Bungie's Year of Prophecy is the biggest content calendar Destiny 2 has ever seen. This 10-month roadmap runs from May 2025 through March 2026 and introduces a completely new content structure built around the multi-year Fate Saga narrative.
Players get two major paid expansions, "The Edge of Fate" and "Renegades," plus two big free updates called "Ash and Iron" and "Shadow and Order." This approach ditches the traditional paid season model for a hybrid system that delivers blockbuster expansions and meaningful free content throughout the year.
Here's everything coming to Destiny 2 during the Year of Prophecy.
Rite of the Nine Got Things Started
The Year of Prophecy kicked off on May 6, 2025, with Rite of the Nine. This free event brought back the mysterious Nine faction while setting up the Fate Saga story foundation.
Three classic dungeons got complete makeovers: Prophecy, Spire of the Watcher, and Ghosts of the Deep. Each received Nine-themed visual updates, different mechanics, and new reward pools. Players reconnected with Orin, the Emissary of the Nine, who dropped crucial lore hints about "The Edge of Fate" expansion.
Special weapon variants and unique triumphs became available during the event. Bungie designed it for accessibility while giving endgame content to veterans and newcomers alike.
Heavy Metal Brought Vehicle Combat
The Heavy Metal event launched on May 9, 2025. While separate from the core Year of Prophecy roadmap, this limited-time mode split players into Team Tanks and Team Brig for vehicle fights.
The main reward was the Griffin Sparrow, a mount with actual combat abilities. That's the first time Destiny 2 vehicles have had offensive capabilities. The event's over now, but it might come back in future rotations given how popular it was.
"The Edge of Fate": July's Big Expansion
"The Edge of Fate" launches July 15, 2025, officially starting the Fate Saga with a massive campaign set on Kepler, a brand-new destination. The Nine take center stage as ancient forces wake up. Ikora Rey's back in the spotlight, joined by Lodi, a new character from distant space.
Dark Matter Changes Everything
Kepler introduces three new mechanics powered by dark matter energy.
Matter Spark turns Guardians into mobile energy spheres. Players roll through tight spaces, electrify enemies, and traverse terrain that normal movement can't handle.
Relocator Cannon uses dark matter and Void energy to teleport across maps. You're warping past obstacles and solving puzzles through positioning instead of traditional traversal.
Matter Morph lets you manipulate the environment directly. Need a new path? Change the terrain. Stuck on a puzzle? Reshape the world around you.
New Enemies and Tier 5 Weapons
The expansion brings mechanized Fallen units and modified Vex constructs. A new raid launches July 19, 2025. The loot system introduces Tier 5 weapons, a new weapon classification with customizable kill effects and shader treatments.
Pre-order options range from the Standard Edition (campaign, raid, rewards pass) to the Ultimate Edition. The Ultimate includes the returning No Land Beyond sniper rifle from Destiny 1 with full catalyst support.
Core Game Gets Major Updates
Destiny 2's core systems get big changes alongside "The Edge of Fate." While technically separate from Year of Prophecy content, these updates will define how the game feels going forward.
Portal UI Replaces the Director
The new Portal UI ditches the traditional Director for a clean activity hub. Jump into Fireteam Ops (strike-style missions), Pinnacle Ops (endgame co-op content), Solo Ops (quick solo missions), or Crucible Ops (PvP) all from one place.
50+ Modifiers and Armor 3.0
Over 50 gameplay modifiers (banes and boons) let players customize activity difficulty and rewards. Players can dial up enemy difficulty for better loot drops through specific modifier combinations.
Armor 3.0 means every piece of armor drops with max energy. No more grinding upgrade materials just to test a build. Character stats now matter beyond 100. You'll get overshields, increased ability damage, and faster energy regen.
Set bonuses add another layer. Specific armor combinations unlock powerful perks like kinetic shockwaves or speed boosts under certain conditions.
The Tower's getting a firing range too. Test builds, track DPS, and experiment with weapons in a raid-sized sandbox.
"Ash and Iron" Returns to the Plaguelands
The free "Ash and Iron" update hits September 9, 2025. It continues the Fate Saga by bringing players back to the Plaguelands from Destiny 1's Rise of Iron, completely reimagined for Destiny 2.
The centerpiece is Reclaim, a co-op mission where you fight spreading corruption. There's also a new exotic mission with lore, combat puzzles, and exclusive rewards. Two new exotic weapons tie into the update's story.
New Pinnacle Ops give hardcore PvE players something to dig into. Players who pre-ordered "Renegades" get their Star Wars-inspired exotic ships and emblems unlocked here.
"Renegades": Space-Western Expansion
"Renegades" launches December 2, 2025, as the year's second major expansion. This one takes heavy inspiration from Star Wars to create a space-western setting focused on lawless frontiers.
Bungie calls it a "definitive Destiny experience" that blends traditional campaigns with experimental mechanics. New faction dynamics, planetary settlements, and possibly new social systems are all on the table.
A new dungeon launches with the Lawless season. Bungie's keeping most details under wraps, but they're promising experimental content that'll push the saga forward into 2026 and beyond.
A full gameplay reveal drops in September 2025.
"Shadow and Order" Wraps the Year
"Shadow and Order" launches March 3, 2026, closing out the Year of Prophecy storyline while introducing more core gameplay updates. Details are limited, but expect continuation of "Renegades'" story threads, new free activities, and system improvements based on community feedback.
This update also sets up the next phase of the Fate Saga, transitioning into Summer 2026's "Shattered Cycle" expansion.
The New Annual Structure
The Year of Prophecy establishes Destiny 2's future content model. Each year will include two paid expansions, two free major updates, and free seasonal events with no paywalls.
Future Fate Saga expansions are already locked in:
- "Shattered Cycle" - Summer 2026
- "The Alchemist" - Winter 2026
Vault space increases and quality-of-life improvements arrive with "Renegades" in December.
What This Means for Players
The Year of Prophecy completely changes how Destiny 2 delivers content. Swapping paid seasons for big free updates plus major expansions addresses years of community complaints about content paywalls while maintaining the quality Destiny 2's known for.
The multi-year narrative approach through the Fate Saga shows Bungie's commitment to cohesive storytelling over episodic content drops. Combined with major system overhauls, this creates serious value for players while building a foundation for long-term engagement.
As the Fate Saga unfolds, expect deeper narratives, richer worlds, and meaningful evolution in both gameplay and storytelling. The Year of Prophecy establishes a new blueprint for Destiny 2 that'll shape how the game evolves for years to come.
