifact level goes up only by gaining experience. This comes from practically everything, including the completion of activities and missions, exploration, or even just the killing of enemies. However, nosotros hope a deeper dive on Artifact levels below.

It'southward of import to note that this method of playing whatever you want is only good up to a certain point. Somewhen, your gains volition begin to irksome and even stop altogether. This will be when you hit the Soft Cap. This volition likely affect returning players fairly quickly.

Soft Caps

What is a Soft Cap and what Power Level is information technology at?

Destiny world map full of Powerful Drops — Every Location with a yellow symbol side by side to it still has a powerful drib. (Image credit: Future)

So, you've been out frolicking effectually the galaxy, doing whatever you want. Blue engrams rain downwards on you as you lot progress; you don't have a intendance in the world. However, y'all'll find your gains starting to wearisome. Or mayhap, they've even stopped altogether. This is due to the Soft Cap.

In the Flavour of the Lost, the Soft Cap is at 1270. No gear that drops exterior powerful sources will have a level college than that. The game isn't bully at telling you this is something that happens, only at present y'all know.

The expert news is that you can continue to get higher gear levels. The bad news is that the grind volition become a petty more than focused. From this point and on, you'll merely be able to level doing activities that grant Powerful and Pinnacle Engrams. Thankfully, these are fairly plentiful.

To see if an activity will grant you a piece of powerful gear, go to your Managing director. If a planet or action has a yellow symbol coming off of it, there will be a Powerful Engram to earn there. If you click into the map, y'all should be able to cursor over to the activity and meet what information technology is that would give yous powerful gear. You volition exist able to practise each powerful engram once a week. They will reset as role of the weekly reset every Tuesday at 5pm GMT.

There are a ton of different outlets where you lot can get Powerful and Top Engrams then y'all should be able to chase the activities you dearest, more or less. But you lot may exist better rewarded by pursuing a more diverse set of activities.

On top of that, Prime number Engrams volition also still offering more powerful gear, so make sure you choice upward any you lot find. Those will be tremendously helpful. Remember, no bluish engrams will get above 1270 on their own; however, these will level with you, meaning you tin can use them to bring upwards whatsoever gear that is lagging behind.

If you find your gear struggling to gain levels from powerful gear, you are likely approaching the Hard Cap - yet another invisible wall.

Difficult Caps

What is a Hard Cap and what Power Level is it at?

And then you've been tailoring your experience, doing all the powerful engrams, and decoding all of your Prime Engrams. Nevertheless, as before, you lot're noticing you're getting fewer and fewer gains - or have stopped entirely. Yous've likely hit the Hard Cap, and your game is going to be tailored even further.

The Difficult Cap in Season of the Lost is at 1320. To go above it you lot will have to complete Pinnacle Challenges. The good news is that the Gear Cap is only 10 levels above the Difficult Cap, at 1330. The bad news is that yous are limited in the means you can get Pinnacle Engrams - and now we're wading into the territory of some of the hardest content in the game.

Pinnacle Gear sources are listed below:

