Destiny 2 is bleeding players, struggling through what many consider its darkest chapter, and Bungie’s response is to double down on one of the boldest crossover experiments in live service history. After spending two days with the upcoming Renegades expansion, I walked away genuinely surprised by how well this Star Wars-infused gamble actually works.
The looter shooter has faced mounting criticism over recent months. The Edge of Fate expansion underwhelmed. The Portal activity hub frustrated communities. Bugs stalled progress while gear felt increasingly irrelevant. Arguments positioning this as the franchise’s lowest point carry significant weight among longtime Guardians. Yet Renegades addresses these concerns with something unexpected: genuine ambition wrapped in Lucasfilm’s iconic imagery.
When two galaxies collide
Bungie could have delivered surface-level Star Wars aesthetics through cosmetic packs and called it collaboration. Instead, Renegades weaves the DNA of that galaxy far, far away directly into Destiny’s storytelling and systems while somehow never losing what makes this universe distinct.
The opening mission demonstrates this fusion perfectly. A new Cabal faction called the Barant Imperium emerges as Destiny’s answer to the Galactic Empire. The Drifter suspects their sudden rise connects to the Nine, those mysterious fourth-dimensional entities pulling strings throughout the Fate Saga. Assembling a ragtag crew including the Guardian, Aerys, Mourn, and Ido, he steals data from the Imperium before everything goes sideways.
The Vanguard assigns a babysitter named Arnor from the Praxic Order, essentially Destiny’s Jedi analogue, to keep the operation legitimate. But when a tractor beam drags everyone into an Imperium vessel, the crew faces Loom, the faction’s general, alongside Bale, a Dredgen wielding dark powers. The Drifter gets frozen in stasis, and suddenly you’re shooting through Cabal corridors to rescue him in sequences that remix A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi without ever feeling like mere imitation.
The blade changes everything
Among all the new additions, the Praxic Blade stands as Renegades’ most significant contribution to how Destiny actually plays. This melee weapon draws obvious inspiration from cinema’s most iconic laser sword, but its implementation transforms combat possibilities in ways the franchise desperately needed.
Slashing through enemies feels satisfying enough on its own. Throwing the blade like a boomerang adds ranged versatility. But the real revelation comes from deflecting incoming fire, creating breathing room during encounters that would otherwise overwhelm on higher difficulties. Having a defensive tool that buys time against relentless attacks fills a gap Destiny’s toolkit has always lacked.
Blade customization runs deep. Mods alter functionality in meaningful ways, and yes, you can change colors. Starting options include blue or green based on parameters the developers kept mysterious during our preview. Red unlocks through specific activities. Additional hues exist beyond those, with most earnable through gameplay while some remain locked behind the Eververse storefront alongside variant hilts. Expect community debates about that particular monetization choice.
Heat-based firearms arrive
Complementing the blade are Blasters, a new weapon archetype using heat management instead of traditional ammunition and reloading. Fire builds temperature over time, requiring venting before overheating disables the weapon entirely. Skilled players can time vents precisely before reaching critical levels to accelerate cooldown, similar to active reload mechanics from other franchises.
The preview showcased numerous heat weapons spanning kinetic, energy, and power categories. While this system probably won’t revolutionize Destiny quite like the Praxic Blade, expanding the arsenal with weapons featuring entirely unique stats and modification paths keeps builds fresh. And those signature sound effects accompanying each shot absolutely nail the source material’s audio identity.
Lawless frontier carries the expansion
Beyond campaign missions, Lawless Frontier emerges as the primary activity sustaining engagement until whatever comes next. From Tharsis Outpost on Mars, Guardians undertake contracts for three criminal syndicates: the Elixney Pikers, Cabal Totality Division, and Vex Tharsis Reformation.
Using a holographic map, players select from bounty hunts targeting high-value enemies, smuggling operations stealing valuable cargo, or sabotage missions dismantling syndicate equipment. Each type mixes objectives enough to prevent staleness across repeated runs. The variety in locations immediately impresses after Edge of Fate’s singular focus on Kepler. Missions span Mars, Europa, and Venus, with each planet aesthetically channeling Star Wars counterparts: Tatooine’s desert sprawl, Hoth’s frozen wastes, and Dagobah’s murky atmosphere respectively.
These extraction-style activities emphasize what Destiny does best: pure gunplay. Limited revives and disabled health regeneration raise stakes significantly, though health orbs appear more generously than similar activities in previous content. Completing objectives means nothing without successfully escaping alongside collected loot caches, creating tension that rewards careful play over reckless aggression.
Renegade abilities reshape encounters
Nine distinct Renegade abilities unlock through syndicate reputation, each offering seven upgrade paths. Defensive options like deployable healing domes can eventually refill super meters rapidly. Offensive loadouts include the Behemoth, a vehicle inspired by certain iconic walking transports that proved devastatingly overpowered during our preview sessions.
The invasion system adds another layer for those seeking additional challenge. At master and grandmaster difficulty, players can opt into allowing other Guardians to invade their activities, disrupting progress while both sides chase exclusive rewards. One memorable run saw my fireteam cruising confidently until an invader punctured our defenses, leaving us scrambling to barely extract. The red Praxic Blade crystal unlocks specifically through invasion participation.
Concerns worth noting
Producer Hiroto Suzuki estimates the main story alone requires roughly 100 hours without touching side content. That’s substantial, but the expansion introduces enormous amounts of new information simultaneously. The Praxic Order, Dredgen, Barant Imperium, three crime syndicates, the Nine prophecy, and various interconnected character relationships all demand attention.
Returning players comfortable with Destiny lore will absorb these additions more easily. Newcomers attracted by Star Wars theming face steeper onboarding challenges. Whether streamlined explanations exist within missions we skipped remains uncertain until launch reveals the complete picture.
Our preview jumped between story segments, experiencing the beginning, end of act one, and scattered later missions without the connective tissue binding everything together. Individual sequences delivered strong moments, including a delicious subversion of classic Star Wars tropes that elevates stakes considerably. But narrative cohesion across the full campaign remains unverifiable until December.
Quality of life improvements
Beyond headline features, Bungie addresses existing frustrations through smaller adjustments. The Portal gains Orders, quick tasks automatically tailored to individual builds that reward instantly upon completion without requiring manual collection. Ten double-sided pages of arsenal alterations aim at making pre-Fate Saga gear viable again.
Developers acknowledged that broader improvements addressing community complaints won’t fully materialize until 2026. Renegades represents course correction rather than complete transformation. Whether these adjustments satisfy depends on individual tolerance for continued growing pains.
The verdict so far
Previewing live service expansions always carries uncertainty since player engagement ultimately determines whether activities thrive or wither. What I can confirm after extensive hands-on time is that Renegades offers considerably more substance than recent content, activities emphasize Destiny’s combat strengths, and the Star Wars integration succeeds far better than skeptics might expect.
The Praxic Blade alone could shift how veteran players approach difficult content. Heat weapons expand buildcrafting possibilities. Lawless Frontier delivers varied, replayable extraction gameplay across visually refreshed environments. Whether this proves enough to reverse declining populations or merely stabilizes the bleeding until more fundamental changes arrive remains the question Bungie desperately needs answered.
After experiencing what Renegades offers, do you believe a Star Wars collaboration can truly resurrect Destiny 2’s struggling player base, or does the franchise need something more drastic than thematic crossovers to reclaim its former glory?
