Destiny 2

Returning to Destiny 2: Your First Raid and Dungeon in 2026

Image: Bungie.

Short answer. Coming back to Destiny 2, start with one of the two dungeons featured this week: you need a fireteam of up to three, and featured dungeons drop Tier 5 gear even on Standard. If you would rather skip the LFG, a dungeon final boss run starts at $10 and Raid Rotator at $19.

Last checked: November 12, 2026.

Image: Bungie.

Your first raid or dungeon back, without the LFG

Raid Rotator from $19, Dungeon Rotator from $20 for this week's featured dungeon. Played by hand, without any bots or cheats.

Raid Rotator Dungeon Rotator

Image: Bungie.

Plenty of Guardians are logging back in. On September 17, Bungie told players "we are not done with Destiny" and announced that vaulted campaigns, destinations and raids are coming back. On Steam, the monthly average went from 17,341 players in September to 24,742 in October 2026, up 42.7% (SteamCharts, Steam only). If you are one of them, this guide covers what changed, which raids and dungeons you can play right now, and how to get your first clear done, on your own or with help.

What changed while you were away

Monument of Triumph launched on June 9, 2026, and Bungie describes it as the last live service update for Destiny 2. Its Monument of Triumph FAQ is written for newcomers and returners, and these are the answers that matter most before your first endgame run:

Power. If you last played before The Edge of Fate, you start at 10 Power, but loot drops at 300+ Power to help you catch up. The cap stays at 550.
Your old gear. Bungie calls it a great starting point. New Tiered gear has higher stats and Armor Set Bonuses, so expect to replace pieces as your Power grows.
Where to start. The Tower, or Shaw Han in the Cosmodrome for the New Light quest.
Finding a group. Fireteam Finder is the in-game LFG tool, opened from the roster screen.

Raids and dungeons you can play now

Bungie's Activities guide lists ten raids: Last Wish, Garden of Salvation, Deep Stone Crypt, Vault of Glass, Vow of the Disciple, King's Fall, Root of Nightmares, Crota's End, Salvation's Edge and The Desert Perpetual. It also lists eleven dungeons, from The Shattered Throne and Pit of Heresy to Vesper's Host, Sundered Doctrine and Equilibrium.

Not all of them are free. In the same FAQ, Bungie names Vault of Glass, King's Fall and Crota's End as examples of raids available to all players. Others need the expansion or Dungeon Key they belong to. Two examples from our own cards: Root of Nightmares needs Lightfall, and Vesper's Host needs The Final Shape Dungeon Key. Check your account before you set a goal, for a carry or for an LFG post.

Why the weekly rotation matters

This is the biggest change for returning raiders. Since Update 9.7.0, two raids and two dungeons are featured each week, and featured activities drop farmable high-quality gear. The pair changes at the weekly reset, every Tuesday at 17:00 UTC (Bungie Help, Ritual Reset Guide). You can see the current pair on the Director.

Featured dungeon. Tier 5 weapons and armor on Standard and on Master.
Dungeon that is not featured. Tier 3 on Standard, Tier 5 only on Master.
Featured raid. Deepsight weapons or Tier 5 armor from encounters and challenges on Standard. Master adds Adept weapons from challenges.
Raid that is not featured. On Standard, only a chance at Deepsight weapons and Tier 3 armor.
Weekly lockout. The Director Challenge and hidden chests can be looted once a week. Everything else above is farmable.

For a returning player, the takeaway is simple: your first clear pays most if it is a featured activity. A featured dungeon on Standard gives the same Tier 5 drops as Master, without the Master difficulty.

Your first dungeon or your first raid

According to Bungie, dungeons are built for fireteams of up to three players, and raids typically need fireteams of up to six. Both have complex mechanics and a tough final boss, and both drop gear you can only get there.

That makes a dungeon the smaller ask. You need two other players, not five, and a featured one already drops Tier 5. A raid is the bigger goal: more players, more mechanics, and one Exotic per raid, sometimes a random drop and sometimes a multistep quest. If you plan to use Fireteam Finder, a listing that says "first clear" or "sherpa" sets the right expectations, and patience goes a long way.

Already have a raid in mind? Our raid carry guide compares raids by price and difficulty, and the dungeon carry hub lists every dungeon with its Exotic.

Play it yourself or get a carry

If you have a group and an evening, play it yourself. If you are short on time or players, these four orders fit a first clear back:

Dungeon Rotator, from $20. One clear of a dungeon featured this week, both featured dungeons for $35, or any of nine dungeons by name for $20. Prophecy and Equilibrium have their own carries.
Vesper's Host, from $10. The final boss alone, with its Ice Breaker chance, is $10. A full Normal clear with all three encounters is $19.
Raid Rotator, from $19. Crota's End or Salvation's Edge by name for $19, this week's featured raid for $30, or both featured raids for $45.
Root of Nightmares, from $19. The Nezarec boss checkpoint is $19, with a chance at Conditional Finality. A full Standard clear is $29.

By default, our player signs in to your account and plays the run for you. If you want to learn the encounters, choose Play with our team: you sign in yourself and play alongside our players. Either way, you plan the run with your coach in the Dashboard chat. What we guarantee is the clear you order; the weapons, armor rolls and Exotic drops follow Destiny 2's loot rules. If you want the full list of options before you pick, start with the Raid Rotator or browse all dungeon carries.

What unvaulting brings and when

If you came back for the vaulted content, set expectations now. In its October 29 Community Update, Bungie said the first pass of unvaulting covers the Red War, Forsaken, Curse of Osiris and Warmind campaigns, strikes from those releases, their raids and raid lairs, and the Menagerie. The project is in pre-production until roughly January or February, and Bungie expects full production to take about 12 months after that. There is no release date. Bungie is targeting February for its next major round of Destiny news, and it listed an updated New Light experience among the things that currently have no path to an update.

So the raids and dungeons you can play today are the ones on the lists above. For the full timeline, see our post Is Destiny 2 Ending?

Returning guardian prices

FAQ

Which raids can I play without buying an expansion?

Bungie names Vault of Glass, King's Fall and Crota's End as examples of raids available to all players. Other raids and dungeons need the expansion or Dungeon Key they belong to, for example Lightfall for Root of Nightmares.

Should my first clear be a dungeon or a raid?

A dungeon is the smaller step: Bungie builds dungeons for fireteams of up to three, while raids typically need up to six. Pick a dungeon featured this week, because featured dungeons drop Tier 5 gear even on Standard.

Do I need to know the raid to order a carry?

Not for a standard order: our player signs in to your account and plays the run for you. If you want to learn it, choose Play with our team and play alongside our players.

Is the Exotic guaranteed?

No. A clear gives you the chance the game assigns, for example Ice Breaker from the Vesper's Host final boss or Conditional Finality from Nezarec. We guarantee the clear you order, not the drop.

When will the vaulted raids come back?

Bungie has not announced a date. As of October 29, 2026, unvaulting was in pre-production until roughly January or February, with about 12 months of full production expected after that.