Destiny 2 The Final Shape guide

What is Destiny 2 The Final Shape? The Destiny 2 DLC is Bungie’s final instalment in the Light and Dark saga – and boy, is it a banger. Note that you absolutely, definitely, 100% should not read much further down the page if you’re trying to avoid massive spoilers around the story of Destiny 2 so far.

After the release was delayed into the summer of 2024, Destiny 2 players are now finally enjoying the FPS game DLC, and exploring everything the new expansion and episodic content has to offer. If you’re thinking about getting in on the action yourself, or already are and need some helpful guides to the MMO game, here’s everything you need to know about Destiny 2 The Final Shape all in one place.

The Final Shape guides

As you can tell from our glowing The Final Shape review, we can’t get enough of the latest DLC, so we’ve been putting in the hours to get you through the toughest parts. Here are all of our The Final Shape guides:

Destiny 2 The Final Shape release date

The Destiny 2 The Final Shape release date was Tuesday, June 4, 2024 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. This was delayed from February 2024, and was announced by the Destiny 2 X (formerly Twitter) account.

Originally set for launch on February 28, 2024, The Final Shape delay was officially announced following weeks of rumors and inside sources stating a delay to June was on its way. Just days before the news dropped, we stated that a delay to the expansion seemed inevitable.

However, Bungie also announced Destiny 2: Into the Light, a “two-month content update” for all players which launched in April and lasted until June 3, 2024. This update included a new chapter in the story, the Onslaught three-player matchmaking activity, and plenty of new shaders, armor, and weapon ornaments to unlock.

Destiny 2 The Final Shape trailers

The Destiny 2 The Final Shape trailer shows Ikora talking to someone, attempting to catch them up on past events in the franchise such as taking down Savathun, also known as the Witch Queen, and Nezarec, the Final God of Pain and boss of the Destiny 2 Root of Nightmares raid.

The teaser then shows the person she’s talking to, who happens to be one of the most beloved characters in Destiny’s history: Cayde.

Cayde-6 died at the hand of Uldren Sov while Uldren was possessed by Riven, a powerful Ahamkara that was Taken by Oryx, the Taken King and brother to Oryx. This marked a heartbreaking moment in the history of the Destiny 2 series. In a surprise twist, the Light revived Uldren Sov. He assumed the name Crow and held no memories of his past actions, choosing to become a Guardian.

Lore enthusiasts know that the number after an exo’s name carries significance, as it designates the number of times the exo has had their system rebooted. This would indicate that even though Cayde has been long gone, the Vanguard has somehow been able to revive him as Cayde-7.

This is a massive reveal, as major players in the Destiny 2 series seem to be dropping quickly. Rasputin sacrificed himself to prevent Eramis from being able to use the Warsats to destroy the Traveler, and the game also recently lost Amanda Holliday, the pilot. It appears Sloane was fighting becoming Taken in Destiny 2 Season of the Deep, though the season ended without us knowing her true fate.

And, for anyone wondering, that is indeed Cayde’s trusty Ace of Spades hand cannon that you see him adjust in the trailer, as denoted by the spade on the side of the weapon. Notably, unlike Ikora, he does not appear to have a ghost shell.

In April, Bungie released the Journey into the Traveler trailer. Here, we get a further look at the intricate, ever-changing nature of the Pale Heart of the Traveler. Cayde-6 narrates the trailer, saying that he believed he was in “paradise” when he awoke there, and feels the Light everywhere. The environment is clearly influenced by the Witness and the Guardians, with various enemies lurking in its depths, Pyramid ships, and scattered flora and fauna pierced with corruption.

There is a sickness spreading through the Traveler, says Cayde, and it’s clear the Guardians are expected to quell that corruption. We see enemies and allies such as Savathun, Eremis, and Caiat’l. The trailer is dotted by spliced glass effects, which have become The Witness’s trademark. The trailer ends with The Witness itself saying that, “The Final Shape is coming.”

In the lead-up to release, there was a small highlight playtest preview showing off the Prismatic Subclass. This has several heavy-hitting special abilities, such as generating crystals out of thin air to obliterate multiple enemies. We also see the developer use the devastating ability to transcend against Mhakt, Subjugator of the Forgotten. Finally, several trailers give us a glimpse of the Dread Faction, including one for the Omen and Attendant, the Grim, the Husk, and the Harbinger and Weaver.

Destiny 2 The Final Shape story

Thanks to a surprise cutscene in the middle of Season of the Deep, we now know exactly what the Witness is, what the Traveler is, and what the Veil is – three questions we never had anything but suspicions about beforehand. Due to finding out the origins of the Witness and the purpose of the Veil, we can speculate further on the events of The Final Shape.

