Destiny 2: Renegades is Inspired By Star Wars, But It’s Not a Star Wars Expansion [Hands-on Preview]

The new ‘Renegades’ expansion for Destiny 2 is clearly inspired by Star Wars, but you won’t actually see characters like C-3PO or Chewbacca in the game. While the expansion borrows heavily from the feel of George Lucas’s famous series, it doesn’t mention Star Wars directly.

Bungie intentionally kept the feel of Destiny consistent in this new experience, even though it takes a lot of inspiration from Star Wars. It’s actually quite striking how similar the two universes are, particularly the themes of good versus evil. However, players looking for a completely new direction for Destiny might be surprised. This release showcases Bungie’s strengths: a captivating story with memorable characters, and the excellent shooting mechanics the game is known for.

Going Hands On With Destiny 2’s Renegades Expansion

Game Rant recently got a chance to play a large portion of the upcoming Destiny 2: Renegades expansion. We tested out new weapons, completed the main story quest, and experienced the new exotic mission and Lawless Frontier activity. Bungie shared that they’re aiming to improve future content drops after some previous misses, and Renegades is their first effort to deliver a better experience for players.

A Story With Teeth

The recent ‘Renegades’ update suggests a positive future for Destiny 2. Without revealing any plot details, the main story missions deliver the large-scale conflicts the series is known for. It features great interactions between popular characters like The Drifter and Spider, and introduces new characters who will likely play important roles in Destiny 2‘s story going forward.

It’s interesting how much Destiny and Star Wars have in common, but the similarities really become clear when you look closely. For instance, the character Drifter feels a lot like Han Solo, and it works naturally. Similarly, Spider’s portrayal as a galactic crime boss is a perfect fit – it’s easy to believe Bungie intentionally drew inspiration from Jabba the Hutt. Renegades includes many nods to Star Wars without being a direct copy, with the Praxic Blade (resembling a lightsaber) and Behemoth (similar to an AT-ST) being the main exceptions.

Renegades delivers a classic Destiny 2 experience, reminiscent of the game’s strongest expansions. While the story has important consequences, they don’t reach the scale of the Final Shape expansion. Instead, it builds its own unique lore within a specific part of the Destiny 2 universe, featuring fitting characters and encouraging players to learn more about the world.

I especially enjoyed the character of Dredgen Bael; he’s one of the most compelling villains Destiny 2 has introduced. He reminds me a bit of Kylo Ren, perfectly embodying a powerful enemy who is both cruel and troubled. Bungie has created a complex storyline where the Cabal’s Barrant Imperium presents a significant danger to the Guardians, and fans are eagerly awaiting more details about the Praxic Order.

I’m not sure if the Renegades storyline will be truly memorable in the long run, but starting this new Destiny 2 expansion felt fantastic. While an expansion’s success depends on more than just the campaign, this one was among the very best Destiny 2 has offered.

New Destination: Tharsis Outpost

With the Renegades update, players will venture to Tharsis Outpost, a new location in Destiny 2. Here, you’ll receive new missions, encounter both returning and brand-new characters, and choose a side with one of three factions. Tharsis is a rough-and-tumble place – think of it as a hub for the less reputable individuals within the Destiny universe.

Tharsis Outpost isn’t a place for fighting; it’s more of a central gathering point. It fits the overall style of the Renegades, and it will play an important role in the story later on, but I can’t reveal details about that just yet.

New Activity: Lawless Frontier

I’ll share my complete thoughts on Lawless Frontier soon, but Destiny 2’s newest activity has some interesting concepts, though not everything quite works. While Bungie doesn’t officially call it an extraction mode, it’s clear they drew inspiration from that genre, especially in how you can request offensive, defensive, and support tools. The Behemoth walker – a vehicle heavily inspired by the AT-ST – will likely be a big draw for players, but other Renegade Abilities, like a healing drone, a Pike, and a strafing run, are also helpful.

In Lawless Frontier, you land at a location, finish a few tasks, gather lock boxes, and then leave. If things go well, you’ll earn plenty of loot and in-game money to buy even more items. However, it can be quite difficult, and success isn’t always certain. Your Renegade Abilities can give you a significant edge against the enemy waves, but even with those, unexpected chaos can break out if players take risks.

Lawless Frontier includes an optional invasion element that keeps players constantly on alert. While Bungie hasn’t officially labeled it, the activity feels a lot like the extraction mode in Helldivers 2, requiring intense effort to survive. My main issue is that some objectives, like the Smuggle mission, can be a little repetitive, although this was in a new and interesting setting. Playing with a fireteam of two friends made Lawless Frontier particularly enjoyable and worthwhile.

New Weapon Archetype: Blasters

It’s only worth repeating an activity in the game if the rewards are valuable, and Renegades offers some great new gear to earn. The most interesting additions are the new blaster weapons, which have a unique heat system. Firing these weapons too quickly causes them to overheat and temporarily stop working until they cool down. But, if you reload at the right time, you can quickly reduce the heat and start firing again.

