Destiny 2: Renegades Review

PC

A flashy Star Wars-infused expansion that sparks debate over creativity, identity, and whether Bungie is boldly evolving, or shamelessly borrowing.

Reviewed by Rayan on  Dec 13, 2025

The long-running Destiny series' newest update is Destiny 2: Renegades. Its last installment, The Edge of Fate, didn't get very good reviews. This new part, which is based a lot on Star Wars lore, tries to make the game more fun. This expansion adds new places, weapons, and abilities, but it also brings a lot of the same problems that have been in the series for years.

Since Bungie is going through a lot of big changes, like a new way of being creative, it will be very hard for Renegades to bring the community back to life. Even with these problems, Destiny 2: Renegades has some fun parts, but they aren't enough to make the addition more than just a shallow copy of Star Wars.

Destiny 2: Renegades Review, PC, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

Renegades was released as part of the ongoing Fate story. It takes place after The Edge of Fate. But it doesn't have the power to make the game change in important ways. Renegades has some cool new mechanics and memorable moments, but it has trouble giving new and returning players stuff they will enjoy.

Players might want more from the game since it relies on features and goals that have been used before, and a story that seems too much like other stories.

Destiny 2: Renegades is an update that feels stuck in limbo; it never quite captures the magic of earlier releases like Forsaken or The Witch Queen. In this review, we'll go over the gameplay, story, and design that led to this disappointment.

At its core, Destiny 2: Renegades tries to make a story that combines the known Destiny world with things that are inspired by Star Wars. The story is about the Barant Imperium, which is led by the evil Dredgen Bael, a once-noble Guardian with a strong link to both the Light and the Darkness.

Bael's final goal is to fire the Nightfall, a terrible weapon that can kill all of the Guardians in the Last City but leave the rest of humanity unharmed. In this task, Drifter and a group of Guardians, including Eris Morn and the new Aunor, go on a desperate quest to stop Bael and find out what he's really up to.

The biggest problem with the story is that it doesn't include anything new or interesting. Instead of adding to the deep lore that Destiny is famous for, Renegades goes over things that are already known. Characters such as Drifter, Eris Morn, and Eido are very important, but how they interact with each other feels reused and lacks the feeling it used to have.

The expansion adds some new groups, but they aren't developed enough for players to care about their goals or reasons. In the end, the story is just a setting for the gameplay, and it doesn't feel as interesting as stories in earlier expansions.

The gameplay in Destiny 2: Renegades is very similar to that of earlier games in the series, which is why it has become so popular in the looter shooting genre. Players can expect the same mix of first-person fighting, exploration, and loot-based progression that the series is known for. But there isn't much in Renegades to change things up, even though the core gameplay is still good.

The expansion adds new features, such as Renegade Abilities that let players summon cars and airstrikes, and new types of blasters that need to vent heat instead of reloading. These additions don't really change the core experience, even though they are nice.

The Lawless Frontier is a very important part of the game. It is a set of maps around which many of Renegade's actions are built. The Lawless Frontier has a mix of classic Destiny goals, like delivering packages, killing groups of enemies, and finishing tasks like carrying heavy things.

Destiny 2: Renegades Review, PC, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

These things are fun at first, but they quickly get old and start to get in the way of the more story-based tasks. Renegades feels stale because there aren't any new places or big changes to the gameplay loop. The expansion also adds new cars and tools that can be deployed.

These additions are fun, but they feel more like new toys than mechanics that change the way the game is played.

Combat is still one of the best things about Destiny 2, and Renegades is no different. As always, the shooting controls are precise and quick, and players can try out new kinds of weapons and skills. It is more fun to play now that blasters with heat features have been added because players have to deal with their weapons getting too hot and venting.

The Praxic Blade is a lightsaber-inspired weapon that is a great addition because it offers strong combos and damage reflection. But, even with these new mechanics, the feeling that Renegades doesn't have a lot of new ideas can't be totally masked.

The way you fight hasn't changed much since earlier updates. The new Renegade Abilities make the gameplay a little more interesting, but the tasks in Lawless Frontier are so similar that they start to feel less like an important part of the game and more like pointless busywork. The expansion gives off a feeling of deja vu because it relies on familiar goals and settings.