Meridian Source	What to do?	Soloable?	Easy or Hard?
Crucible Playlist Claiming	Play iii games in any Crucible Playlist	Yeah.	Easy. You only need to play three games of Crucible.
Vanguard Playlist Challenge	Consummate Strikes using the aforementioned subclass equally the current weekly elemental burn down	Yes	Piece of cake just vaguely annoying. It forces yous to use the subclass that is the aforementioned as the weekly singe. To see the Weekly Burn down, select the activity, and in the bottom left, above where it says Vanguard Strikes, cursor over the outset modifier.
Gambit Playlist Claiming	Play three games of Gambit	Yes	Piece of cake. Just play iii games of Gambit.
Dares of Eternity Challenge	Complete a Dares of Eternity with a score over 250,000	Unlikely	Fairly hard. To achieve a score this loftier, you volition almost certainly demand to practise 1 on Legend difficulty. This doesn't matchmake, and so you will likely demand 4+ players to complete. If yous have that number, it shouldn't be too bad. It'due south possible to reach this if you do a lot and get a Lightning Round at the cease, but fifty-fifty and then it would be tight.
Master Empire Hunt	Consummate any Empire Chase on Chief Difficulty	Unlikely	Easyish if y'all accept 2 friends. This doesn't matchmake though. It's cracking at all with help. You can solo this likewise, but that would immediately shoot this up to Very Difficult. Not recommended unless you're a real pro.
Nightfall 100k	Consummate a Nightfall Strike with a squad score above 100,000.	Depends	Middling. Some Nightfalls y'all will exist able to achieve the score on Hero difficulty, which is yet matchmade. However, if you have ii other Guardians, playing a Nightfall on Legend mode will almost certainly get you at that place
Presage Weekly	Complete quest 'Presage'	Very Unlikely	Decently hard. Information technology'southward okay with a fireteam who knows what they are doing. Doable on your own, but that would crash-land it to a Very Hard.
Trials of Osiris Wins	Win 7 Matches	Yep	Depends, simply likely Very Hard. Trials is a brutal PvP experience. If you are great at PvP, y'all'll be fine. If not, you might find yourself beating your caput confronting the wall for a while.
Trials of Osiris Rounds	Win rounds in Trials of Osiris to earn points. Earn an additional point per match win on your ticket.	Yes	Hard and will take a while. Again, depends on how good you are at PvP. Regardless, 50 rounds is around x games and that's if you are winning every game, which let's face information technology, you probably aren't. Then it's a flake of a grind.
Vault of Glass	Complete the Vault of Glass Raid.	No	Middling to Hard. If yous tin can get six players together, it'due south not likewise bad, especially if some of the team know their manner through. If you are new to raiding though, it could be pretty tough. Somewhat depends on the feel of the remainder of your team. If everyone is new, information technology volition be tough to figure out. If anybody else is experienced, yous should fly through.
Grasp of Avarice	Consummate Grasp of Avarice	Very Unlikely	Middling to Hard. Like the Raid, the Dungeon will probable exist down to how experienced the Fireteam is. If your teammates know what they are doing, information technology should be a decent just achievable challenge. If you lot are all new to it, it's great fun, but will likely take you over an hr and a half to two hours.
Exo Challenge	Complete an Exo Claiming	Yes	Easiest. Yous can solo this with no problem. Trivial with a fireteam.
Harbinger	Complete Straw Quest	Unlikely	Fairly easy to middling. With ii friends, even if y'all are fairly new, yous should exist able to figure out its encounters without too much trouble. However, yous could become stuck if everyone is new. If fifty-fifty one knows what to do though, it should exist fine. Some of the bosses (they are on a rotation) are harder than others.
Shattered Realm Champions	Defeat Champions in the Shattered Realm activity.	Yes	Like shooting fish in a barrel. You only need to defeat four. Y'all should be able to consummate this in a run or so of the Shattered Realm. This is even doable solo.

If you notice yourself needing a fireteam, Bungie offers an official Looking For Team feature on their app and website. While it might seem daunting to play with strangers, especially in content similar Raids, endeavor it out. The community is largely friendly and they beloved helping new Guardians out.

This portion of the grind is generally slower than others, fifty-fifty though there are only 10 levels to grow. That'south considering there are simply then many activities to do. You will probable practice most in a couple days so have to wait for the side by side weekly reset. Don't sweat information technology, though. Just log in every week, do your weeklies and and so accept a break or play another way.

Artifact levels

Artifact level: Can you lot go above the Hard Cap and what is the blueish number next to my Power Level?

Artifact levels are a complicating modifier to the leveling procedure that might take you a while to go your head around. Essentially, this acts as 'additional levels' to your gear Power Level. If you lot cursor over your Power Level, you volition run across your true Power Level based on your gear and a blue number. That blue number is your Antiquity level.

