Edge of Fate Power Level system reset: Destiny 3 but without the new game
With Edge of Fate, Destiny 2 resets all gear to 10 and introduces a new Power Level system, Here’s how it works and why players are furious about it.
Table of Contents
Key takeaways:
- All gear will be reset to Power Level 10 in Edge of Fate, marking a complete system overhaul.
- All gear can reach 200 base Power cap, with seasonal buffs raising it up to 450–550 Power.
- All extra Power above 200 will reset each season, forcing players to grind again to keep their old gear useful.
- Players are frustrated by the new system and the apparent attempt to make old gear obsolete.
The upcoming Edge of Fate expansion is set to introduce a brand-new Power Level system, beginning with a full reset at the start of the expansion. This bold change means all existing gear will have its Power Level reset, forcing players to re-engage with the seasonal grind from scratch. Bungie’s decision has sparked widespread controversy across the Destiny 2 community, raising questions and concerns about player progression, reward systems, and the lack of public testing.
In this post, we’ll break down how the new Power Level system works, what it means for your gear, and why it’s causing such a strong reaction from players.
Destiny 2 Power Level system
Starting July 15, the Edge of Fate expansion brings major changes to the Power Level system. Let’s break down why the old system fell short.
Destiny 2’s Power Level is a weighted average of your equipped gear plus seasonal Artifact bonuses. Progression follows three tiers: soft cap, Powerful gear cap, and Pinnacle gear cap, each requiring specific activity types to advance. Players start with general drops to reach the soft cap, then pursue Powerful sources and finally Pinnacle objectives like raids and Grandmaster Nightfalls to maximize their level.
Efficient leveling includes decrypting Prime Engrams promptly, balancing gear slots, and optionally using multiple characters to funnel high-level gear. Read more in our Destiny 2 Power Level guide.
Why the old Power Level system in Destiny 2 needs a change:
- After each cap is reached, lower-quality content becomes meaningless: drops plateau, making gameplay feel repetitive .
- The system demands grinding similar weekly tasks for incremental gains, which many players consider a “senseless grind” for just a number increase.
- RNG and rigid activity requirements (only specific tasks yield Powerful/Pinnacle gear) forced players into narrow, repetitive routines each week.
- Power Level kept increasing with every expansion, and now the numbers have become too high: making them feel overwhelming and hard to keep track of.
The old system was far from perfect and definitely needed adjustments. Let’s see how Bungie plans to handle the changes.
Destiny 2 Edge of Fate new Power Level system
Let’s break down the Edge of Fate Power Level changes step by step:
- On July 15, everyone’s Power Level will be set to 10.
- Players will be able to reach 200 Power Level for their gear relatively easily. This becomes the new base Power cap for all gear.
- You can increase your Power Level further with Seasonal Bonus Power (up to 450–550 Power). Each season lasts six months, which is also the length of an expansion.
- You can obtain new Edge of Fate gear with 200+ Power Level by playing on high enough difficulty.
- Useless gear with 200+ Power Level can be dismantled to obtain Unstable Core material. This material allows you to upgrade your old gear from previous expansions to the maximum Power Level for the current season. You can’t transfer Unstable Cores to the next season.
- At the end of the season or the Edge of Fate expansion (after six months), all gear Power Levels will reset back to 200.
And here’s more on how the system works, explained in xHOUNDISHx’s video.
Leave your old gear behind
As you can see, old gear is technically still usable since you can upgrade it to reach the maximum Power Level. But there’s a catch: you can only do this twice per year. With each new season, your old gear’s Power Level will drop, and you’ll need to upgrade it again each expansion: over and over.
And that’s not even the worst part: new gear comes with bonus stats simply for being new. In other words, the developers are pushing players to use the latest gear, even though it will only be relevant for six months. Once the next expansion arrives, those bonus stats will transfer to the new gear, making the previous set obsolete.
Community reaction: Infinite grind
So, as you can see, even from an optimistic perspective, the new system is questionable. We’ll all be grinding even more, chasing new gear while constantly re-upgrading old favorites to high Power Levels. It’s doable, of course, but it already sounds exhausting.
Here’s what some voices in the community had to say about the new Edge of Fate Power Level system and more:
“It’s a way to encourage a grind, sure, but in a way that feels more like a punishment if you don’t do it rather than a bonus if you do.”
. “While Bungie says your old gear is “viable,” it sounds like the goal is definitely a form of soft-sunsetting”
“All of this feels like a stab at what players wanted from a Destiny 3, a hard reset, but without getting…actual Destiny 3”
— Paul Tassi at Forbes
“A lot of us are just pessimistic because we don’t believe bungie’s heart is in it anymore. Sentiment is that they’re trying to pivot to Marathon etc
It also just feels a bit transparent about this “new gear” bonus they’ve cooked up, in that it feels like a clear way to try and get us grinding every season (a bit of a departure from the approach of the previous director)”
— Sarcosmonaut at Reddit
“The power grind isn’t fun, and weapon crafting is good.
I’m maybe representative of the middle of the road player. I’ve tried several day one raids, and have completed one. I spend a modest amount of cash on cosmetics (because video games should be fun!) but I’ve never really be interested in low man stuff or hyper intense stuff.
Destiny feels its best when I get to try funny stuff or push the bounds of mechanics or accomplish difficult things. Grinding activities over and over again just to make the number go up isn’t any of those things. Having activities to revisit that are fun to replay is great, and there should be mechanisms for players to be rewarded for that, but I want to engage with things that are fun to me.
Maybe this is an old man yelling at clouds post, but like, I figured why not.”
— inept_guardian at Reddit
Why not try it first before whining about it. None of these people even do anything that requires you to grind power.
People acting like this game requires commitment are so weird. I haven’t logged in since Final Shape and I could hop on and do everything besides a GM.
— Destiny Leaks at Twitter
Conclusion
The new Power Level system coming with Edge of Fate feels like a bold experiment, and not everyone is convinced it’s a step forward. While Bungie promises more meaningful progression and longevity, many players see it as a soft reset disguised as innovation, one that forces extra grind for short-lived gear advantages. The need to constantly re-upgrade old gear, chase temporary bonuses, and deal with a more complex upgrade system has raised concerns about burnout and player fatigue.
But what do you think? Is the new system actually a good move, or does it need a fix ASAP? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
And before you go, check out our Destiny 2 boost if you have some unfinished business before the Edge of Fate release.
Comments
You’re the worst type of player/writer. Complaining that a looter shooter is going to become too grindy and “exhausting” is just idiotic. That’s the point of the game style. Once you run out of things to grind for what is left to do? This update means that every season/expansion we will have a true grind again. That’s awesome because it guarantees there will always be something to do. It’s a return to form for what a looter shooter is supposed to be. Anyone complaining about this sounds like a whiny casual and I don’t feel bad for them.
Hello! Thanks for your feedback. it’s nice to be both the worst player and writer at the same time 🙂
As for your point, it definitely has its place, and I even decided to end the article with a similar quote from the Destiny Leaks Twitter. I guess we’ll just have to wait for the changes to drop and see how players engage with the new system. If most of the community ends up liking it and playing more, I’m totally on board with you.
bungie ruining destiny for the playerbase after another dlc? literally happens every time.