Destiny 2 Dungeons in 2024: Ranked & Rewards

Raids have always been considered some of the best content Destiny 2 offers, but rounding up five other Guardians for over an hour can be difficult. That’s where dungeons come in: they’re a perfect combination between the mechanics of raids and the ease of access of Nightfalls.

There’s a lot to learn about dungeons. They have unique loot, complex puzzles, and vary significantly in difficulty. This article will cover what dungeon is featured this week, what unique loot you can obtain, and how each dungeon ranks against its competition.

Destiny 2 Weekly Dungeon

Similar to raids, dungeons have a weekly rotation system in place. One dungeon becomes infinitely farmable each week and grants a piece of Pinnacle gear upon completion. The official Destiny 2 Dungeon this week is (you can find the entire Raid and dungeon rotation here):

Destiny 2 Dungeon Rotation

Destiny 2 Dungeon Weapons this week

Dungeon loot is always top-tier and is sometimes even more unique than its raid counterparts. In fact, both Duality and Spire of the Watcher released entirely new legendary weapon frames. These are the featured Dungeon weapons this week:

In addition to legendary weapons, Dungeons offer unique armor sets, emblems, cosmetics, and exotics. Loot tables for each Dungeon can be found here.

All Destiny 2 Dungeons in order

These are all the Destiny 2 Dungeons available today:

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While a significant amount of raids were removed from the game in 2020 due to the Destiny Content Vault, no dungeons have been affected thus far. That means there are currently 6 dungeons in Destiny 2, many of which provide entirely unique loot.

Destiny 2 free Dungeons

One dungeon, Prophecy, doesn’t require any purchase of expansions or seasons to play. If you’re looking to experience a dungeon as a free-to-play Guardian, Prophecy is the way to go.

Destiny 2 Dungeons Ranked by Difficulty in 2024

Ranked purely on difficulty, here’s our tier list of dungeons from easiest to hardest:

Easiest Destiny 2 Dungeon

The easiest dungeon in Destiny 2 is, by far, Shattered Throne. The first dungeon Bungie released, Shattered Throne, is a relic of the past. The mechanics don’t hold up today, offering little combat challenge.

Pit of Heresy and Grasp of Averice are also relatively simple, but they do involve much more of a combat challenge.

The best dungeon in Destiny 2?

Difficulty isn’t everything—fun factor, uniqueness, and loot matter too! So, with all aspects considered, how do the dungeons compare? Let’s take a look.

8. Shattered Throne

Shattered Throne felt like a test run for what the “dungeon” category of activities has developed into today. It was remarkable for its time, but it just doesn’t hold up now.

Why is that? Well, the biggest reason is its loot. Besides a handful of cosmetics, Shattered Throne utilizes the same loot pool as generic Dreaming City activities. Sure, some weapons are keepers, but there aren’t any must-haves. And even if there were, farming Blind Well would probably be more efficient. Shattered Throne also doesn’t hold up gameplay-wise. With few mechanics and combat encounters that have turned into cakewalks, the dungeon is a trip down memory lane more than anything else.

Visuals and environment also aren’t the most enticing here. While the sheer size of some rooms feels like they only could exist in the Destiny franchise, there isn’t anything visually complex about the Ascendant Plane.

Don’t get us wrong; like all other endgame activities, Shattered Throne is a fantastic experience. But this one leaves a bit to be desired compared to other dungeons.

💠 You can find the definitive Destiny 2 Shattered Throne Loot Table here.

7. Pit of Heresy

Released with Shadowkeep in 2019, Pit of Heresy was the second dungeon to enter Destiny 2. Was it an improvement to Shattered Throne? In some ways, definitely.

The main thing that stands out here is the visuals and environments. The first encounter takes place on a cliff of a seemingly-bottomless pit, while the final encounter has you battling inside it. For the relatively-boring textures that Bungie used in making these environments (just rockwork and generic hive structures), Pit of Heresy is stunning.

