Destiny 2: Renegades launches December 2, 2025, and it’s the most obvious Star Wars tribute Bungie has ever created. The launch trailer dropped on November 24 during a developer livestream, revealing an expansion that transforms Guardians into outlaws working for criminal syndicates in a lawless frontier. Drifter is frozen in Stasis like Han Solo in carbonite. Praxic Blades work exactly like lightsabers. Blasters function as Star Wars-style laser pistols. The Barant Imperium is basically the First Order. And the entire experience is built around missions that feel pulled straight from The Mandalorian.
This isn’t a crossover. Luke Skywalker and Yoda won’t show up. But Bungie partnered with Lucasfilm Games to create a Destiny experience drenched in Star Wars aesthetics while staying within Destiny’s lore. The expansion introduces the Lawless Frontier, Bungie’s most ambitious activity yet, featuring 30-minute cooperative missions, PvEvP invasions, pocket Super abilities, and rotating high-stakes missions with the best loot in the game.
The Lawless Frontier Changes Everything
Lawless Frontier is the featured activity for Renegades, and it operates on a dedicated destination map separate from the rest of Destiny 2. Players choose between Mars, Venus, and Europa locations, each with two distinct maps. Three mission types are available: Bounty Hunt, Sabotage, and Smuggle. Each mission has multiple stages, a 30-minute timer, and difficulty that scales the longer you survive.
Unlike standard Destiny activities where you respawn endlessly, Lawless Frontier uses limited health regeneration similar to Episode Heresy’s The Nether. You collect health pickups from defeated enemies or rely on abilities and teammates to survive. This creates tension missing from most Destiny content, where death is a minor inconvenience rather than a real threat.
The gameplay loop works like extraction shooters. Complete objectives, grab loot, call in extraction, and survive the final onslaught to escape with your rewards. Die before extracting and you lose everything. The longer you stay in a mission, the harder it gets but the better the rewards. This risk-reward balance creates emergent decision-making where teams debate whether to push for one more objective or extract before things go sideways.
Renegade Abilities Are Pocket Supers
Renegade Abilities are a separate loadout of powerful tools you use via a dedicated button during Lawless Frontier missions. These aren’t your standard Guardian abilities. They’re what Bungie calls “pocket Supers” – massive game-changers that can swing entire encounters. Options include strafing runs from aircraft, Cabal drop pods delivering ammo and support, deployable Behemoth walkers, deflector shields, and more.
You unlock and upgrade Renegade Abilities through three criminal syndicates operating in Tharsis Outpost: the Spider’s network, the Drifter’s crew, and a third group not yet fully revealed. Each syndicate offers unique abilities and rewards. Completing missions for a syndicate increases your reputation, unlocking higher-tier abilities and better loot. The progression system encourages playing with all three factions to maximize your arsenal.
Contested Territory and PvEvP Invasions
The endgame for Lawless Frontier introduces Contested Territory missions and Invasions. Contested Territory rotates daily, with all three syndicates fighting over specific zones. These missions offer the highest difficulty and best rewards, but they also enable PvEvP invasions from other players.
Invaders use Deathmark tokens to set their rewards, select their own Renegade Ability loadout, and drop into an active Lawless Frontier mission. Their objective: get six kills or three kills plus three crests within five minutes using three lives. If the invader succeeds, they extract with premium rewards. If defenders kill the invader, they gain extended mission time, revives, and extractables that convert into bonus loot.
The invasion system brings Gambit’s PvEvP concept into a full activity. Unlike Gambit where invasions interrupt the match flow, Lawless Frontier invasions feel organic. You’re focused on objectives when another Guardian drops in hunting your fireteam. The limited lives and timer create genuine tension for both sides. Invaders can’t play recklessly, and defenders must balance fighting enemies while dealing with a skilled player trying to wipe them.