It confirms that by linking the Veil and the Traveler, The Witness has created a portal to a perfect environment – the inside of the Traveler, which combines the Light with purpose, the Darkness. It is within here that we will encounter Cayde in a semi-limbo state, being provided constant life by the Traveler yet unable to step foot back into the “real” world as the Traveler cannot sustain him here.

The Final Shape takes place inside the Pale Heart, or the center, of the Traveler. It is here that you will go head-to-head with The Witness itself, culminating in a massive final showdown. Destiny 2 creative director, James Tsai, explains that The Final Shape has to “make you feel nostalgic” about the journey of the game. You will enter the portal and the center of the Traveler, and Tsai confirms that The Witness is trying to “put the universe into this frozen perfection where everything is exactly as it thinks it should be”.

As the final installment, any questions Guardians have are answered with The Final Shape. Despite great conflict with huge stakes, The Final Shape is a story told by companions fighting together for hundreds of years. The goal is to stop the Final Shape itself, and the Pale Heart is just a fraction of the inside of the Traveler. It’s described by Bungie as “weird, a bit strange, and makes you feel uncomfortable”. The Pale Heart will adjust to your playstyle, and whilst the intricacies of how this will work have not yet been revealed, this is the most adaptive and personal environment Destiny 2 has hosted yet.

As well as the new environment, a new enemy type is added to Destiny 2 with The Final Shape. Subjugators are inspired by Rhulk, the boss of the Vow of the Disciple raid, and come in two variations. Stasis subjugators will slow, freeze, and shatter you as you attempt to fight them, while Strand subjugators use mines, suspension, and projectiles from their Darkness subclass to devastating effect.

The final trailer for The Final Shape was released just one week before the expansion’s release date. In it we see some of Bungie’s most impressive cinematics yet, with vast and tangled lore implications. The trailer begins with an overview of a city, which is frozen in time at a flick of The Witness’s wrist.

Set to a suitable background of Billie Eilish’s ‘Everything I Wanted,’ the trailer shows The Witness nearing the final shape, reshaping reality into a “perfect stillness” as Ikora says. She is joined around a campfire by Zavala, Cayde, Crow, and the Guardian, as they vow to try to prevent the end of everything.

An infection spreads through the Traveler’s Pale Heart, the work of the Witness. We also catch a glimpse at the mysterious Darkness statue in a seemingly human form.

Ikora pleads with Zavala, “Don’t do this,” as he reaches into an adaptive network of Darkness strands. Could Zavala be about to embrace the Darkness? The trailer ends with the trademark ‘Become Legend’ slogan, which was thematic throughout the launch trailers and teasers for Destiny 1. The franchise really has gone full circle.

Destiny 2 The Final Shape new supers and aspects

During the Destiny 2 showcase, it was also revealed that new subclass supers and aspects would be added to the game. For recent expansions, we’ve seen new subclasses added to the game – with Beyond Light we were introduced to Stasis, the first Darkness subclass that Guardians could wield. In Lightfall, we were able to master Strand. With The Final Shape, we’ll be in control of new supers and aspects.

For Solar Warlocks, the Song of Flame super will be able to overcharge all abilities, meaning you can take out hordes of enemies with infinite spam. You’ll also be able to buff your allies with Scorch for any Solar weapons they’re carrying. The new Warlock aspect will create a Solar Soul when using a class ability, and this can be used to burn enemies from far away.

For Void Titans, the Destiny 2 team is leaning into supporting your allies once again with the new super, Twilight Arsenal. Titans can summon three Void-powered axes that are launched into the ground, causing a devastating disintegration effect on any enemies. Any that remain afterwards are pulled towards the axes and damaged over time. Your Fireteam members can also pull these axes from the ground and use them as physical weapons. The new Void aspect allows Titans to consume their grenades and create a shield that moves with you and absorbs incoming damage. That incoming damage is stored and released in a huge attack.

For Arc Hunters, the Storm’s Edge super summons an electrified dagger that you can throw and teleport too, like an over-exaggerated Blink effect. Upon teleporting though, you’ll spin like a devastating whirlwind blade and damage anyone in reach. You can use this up to three times per super charge, making it one of the most powerful in the game. The new Arc aspect allows Hunters to consume their class ability in midair, which gives more aerial height, as well as throwing a Jolt debuff to enemies will on the ground as well as making you amplified.

Destiny 2’s The Final Shape is the final part of the Light and Darkness saga: a narrative that Bungie initially outlined in the original Destiny, with the expansion marking the culmination of a decade-long tale in the multiplayer game. We don’t know what’s next for the series yet, but at least there’s plenty to be getting on with in Destiny 2 The Final Shape.