While the mechanics aren’t anything special, they’re more engaging than Shattered Throne. Pit of Heresy revolves around the Hive Sword relic weapon and uses it in ways we’ve never seen before. Loot, however, isn’t any better. Like Shattered Throne uses the Dreaming City loot pool, Pit of Heresy uses the Moon’s.

Pit of Heresy is definitely worth running if you have Shadowkeep. No, it won’t give you much useful gear, but seeing the pit and getting squished by spike rollers never gets old.

💠 You can find the definitive Destiny 2 Pit of Heresy Loot Table here.

6. Grasp of Averice

Whether you like Grasp of Averice or Spire of the Watcher more than the other comes down to personal preference, but we decided to put Grasp slightly lower on our list. Here’s why.

Starting with the positives, this dungeon is just a joy to run. From a sparrow race accompanied by swashbuckling music to using dead servitors as cannonballs, there’s no end to Grasp’s uniqueness. And with spike traps around every corner, the jumping puzzle segments will keep you on your toes, too.

The two main problems with Grasp of Averice are the loot and mechanics. While it has its fair share of S-Tier picks (including its exotic, Gjallarhorn), there isn’t much unique about any of the legendary weapons. The mechanics here aren’t too great either, primarily consisting of things we’ve seen before: picking up items enemies drop, and scorch cannons.

Grasp of Averice is an incredible experience and ranks miles above Pit and Shattered Throne. But compared to some of its competition, we can’t put it above average.

💠 You can find the definitive Destiny 2 Grasp of Avarice Loot Table here.

5. Spire of the Watcher

Season of the Seraph’s addition to the growing list of dungeons, Spire of the Watcher takes place on Mars. Along with Osiris, you’ll stop the Vex from gaining access to a pillory bunker.

You’ll need to repower some old machinery on the site through wires scattered around encounters. This mechanic, albeit creative, gets slightly bland run after run. The nodes on the wires never change position or order, which can create a sense of repetitiveness. That said, some people like this! It allows you to get better at the dungeon every time you play it and often results in each run being quicker than the last.

Mechanics aside, the main thing players are talking about here is the loot. Each class gets an armor piece with a cowboy hat (helmet for Titans and Warlocks, a cloak for Hunters), and the dungeon offers a legendary scout rifle that fires similarly to Dead Man’s Tale. The encounters themselves are also some of the best that dungeons have to offer. All three are fast-paced, high-action, and fun with some friends.

While Spire of the Watcher doesn’t have the more complex mechanics or meta loot, there’s no denying that its fast-paced nature and cowboy-theming puts it above most other dungeons.

💠 You can find the definitive Destiny 2 Spire of the Watcher Loot Table here.

4. Ghosts of the Deep

Perhaps the dungeon with the widest array of opinions on it in the game, Ghosts of the Deep easily has the least definite ranking on this list.

Beginning with the good, some of the environments in Ghosts are absolutely gorgeous. Not only that, but the loot here is some of the best in the game. Cold Comfort and The Navigator are extremely strong options for PvE, while New Pacific Epitaph is rather unique (being a wave frame grenade launcher in the kinetic slot). Ghosts of the Deep is also the most mechanically complex dungeon, making it a challenging yet fun experience that blurs the line between raid and dungeon activities.

However, all of these strengths come with some considerable weaknesses. The most common critique of Ghosts is that the transitions between encounters are far too long. Especially with the first one relying heavily on the underwater mechanic released with Season of the Deep, these sections kill all momentum the individual encounters attempt to build up.  The other large criticism Ghosts of the Deep receives is that the boss health pools are way too beefy (especially considering the shields you need to destroy to begin damage). While this one is more subjective, it can also make the activity drag on longer than desired.

While extremely polarizing, we believe the dungeon deserves to be in the top half of this list. However, in the end, Ghosts of the Deep is something you should experience firsthand to generate your own opinion on it.

💠 You can find the definitive Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep Loot Table here.

3. Duality

While it previously took the top slot on this list, Duality now only breaks the top three. The reason for this is surprisingly simple: Bungie continues to consistently top themselves with every new release.