The Story: Drifter Frozen and A New Dredgen
Renegades picks up after Edge of Fate, where the Drifter’s past caught up to him. He’s now frozen in Stasis, a direct homage to Han Solo’s carbonite fate. A new Cabal faction called the Barant Imperium has risen to power, led by brutal warlords who believe the time of Guardians as shepherds of humanity is over. They’re building a weapon capable of threatening Sol, and the only way to stop them is working with the criminal underworld.
The trailer introduces Dredgen Hope (or Dredgen Bael depending on sources), a character radiating Darth Revan energy. The Dredgen were corrupted Guardians who embraced Darkness during Destiny 1’s lore. Now one has returned with a vision from the Nine showing a future that can’t be shaken. This Dredgen represents what Guardians could become if they fully embrace the Darkness side of their powers.
The Praxic Order plays the Jedi role in this Star Wars tribute. They’re the disciplined Light-bound peacekeepers trying to maintain order. But the situation is too dire for traditional Guardian methods. Players must work with smugglers, pirates, and crime lords in Tharsis Outpost to gain the power needed to take down the Imperium. It’s shady backroom deals, unsavory jobs, and double-crosses all the way down.
Star Wars Gear Without the Star Wars License
Renegades introduces two new weapon types that are absolutely Star Wars weapons wearing a Destiny disguise. Praxic Blades are energy swords that function exactly like lightsabers, complete with distinctive humming sounds and laser sword visuals. The trailer showed a black-bladed Praxic Blade that’s clearly referencing the Darksaber from The Mandalorian.
Blasters work like Star Wars laser pistols, firing energy bolts with that distinctive pew-pew sound. They’re described as precision weapons that reward accuracy over spray-and-pray tactics. Both weapon types integrate into Destiny’s damage system and mod slots, meaning they’re not just cosmetic novelties but viable endgame weapons with unique perks and rolls.
The Exotic ship shown in promotional materials looks like it flew straight out of an X-Wing squadron. Armor sets and cosmetics lean heavily into the space western aesthetic that defines both Star Wars and this expansion. Even the environments evoke specific Star Wars locations: Europa as Hoth, Mars as Tatooine, and sections of Savathun’s Throne World resembling Dagobah’s swamps.
Equilibrium Dungeon Launches December 13
The new dungeon Equilibrium releases on December 13, 2025 at 9 AM PT, eleven days after the expansion launch. The dungeon features a Pyramid structure and an assault on a Barant Imperium vessel. Based on the trailer reveal, the dungeon involves fighting through heavily fortified Cabal positions while dealing with mechanics tied to the Nine.
Lore YouTuber My Name is Byf analyzed the dungeon trailer and identified connections to Six, one of the Nine working with the Barant Imperium and Dredgen Bael. Six is associated with Saturn and described as the most aggressive member of the Nine. The dungeon likely explores why a member of the Nine would ally with a Cabal splinter faction trying to overthrow Guardian authority.
Bungie will host an official Dungeon Race stream on December 13, letting top teams compete for world-first completion. Expect brutal mechanics, tight DPS checks, and puzzle sections that require perfect coordination. The Barant Imperium uses suppressive fire and arena control tactics that make them more dangerous than standard Cabal forces.
Tharsis Outpost Social Space
Tharsis Junction on Mars has transformed into Tharsis Outpost, a thriving black market social space controlled by criminal syndicates. This is where you accept missions, interact with the three syndicate leaders, purchase weapons and gear, and manage your Renegade Ability loadouts. The Vanguard has been too busy saving the universe to pay attention to Tharsis, letting it evolve into the heart of Sol’s criminal underworld.
Unlike the Tower where Guardians represent order and Light, Tharsis Outpost embraces chaos and moral ambiguity. You’re not doing jobs because they’re right. You’re doing them because they pay well and increase your influence. The social space design reflects this with darker lighting, more aggressive NPC dialogue, and vendors who treat Guardians as contractors rather than heroes.
Community Reactions Are Cautiously Optimistic
The Reddit and forum reactions to Renegades range from excited to skeptical. Players who loved Forsaken’s darker tone and morally gray storytelling are thrilled about embracing the outlaw fantasy. Others worry Bungie is chasing trends after Edge of Fate disappointed with thin content and dropping player counts.