Artifact level comes from your seasonal Antiquity and is based entirely on experience. This ways information technology will largely exist a passive improver to your Ability Level. It is essentially just a way to help yous out and become yous into higher-tier content.

Different gear levels, the Artifact Level is not capped. Every bit long as y'all can grind, you tin can get infinite levels. Nevertheless, don't remember this will requite you a massive advantage. It will largely be useful in getting you lot to recommended Ability Levels earlier than y'all would have. The Artifact is turned off in Grandmaster Nightfalls - which require you to have all of your gear at the highest level to even play - as well equally competitive content like Trials of Osiris and Fe Imprint.

It's also worth noting that any gains made with your Artifact are temporary. Every flavour, the Artifact will exist reset, bringing all of those Artifact gains y'all made dorsum down to null, so but invest in it as much every bit yous feel y'all demand to play the content you want.

Battle Pass leveling

Does the Battle Pass bear on leveling?

Battle pass experience gains — Your Battle Pass can requite you a lot more experience (Epitome credit: Future)

It'south probably more authentic to say leveling affects the Boxing Pass, more the other style around. Nevertheless, there is a benefit to gaining levels in your Battle Laissez passer.

For the most part, like your Antiquity power, the Battle Pass will be a rather passive office of your leveling process. You will gain levels as you gain feel, which you volition practice by playing and leveling usually.

However, in that location is a decent benefit to your Battle Pass the later you get into information technology. Along the track will be XP bonuses, making your gains more than and more. At levels v, vii, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66, 76, and 86 you will get bumps to your overall feel progression. If you collect all of them, you will be getting a massive 32% boost on all activities. This won't help your gear level, but information technology will certainly be appreciated by your Artifact level.

Quick tips

Tips and quirks about your Power Level

Ghost shell with Light mod attacked — The Blinding Light modern on your Ghost is a must (Image credit: Future)

Here are some tips and data to continue in mind that will touch your leveling. It'southward a long, weird, complicated procedure, so hither are a couple of things to help with that path.

Use the Blinding Calorie-free mod on your Ghost. If you get to your Ghost, you tin can put mods into various slots. In the first column, there is a selection of mods that affect your experience gain. Always accept Blinding Calorie-free on. It costs six slots on the Ghost simply there's no other modern comes anywhere close to being that useful. It offers a straight-upwardly 12% experience gain. Your Artifact will thank you for that.
You lot won't be i hitting bosses in the content you are hundreds of levels over. Different many other MMOs, you can't render to where yous started and commencement killing once beefy bosses with one striking. Levels generally only bear upon you if you are below them. Once you are above the recommended Ability Level, the difficulty will mostly stay where it is. No matter how loftier your Ability Level, that Strike will always exist that difficulty.
Power Level but affects top-tier PvP modes like Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris. For a numerical breakdown, check out this Reddit post equally to how damage and Ability Level interact in PvP. The long and short of information technology though is that if you are within about 15-twenty levels of your opponent, information technology should barely exist noticeable. Now if you are 100 below, and then you are going to have a bad fourth dimension. Thankfully, in any other PvP mode, Power Level is irrelevant and all Guardians are paired to an equal playing field.

That's about all you need to know to get you started. The path to loftier-tier content like Grandmaster Nightfalls is long, but it's a corking journey to get there. By leveling and chasing Pinnacles, you will get a sense of merely nearly everything Destiny 2 has to offer, while experiencing this massive universe. Remember to not burn down yourself out past grinding also much, and take fun out there.

Read More: Here's everything going on in Destiny 2, from rumors to upcoming release dates.

Patrick Dane is TechRadar Gaming'south Guides Editor. With about a decade in the games press, he's been a consistent vocalization in the industry. He's written for a plethora of major publications and travelled the world doing information technology. He likewise has a deep passion for games as a service and their potential to tell evolving stories. To wit, he has over 2000 hours in Destiny 2, over g in Overwatch and is at present securely into Valorant.