Regardless, Duality still holds up. With relatively complex mechanics that are also refreshingly unforgiving, this dungeon easily stands out among its competition. Plus, the loot from Duality isn’t half bad either; while they’re both now somewhat outclassed by newer options, Stormchaser and Unforgiven still aren’t bad picks if you’re just getting into the game. And while it may not be the best, Heartshadow is a unique sword that can excel with most Void 3.0 builds.

The most popular criticism Duality has received over the years is its large amount of bugs. While they’ve subsided over the years, there are still times when you’ll need to wipe because a mechanic simply refuses to function.

Duality has inarguably begun to show its age, especially regarding loot. Even so, it’s still one of the most complex and interesting dungeons to date.

💠 You can find the definitive Destiny 2 Duality Loot Table here.

2. Prophecy

The free-to-play dungeon mentioned earlier, Prophecy has almost everything you could ask for in a dungeon experience.

Let’s start with what most people view as the highlight of this dungeon: its visuals. From the sparrow section across giant ribbons to the neon highlights featured everywhere, every single environment in this activity is stunning. We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention the second and third encounters, which rotate their rooms as you progress (making what once was the wall now the floor).

Prophecy also has arguably the best music out of all the dungeons, fitting each encounter perfectly. The massive downside with this one is the loot. Especially now that the IKELOS weapons are craftable, there are few (if any) must-have weapons from Prophecy.

This dungeon is such a great experience, and you can play it for free right now. While the loot you get may not be the greatest, simply playing Prophecy is worth it. It’s an activity that can only exist in the Destiny franchise, meshing so much of the game’s strengths together.

💠 You can find the definitive Destiny 2 Prophecy Loot Table here.

1. Warlord’s Ruin

Currently our favorite dungeon Destiny 2 has to offer, Warlord’s Ruin has a nice balance between everything you’d expect from a dungeon experience.

Set in a medieval castle now occupied by a chimera representing the vengeance of a dark age wish dragon, Warlord’s Ruin seamlessly combines a host of genres in a way that only the Destiny franchise can. The music and art direction are also spot on, as always. It’s also worth mentioning that all three encounters in the dungeon feature bosses, making it one of the most expertly paced activities in the game.

Despite all this, Warlord’s Ruin does have downsides. The one felt by most players is the lack of top-tier loot we’ve come to expect from new dungeon releases. While the rocket-assisted sidearm frame was a nice surprise, nothing else has caught the community’s attention.

Arguments can be made for any of the dungeons to be at the top of this list since it’s highly subjective and completely up to personal preference. Each dungeon has its strengths, but overall, we believe that Warlord’s Ruin hasn’t been matched by its competition.

💠 You can find the definitive Destiny 2 Warlord’s Ruin Loot Table here.

How do you complete dungeons in Destiny 2?

Now that we’ve covered each dungeon’s strengths, how do you complete one? These activities are known to be some of the hardest in the game, so being well-equipped can be beneficial. Here are some tips for completing your first Destiny 2 dungeon:

1. Find a team: Whether you ask your clan, LFG, or use Bungie’s companion app, finding a team is the first step. Bungie does ensure that each dungeon is soloable, but doing this for your first time can be rough. So don’t be afraid to make new friends and experience your first dungeon as a team! If you want to spend some extra time exploring environments or learning mechanics, make sure to specify that you’re new in the post.

2. Find a guide beforehand: Especially if you’ve had no previous raid or dungeon experience, the mechanics contained in one can be overwhelming. To reduce this stress, find a guide on how each encounter works before you look for a team. If you want to try Prophecy first, check out our guide here!

3. Have fun! As with all activities in Destiny 2, the primary goal is to have fun. Luckily, dungeons aren’t nearly as difficult as raids, meaning you can run whatever weapons or build you enjoy using. Assuming you found the right team willing to take their time, your first dungeon should be an unforgettable experience.

Before you go…

Dungeons are often the first taste of endgame content New Lights get. They’re an excellent step between Nightfalls and raids while also giving you unique loot and experiences. Once you’ve mastered Destiny 2’s dungeons, be sure to check out our complete guide on raids!