When Destiny 2 went free-to-play in September 2019, it injected new life into an otherwise declining franchise. With most free-to-play players now coming to the end of the available free content, they’re asking if the new expansion is worth their time. And whether they can get it without paying.
In this article, we’ll find out if they are ways to get Destiny 2 Shadowkeep for free, and if not, is it worth buying.
Can You Get Shadowkeep for Free?
That depends. If you’re asking if you can unlock the related items and missions in game, then no. In order to get all the missions, skis, and other dlc associated items, you need to buy it. If you’re asking if you can get the actual expansion for free, then there are several ways.
The first would be to wait for giveaways. This has happened several times before, especially during the time of its launch back in October 2019. It’s a longshot to win one, but it is possible. There’s always a chance that Bungie could decide to do another giveaway, especially now that the game has been out for a while.
The second would be to get the game for free indirectly. This means relying on promotions made by either digital or physical stores. Shadowkeep is sold by several retailers, including Steam. Steam Sales do happen quite often, and you’d be surprised at the number of discounts you can get.
You can build up Steam Wallet Credit without spending money. A majority of games on Steam, even the free ones, have cards that can be traded for credit. Along with items you can earn during events, selling these can slowly add up. If you time your purchase with a sale, then you can get the dlc at a discount. Although this isn’t really getting it for free, you technically didn’t spend anything but time to get it.
If you’re willing to spend a little more than zero to get Shadowkeep, you can also wait for it to come out in a Humble Bundle. The Humble Bundle is a site that offers a bunch of games in a pay-what-you-want scheme. They’ll group a number of games together, and you can pay as low as a dollar for all of it. Pay over a certain amount then more games will be added.
Humble Bundle has several promos like this available, which change all the time. There’s a good chance that Shadowkeep may come up, as they’ve done Destiny 2 bundles before. It’s not exactly free, but at the price that they offer certain games, it may as well be.
What Does Destiny 2 Offer Without the Shadowkeep Expansion?
When Bungie Entertainment got the IP of Destiny 2 back from Activision, they decided to go the free-to-play route. When they released the game as Destiny 2: New Light, they pretty much gave everyone the whole game as it was currently available. This meant all missions, including the already released dlc’s Curse of Osiris, and Warmind. They also gave free players a bit of the, then newly released, expansion Forsaken.
All in all, even without Shadowkeep, you’re looking at hours upon hours of gameplay. You can take the time that you’re going through the core content to decide whether or not getting the expansion is worth it.
What Does Shadowkeep Add to the Core Game?
As with any mmorpg expansion, Shadowkeep adds a lot of the same content, albeit with an upgrade. New enemies, items, and locations are to be expected. There’re also new story missions, and further progress related to the game’s lore.
Shadowkeep has a new campaign, along with the development of the Moon as a setting, in comparison to the first game. It has new Dungeons, a new Raid, and advancement of current armor. It also offers several tweaks to gameplay, like finishing moves, and a PvP overhaul.
If you love Destiny 2 and want more of it, then Shadowkeep has it in droves. If the core game has failed to impress you, then unfortunately Shadowkeep isn’t likely to change your mind. Feel free to try out the original content, it is free to play after all. If, at the end of it, when you reach the point that you need the expansion, you can probably decide it’s worth the effort to get it for free, or to pay for it then and there.
More Effort Than Expected
Long time players of Destiny 2, whether premium or free-to-play, are sure to enjoy the content that Shadowkeep provides. Trying to get the expansion for free though may take a bit more patience, or effort, than you’d expect.
Without a direct way to get Shadowkeep in game, you’re going to have to rely on other methods available. So, do you know of any ways on how to get Destiny 2 Shadowkeep for free? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
