Looking back from 2026, it's wild to think how Destiny 2 has transformed. I remember jumping in as a New Light, feeling that initial thrill, only to hit those infamous rough patches. Bungie stuck with it though, through nearly two dozen seasons of highs and lows. Some were absolute bangers that changed the game forever, while others... well, let's just say the community morale hit rock bottom. As a Guardian who's lived through most of it (I missed the very early days, okay?), here's my personal take on ranking these seasons. It's a story of redemption, missteps, and moments that had us all screaming at our screens—for better or worse.

23. Curse Of Osiris

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-0

Oh boy, where do I even start? This was Season 2, back in Year 1. Honestly? It felt like a slap in the face. This is one of the few times where buying a DLC actually locked other players OUT of content they already had. Can you imagine? If you didn't pay up, say goodbye to Prestige Nightfalls and Leviathan for a while. The new stuff on Mercury was... meh. And don't get me started on The Dawning event that year—turning normal engrams into festive ones and hiding most cool cosmetics behind real money? Not a good look. This era was, hands down, the community's collective lowest point. We were not happy campers.

22. Season Of The Undying

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-1

This was the first season of the new "quarterly model" alongside Shadowkeep. The idea was exciting! The execution? Ehh. We got the Vex Offensive, a six-player activity. It was fun for a hot minute, but the activity itself was nothing spectacular. It felt like the definition of "filler" content. The Season Pass rewards and getting Eriana's Vow were nice, but they couldn't carry the whole season. It was generic, forgettable, and showed that this new model had some kinks to work out.

21. Season Of The Hunt

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-2

Launched with Beyond Light. Gameplay-wise? Super barebones. The Wrathborn Hunts were repetitive, and there were only a few new guns to chase, most being pretty mid. This wouldn't have stung so bad if Beyond Light hadn't also introduced sunsetting. That system, which put an expiration date on our favorite gear, combined with a thin loot pool, made Year 4 start on a real sour note. BUT! The narrative saved it. Watching Uldren Sov's journey as the Crow, breaking free and finding his place? Chef's kiss. The Harbinger mission was also fantastic. So, it partially redeemed its gameplay sins through story. A classic case of good story, lackluster play.

20. Season Of The Worthy

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-3

If you played during this time, you just felt a collective sigh across the system. This season was a low point for community morale. Let me list the grievances:

  • Trials of Osiris returned... full of cheaters and bad loot.

  • Grandmaster Nightfalls debuted with rewards that weren't worth the pain.

  • Progress was all about grinding bounties. So. Many. Bounties.

  • Bungie had to do a full progress rollback due to server issues—a first!

  • And the cherry on top: the announcement of content sunsetting.

The Seventh Seraph weapons were underwhelming. The only bright spot was the introduction of Warmind Cells, but that wasn't enough. This season made Curse of Osiris feel less like an outlier and more like a pattern. We were tired.

19. Season Of The Drifter

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-4

This one was for the Gambit enjoyers... and almost nobody else. It introduced Gambit Prime, which was actually a faster, more role-focused version of Gambit. Cool idea! But it catered to such a niche audience that most players simply didn't engage. The PvE activity, Reckoning, was slammed as repetitive and not rewarding enough. If you weren't all-in on the Drifter's vibe, you were kinda left out. The massive saving grace? The Zero Hour mission to get the iconic Outbreak Perfected. That mission alone gives this season a pass from being lower on the list.

18. Season Of The Deep

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-5

An experimental season that, frankly, didn't land. By this point in the Lightfall era, seasonal fatigue wasn't just setting in—it had moved in and unpacked its bags. The story weekly updates dragged, only to drop a crucial cutscene that should have been in the Lightfall campaign itself. Asking players to buy a season to understand the expansion's plot? Oof. Tone-deaf.

The activity, Deep Dive, had roguelike elements that were too minor to matter, and matchmaking became a nightmare because everyone had different goals. It felt like it was built for a Fireteam Finder tool that didn't exist yet. A swing and a miss on almost all fronts.

17. Season Of The Plunder

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-6

Yarrr, it was a pirate season! And it was... aggressively okay. Ketchcrash (a six-player ship raid) and Expeditions were fine, but the formula was getting stale. The upgrade grid felt samey, and weapon crafting grind was frustrating. The saving grace of this season was the return of King's Fall. Bringing back that iconic raid with updated weapons and mechanics was a huge win. Plus, the Arc 3.0 subclass overhaul was phenomenal. So, while the seasonal core was mediocre, the supporting acts carried it hard.

16. Destiny 2 Launch (Season 1)

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-7

The beginning! The Red War campaign was a blast, and exploring those four new planets felt amazing. For a few glorious weeks, it was the perfect onboarding experience. Then... we hit the wall. A few weeks in, fans realized there was nothing to do. No random rolls on gear killed the loot chase. Cosmics were overwhelmingly locked behind Eververse. And then we found out Bungie was throttling our XP gains to limit free loot boxes. The community backlash was fierce. It set a shaky foundation that the next season, Curse of Osiris, would nearly collapse entirely.

15. Season Of Defiance

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-8

Launching with Lightfall, this season was... there. We fought to save civilians on Earth, which felt noble, but it did nothing to explain the Shadow Legion or the Witness's confusing plans from the main expansion. It was essentially a loot refresh and more Battlegrounds. Not bad, not great. Just... fine. The Vexcalibur mission was solid but lived in the shadow of legends like The Whisper. The definition of forgettable.

14. Season Of The Risen

destiny-2-s-wild-ride-ranking-the-seasons-from-my-guardian-s-perspective-image-9

Now this is how you launch a season with an expansion! Kicking off The Witch Queen era, Risen had a great three-player activity (PsiOps Battlegrounds) and a fantastic, challenging Exotic mission, Vox Obscura. But the real star of the show? Void 3.0. This overhaul completely transformed the Void subclasses, giving us insane power and build-crafting freedom with the new Aspects and Fragments system. It was a game-changer that gave every Guardian, whether they owned the new expansion or not, a massive reason to log in and experiment. A strong, confident start to a great year.