On 9^th September 2014, Destiny was born, from the brainchild of the development team Bungie (the creator of Halo), the title was the first step in a new gaming universe that captured the world’s imagination. Now two years on, Destiny has grown into a far bigger title than anybody outside the studio predicted.

From expansion packs increasing the size of its world, more loot than anyone can imagine plus new game modes and tonnes of single player friendly missions, it’s created a tightknit community where Bungie have listened and made scores of updates and tweaks to help the game evolve and become the shooter of the generation.

As year three approaches, there’s never been a better time to either return to Destiny’s universe or jump in for the very first time. The next big expansion pack, Rise of Iron arrives on 20^th September and is set to totally redefine the game. For newcomers, Destiny: The Collection combines every piece of live Destiny content so far and ahead of the release, we’ve compiled an overview to help every Guardian get up to speed.

The Beginning

Destiny (September 2014)

• In the beginning, players found themselves dropped into an expansive multiplayer galaxy, in which you exist as a Guardian on a mission to protect the City and a celestial being called the Traveller from all things evil
• Your choice of player class is as follows:
• Titan – having once prowled the wilderness and wastelands, Titan’s specialise in armour, while their ancestors built and defended The Wall that protects the City  
• Hunter – hailing from a long line of heroes and forged from strength and sacrifice, Hunters are renowned for their agility and merciless streak
• Warlock – having long studied the Traveller and mastered some of its mysterious powers, the Warlock specialises in combining its magic abilities with modern weapons
• Set 700 years in the future on a destroyed Earth, the game’s single-player campaign involves a series of extra-terrestrial threats, including The Fallen on Earth, the Hive on the Moon, the Vex on Venus and Cabal forces on Mars
• Upon completion of this mode, the sprawling shooter develops into an interwoven web of single-player, co-op and multiplayer content – an idea both radical and innovative that nonetheless managed to feel natural and familiar
• In trusty jump ships, players get to fly everywhere and anywhere from solo story missions on one planet to PvE (player vs environment) Strikes alongside friends on another, to a few rounds of Crucible PvP (player vs player) carnage on a third planet, before setting off for the social space of the Tower

The Major Expansions

The Dark Below (December 2014)

• Destiny’s first ever DLC pack introduced the mysterious Eris Morn, who loaded Guardians up with new Bounties and packed them off to a fresh set of quests in order to battle the strengthening Hive hordes
• Included in the pack were new areas to the Earth and Moon, two extra Strikes and a brand new Raid deep inside the Moon’s Hellmouth, along with new loot and Crucible maps

House of Wolves (May 2015)

• House of Wolves’ six story missions saw Guardians strengthen ties with the Queen of The Awoken and begin the hunt for a band of once-loyal Fallen Wolves who betrayed the Queen and set up their own house
• House of Wolves introduced revisions to Destiny’s structure thanks to the Vestian Outpost (a new social area) and two entirely new game modes in the form of Prison of Elders and Trials of Osiris – the former an endgame alternative to Raids that threw players into randomised arenas of enemies

The Taken King (September 2015)

• A gigantic single-player campaign saw players embark on an adventure across unseen Earth levels, Martian moon Phobos and into the deepest part of the Dreadnaught tomb ship, all on the hunt for Oryx, the eponymous Taken King
• Four action-packed Strikes and a labyrinthine Raid helped boost Destiny’s mission count, while a trio of new Guardian subclasses (Hunter – Nightstalker; Warlock – Stormcaller; Titan – Sunbreaker) redefined the combat aspect

Rise of Iron (September 2016)

• As the franchise enters year three, Rise of Iron is set to kick-start another revolution, with a new single-player story centred on the ancient Iron Lords, a new Strike, new Raid, new social space called Felwinter Peak and the addition of the Plaguelands – a brand new corner of the Cosmodrome

• Splicers (Fallen tech-modified warriors), the Supremacy Crucible mode and private, custom Crucible matches are set to provide the proverbial cherry on top

The Modes

Both renowned and celebrated for its diverse offering, there is no shortage of game modes to spend hours enjoying, including;

Raids (6 players)

• Raids are what high-level players live for. Six-player fireteams are needed to tackle these trials of strength, smarts and communication, with the very best loot waiting for those who brave these brutal tests
• Unsure you have the time to wrap one up in a single sitting? Don’t worry, you can save and return to Raids-in-progress before they reset each week

Crucible (1-6 players)

• For those wanting to flex their competitive muscles, the Crucible offers 25 mins of diverse gameplay that can involve solo play or six-fireteam-strong fights

• Gameplay can involve a wide range of options including free-for-all Rumbles, Skirmishes intensive 3v3 Trials of Osiris

Social Space (1 player)

• Spotted a friend in one of the game’s social spaces? Even if you don’t have time to shoulder any missions, jump in to say hello and to break out a couple of impromptu dance moves while catching up on the latest gossip
• Or why not fine-tune your tactics for a planned Raid later on in the week? Just hanging out with friends is a staple part of the Destiny ecosystem

Top Moments

A Guardian Rises

• Your first steps into this world are breath-taking. Resurrected from an unknown fate, you follow your Ghost while fighting Fallen in corridors that twist through the Cosmodrome’s wall. On the other side? Old Russia’s nebulous sky emerges, explosions painting the view with light

Your First Raid

• You won’t have a clue. It will probably take you an hour just to open the first door. But then you’ll be booked thanks to a series of immaculate, intricate, winding environmental combat puzzles with logic that can only be understood from within. Destiny’s Raids are some of the finest FPS missions you’ll ever play

Guardian Football

• After an unsuccessful Crucible round, there’s real comfort in sloping back to the Tower with your mates and digging out Destiny’s football or floaty purple globe for a kick about. Slide-tackling friends and hoofing it over the railing is the ultimate catharsis

Dance Parties

• Impromptu jigs are not unusual in the Tower, and practically a requirement after felling gigantic bosses. From throwing the standard shapes to new emotes like the Carlton dance, it’s hard to beat the sheer joy of a Destiny hoedown with pals

Sparrow Races

• Wave goodbye to playing pretend with friends on our speedy vehicles on a Patrol; say hello to a real Sparrow Racing League event