The Star Wars inspiration divides opinion. Some players appreciate the clear homage and think Lucasfilm partnership validates the crossover aesthetic. Others feel it’s derivative and wish Bungie would focus on original Destiny ideas rather than recreating another franchise’s vibe. The lack of actual Star Wars characters or story connections keeps it from being a true crossover, which frustrates fans hoping for something more substantial.
Concerns about player population remain high. Destiny 2 hit historic low player counts after Edge of Fate, dropping over 80 percent on Steam since The Final Shape. Renegades needs to deliver substantial content and replayable activities to bring lapsed players back. The Lawless Frontier’s ambitious design could be the hook that works, but only if the loot, progression, and mission variety justify grinding for months.
FAQs
When does Destiny 2: Renegades release?
Destiny 2: Renegades launches December 2, 2025 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. The Equilibrium dungeon releases eleven days later on December 13, 2025 at 9 AM PT.
Is Renegades a Star Wars crossover?
No, it’s not an official Star Wars crossover. Bungie partnered with Lucasfilm Games to create Star Wars-inspired aesthetics, weapons, and themes within Destiny’s lore. No Star Wars characters appear, and the story stays within Destiny’s universe.
What is Lawless Frontier?
Lawless Frontier is Renegades’ featured activity, offering 30-minute cooperative missions across Mars, Venus, and Europa. Players complete Bounty Hunt, Sabotage, and Smuggle missions while using Renegade Abilities and extracting loot before dying.
Does Renegades have PvP?
Renegades introduces PvEvP through Contested Territory missions and Invasions. Players can invade active missions using Deathmark tokens, hunt down defenders for premium rewards, and create high-stakes encounters mixing PvE and PvP combat.
What are Praxic Blades?
Praxic Blades are new energy sword weapons that function like Star Wars lightsabers. They feature distinctive visuals, humming sounds, and integrate into Destiny’s damage system as viable endgame weapons with unique perks.
What are Renegade Abilities?
Renegade Abilities are powerful tools described as “pocket Supers” that include strafing runs, Cabal drop pods, Behemoth walkers, and deflector shields. They’re unlocked through three criminal syndicates and upgrade via reputation grinding.
Where is Tharsis Outpost?
Tharsis Outpost is a new social space on Mars that replaced Tharsis Junction. It’s the criminal underworld headquarters where players accept missions, interact with syndicate leaders, and purchase gear for Lawless Frontier activities.
Do I need The Edge of Fate to play Renegades?
Bungie hasn’t confirmed whether Edge of Fate is required, but Renegades continues the story from that expansion. Destiny 2 expansions typically work as standalone purchases, though owning previous content provides context.
Conclusion
Destiny 2: Renegades is the most ambitious swing Bungie has taken since The Witch Queen. The Lawless Frontier activity promises the kind of high-stakes, replayable content that Destiny needs to retain players beyond the campaign honeymoon period. PvEvP invasions bring genuine tension missing from standard strikes and dungeons. Renegade Abilities add a new progression system that could provide long-term goals. And the Star Wars aesthetic, while derivative, at least commits fully to the space western fantasy rather than half-assing the tribute. Whether Renegades saves Destiny 2 from its historic player count crash depends entirely on execution. If the missions feel repetitive after a week, the loot isn’t worth grinding for, or the invasions become griefing nightmares, this expansion will join Edge of Fate as another disappointment in Destiny’s troubled Year 8. But if Bungie nailed the balance between challenge, rewards, and replayability, Lawless Frontier could become Destiny’s most played activity since Forsaken’s Dreaming City. December 2 will answer those questions. Until then, all we can do is watch the launch trailer and hope Bungie remembered what made Destiny great: freedom, power fantasy, and activities worth repeating for months. May the Light be with you, Guardian. Or the Dark side. Whatever pays better in the Lawless Frontier.