This is especially true when it is compared to past expansions like Forsaken or The Witch Queen, which had more fun and changing gameplay. None of the boss fights, even the last one with Bael, are very exciting or complicated, which is a big change from the memorable Destiny battles in the past.

On a good note, Destiny 2: Renegades still has great gunplay. Players can now try out new weapons and skills, especially the Praxic Blade and the heat-based blasters. The Renegade Abilities, such as sending vehicles and airstrikes, make the otherwise simple battle more fun and strategic.

But because there aren't any new features, Renegades feels more like the same thing as always. The Lawless Frontier tasks feel repetitive, and the bosses aren't very interesting, so even though the combat is good, it doesn't really change over time. Renegades is hard to tell apart from other expansions because it doesn't change the game in any big ways.

The XP system in Destiny 2: Renegades is similar to the one in earlier expansions. Players get experience points for completing tasks, activities, and objectives. As players move through the expansion, they can level up their Renegade Abilities, unlock new weapons, and make their characters unique.

The grind, on the other hand, gives less reward than it has in previous updates. Being able to rank up with different factions and get special rewards makes the game a little more interesting, but it often feels like a way to make people play for longer instead of giving them real growth. Since there aren't any new features or big changes to the XP grind, the experience feels more like a regular seasonal update than a real expansion.

Destiny 2: Renegades Review, PC, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

The update adds new challenges and activities, but the general grind is still mostly the same. To get better loot and level up, players have to complete the same tasks over and over. This might be okay for hardcore fans, but players looking for a more fun experience might not like it.

Renegades feels like a missed chance for more meaningful progression because the leveling system hasn't changed much, and the activities are very similar to each other.

Destiny 2: Renegades still looks great. The settings are well planned, with great lighting and detailed textures. They aren't anything new, though. The Lawless Frontier maps are based on famous places from Star Wars, like Tatooine and Hoth.

They look really good, but they aren't as new or well-made as the maps from earlier expansions. The character models are good, and the new groups look different from each other while still fitting in with the general look of the Destiny universe. The Praxic Blade is a very eye-catching weapon, especially with its glowing blade and complex movements.

But the growth does feel like a loss of originality. Renegades feels more like a rehash of old ideas because of its reused settings and environments heavily based on Star Wars. The visual style is fine, but it doesn't have the uniqueness and creativity that made previous expansions so well-known. Even though the game looks good, it doesn't feel new, which is a missed chance for a brand that has always been proud of making new kinds of games.

As always, the sound design in Destiny 2: Renegades is great. The voice acting is good, and the story feels more complex with the addition of new characters like Aunor and the return of voices we already know.

The expansion's music combines Destiny's famous orchestral style with minor Star Wars-like elements. It fits with the theme of the expansion and makes it feel like a movie, which makes the experience better. The sound effects, like those of the blaster guns and the Praxic Blade's roar, make the game more immersive and enjoyable.

But some of the voice acting and speech feel off, with times when characters say their lines in an awkward or out-of-place way. This can be hard to ignore, especially when trying to follow the story, and it takes away from the overall experience. Even though the sound design is good, the overall experience is hurt by the inconsistent voice acting and speech delivery.

Destiny 2: Renegades Review, PC, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

Destiny 2: Renegades is an update that has a hard time meeting the high expectations set by earlier games in the series. It feels like an old game, even though it has some fun parts, especially with the new guns and Renegade abilities. The story is based on Star Wars, but doesn't have an interesting plot, and there aren't any new Strikes, Crucible maps, or Raids.

The gameplay is good, but the expansion doesn't feel new because it doesn't add enough new features. Hardcore Destiny fans might like Renegades, but it doesn't do much to convince people who don't like the franchise that it's going in the right direction.

Azfar Rayan

Senior Editor, NoobFeed

Verdict

Destiny 2: Renegades offers some enjoyable moments, but its lack of innovation and reliance on recycled content make it feel like a missed opportunity. The expansion struggles to deliver a meaningful experience, leaving players yearning for more.

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