While blasters aren’t new to shooter games, they feel surprisingly fun in Destiny 2. The game’s unique build options, like those that remove the need to reload, open up some exciting ways to play with them. New enhancements that control heat buildup and damage output will likely make blasters even more powerful. But what really stood out was how they changed my approach to combat. I didn’t have to constantly reload to save ammo for tougher enemies. Instead, I could stay engaged in fights, confident that a well-timed ‘exhaust’ wouldn’t leave me vulnerable for long.

Blasters probably won’t revolutionize Destiny 2, but they offer a fresh and intriguing experience. It’s tempting to try the new weapons simply because they’re new, though it remains to be seen if they’ll become the dominant choice for players. However, the new crossbow blaster, which is clearly modeled after Chewbacca’s Boltcaster, is surprisingly powerful.

We received some new Renegades gear to test, but not all of it came from the activities we were able to play. Surprisingly, some of the most powerful weapons we tested actually came from the new Equilibrium dungeon. Bungie did a good job of distributing the weapons across different sources and offering a diverse range of types, like pulse rifles, sidearms, and hand cannons.

New Exotic Weapon: Praxic Blade

The biggest draw of Destiny 2: Renegades is likely the Praxic Blade – a weapon very similar to a lightsaber. During a preview event, we got to experience the exotic mission that unlocks the Praxic Blade and test it out in activities like Lawless Frontier and the story missions.

Via Bungie

This new Destiny 2 mission is exactly what I look for in a weapon quest: it encourages you to explore on your own and features a clever, original puzzle. The puzzle can get a little repetitive once you understand it, but I liked that the game didn’t hold my hand. And once you finally get the Praxic Blade, it completely changes how the game plays!

Destiny 2 features several swords, but the Praxic Blade stands out. This unique weapon fits into your kinetic slot and feels like a lightsaber – both in appearance and sound. It’s incredibly versatile, letting you slice through enemies, block attacks, and even throw it for ranged combat. Beyond that, the Praxic Blade will offer even more options to suit different playstyles, though I can’t share the details just yet.

As a longtime Destiny 2 player, I have to say I was really impressed with how versatile the Praxic Blade turned out to be. It’s not just a cool weapon to mess around with – it actually has a surprising amount of depth. I’m not sure if it’ll become a top-tier weapon for really tough challenges, but for an Exotic, it offers a lot more than I initially expected.

I recently tested out the Praxic Vestmant, an exotic chest armor for Titans. It basically lets you briefly fly around, similar to Iron Man! While it’s not super practical, it’s incredibly fun to use.

New Portal Category: Arena Ops

We also got a chance to preview Arena Ops, a new 6-player activity coming to Destiny 2 alongside the new campaign and Lawless Frontier. During the preview event, we played Astral Alignment with other journalists and content creators. When the Renegades update releases, even more activities will be added to the Arena Ops lineup. The Portal has always been designed for solo players or small teams of three, so Arena Ops is a welcome addition that offers a larger, matchmade experience.

As a longtime Destiny 2 player, I’m really excited about the potential of Arena Ops! There have been so many fun six-player activities that have been removed from the game over the years, and this feels like a perfect way to bring them back. It’s awesome to have something that encourages teamwork and gives us a challenging endgame grind. I remember Astral Alignment wasn’t easy in its day, and seeing that adapted for Arena Ops has me hopeful. Honestly, looking at the content calendar, it feels like Bungie is really committed to consistently adding to the game, and I can’t wait to see where they take this!

Destiny 2: Renegades Final Impressions

I recently got an early look at Destiny 2: Renegades, and the main takeaway is that Bungie is listening to its players. They acknowledge they haven’t always hit the mark recently and are committed to improving. Renegades feels like a direct response to player feedback, though development actually started before the Edge of Fate expansion came out. While the underlying game mechanics will be familiar, Bungie hopes this new content will be a worthwhile and rewarding experience for players.

I really enjoyed the new Destiny 2 content. It has everything I look for in an expansion, and I’m already looking forward to playing more in early December. While I don’t know if I’ll still be heavily invested in activities like Lawless Frontier or Arena Ops a month or two from now, I’ll definitely be playing on release day to experience the story and earn those cool new weapons.

Okay, let’s be clear: Renegades isn’t going to suddenly turn Destiny 2 into a Star Wars game. The nods to that galaxy far, far away are more like fun inspirations than a total overhaul. But if you’ve been playing Destiny 2 and are wondering where the story is headed, trust me, there’s some genuinely exciting stuff coming. And for those of you who’ve taken a break? Bungie has really delivered a fantastic package with Renegades that might just pull you back in.

I’m so excited for the upcoming Destiny 2: Renegades expansion! It’s launching on December 2, 2025, and will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. I was lucky enough to get a preview, and Game Rant generously covered my travel and accommodations for it.

2025-11-26 21:07