Destiny 2 Shadowkeep guide: All the new activities, Exotics, and more explained

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is a smaller expansion than Forsaken, but it's still a massive addition to the game that's packed with new content and systemic changes. More so than previous expansions, Shadowkeep was designed to roll out over the entire season - in this case, the Season of the Undying - with new content and difficulty tiers arriving at regular intervals. That said, there's already a ton do, so we've rounded up everything you need to know about Destiny 2: Shadowkeep in one place.  

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep product details 

After a minor delay, Shadowkeep was released on October 1, 2019 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (exclusively on Steam). It launched alongside Destiny 2 New Light, the new free-to-play entry point for the game (more on that below). The base version of the game costs $35 and comes with the season pass for the Season of the Undying. The $60 Digital Deluxe Edition also comes with passes for the next three seasons, which would normally cost $10 each.  

Check out the full Destiny 2: Shadowkeep roadmap 

(Image credit: Bungie)

As you can see from the updated content roadmap, Shadowkeep is still missing a few critical pieces, including multiple Exotic quests, the evolution of the Vex Offensive, max difficulty Nightmare Hunts, and the new Moon dungeon.  

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep review-in-progress 

Because new content is rolling out every week, we haven't given Shadowkeep a final review yet. However, we're updating our review-in-progress every week to give you some idea of how things are going, and we'll have a final review up soon. 

Destiny 2 New Light explained 

Destiny 2 New Light is a free basic version of Destiny 2 designed to give new players a way to sample the core content without investing any money. We've put together a full guide outlining all the free content and how to make the most of it.  

Destiny 2 Armor 2.0 explained 

Shadowkeep introduced an all-new way to customize your Guardian: Destiny 2 Armor 2.0. This system is more flexible and specific than the armor rolls of yore, and it can get a little confusing at times, so we've outlined the most important points.  

(Image credit: Bungie)

The Destiny 2 Season Pass explained  

The Season of the Undying is the first to use the Destiny 2 Season Pass model, which is basically an evolution of the Annual Pass spliced with the Battle Passes of games like Apex Legends and Fortnite. We've rounded up the price, content, and rewards attached to the season eight pass here.  

The Destiny 2: Shadowkeep raid is the Garden of Salvation 

If you're looking for more details on the Destiny 2: Shadowkeep raid, we've got you covered. The Garden of Salvation was released on October 5, and players cleared it roughly six hours after its launch, but it still hides plenty of secrets.  

How to get all the new Shadowkeep Exotics

Here's a rolling list of all the Exotic quests available in Shadowkeep and how to complete them:

Deathbringer Destiny 2

Divinity Destiny 2

Where to find all the Essence items on the Moon 

Essences are new mini-quests which let you repeatedly farm specific armor and weapons from the Moon loot pool, and most of them require you to collect obscure items hidden around the Hive Hellmouth and beyond. We've prepared short visual guides showing exactly where to find these items. 

Destiny 2 Horned Wreath 

Destiny 2 Necromantic Strand

Destiny 2 Ethereal Charms

Destiny 2 Withered Plumes

Destiny 2 Captive Cord

Destiny 2 Fangs of Shun'gath 

(Image credit: Bungie)

How to unlock the Vex Offensive 

Apart from Essence quests, the main grind this season is Vex Offensive, a matchmade horde mode that's loaded with Vex. You have to unlock this activity through the Destiny 2 Eyes on the Moon quest, and it's not terribly obvious how, so we whipped a short guide for it.  

How to set up Destiny 2 cross save 

If you're looking to change platforms this expansion, or you're planning to play with friends on multiple platforms, be sure to hit up our Destiny 2 cross save guide for a step-by-step walkthrough of this godsend of a feature.  

How to migrate to the Destiny 2 Steam version 

If you play on PC and would like to continue doing so, you'll need to go through the Destiny 2 Steam transfer process. It isn't too difficult, but it is mandatory now that Destiny 2 has left Battle.net.  

Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with 12DOVE since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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