Destiny 2: The Final Shape: Power Level Changes and XP Farming Guide

The Final Shape expansion in Destiny 2 is here at last with plenty of new content. With so many changes to power level and XP farming, it's crucial to stay updated, especially if you haven't played in a while. This guide will provide a quick refresher on these changes, helping you navigate the new landscape effectively.

Power Level Changes

As of today, all the gear on your character and in your vault has been raised to the new floor of 1900 power. Here are the important numbers you need to keep in mind:

- The power floor is 1900.

- The soft cap is now 1940. This means as long as you're playing the game and earning gear, you'll be moving towards the new soft cap of 1940.

- The powerful cap is 1990. After reaching the soft cap of 1940, you'll need powerful or pinnacle drops to climb up to 1990. Fortunately, Destiny 2 clearly indicates which activities will give you powerful gear.

- The pinnacle cap is 2000. After hitting 1990, only pinnacle drops can help you reach 2000. 

Tips for Efficient Power Grinding

 

When you jump into The Final Shape, it's highly recommended to choose the campaign on legendary difficulty. This will give you more end-of-mission gear, and at the end of the entire campaign on legendary, you'll get a set of power level 1960 gear. Additionally, completing the campaign on legendary will likely grant you a guaranteed exotic piece of armor, similar to other major Destiny 2 expansions. This will not only put you above the soft cap but also get you within five power levels of being day one raid ready for the new Salvation's Edge raid, which has a power cap of 1965 for the first 48 hours during contest mode.

Understanding the Pathfinder System

A new feature in The Final Shape is the Pathfinder system, a choose-your-own-adventure, connect-the-dots reward system. This replaces the bounty systems and weekly challenges for core ritual activities (PVP, Gambit, and Strikes).

 

And it also introduces a second menu for the Pale Heart of the Traveler, tied to the campaign.

 

Completing the first path rewards you with a tier three powerful engram and an exotic. While repeated clears within the same week won’t give tier three powerful engrams, the system is still a great way to earn initial rewards.

New Account-Wide Power Feature

A major new feature in The Final Shape is account-wide power. For the first time, gear that drops on any character will be relative to the highest power level character on your account. This means if you grind power on one character, your other characters will benefit from it, making it easier to prepare multiple characters for day-one raids.

XP Farming Tips

 

XP in Destiny 2 is different from power level, primarily used for unlocking artifact perks. Here are some quick XP farming tips:

- If you hoarded bounties before The Final Shape, wait until you get the artifact and join a fireteam before turning them in. This allows you to take advantage of the shared wisdom boost for extra XP.

- Ensure you have the Blinding Light mod on your ghost before turning in bounties.

- If you're late to the expansion's debut, get your artifact first and join a friend with a high season rank for additional XP buffs.

- If you didn’t hoard bounties, focus on seasonal challenges for large XP gains. Weekly bounties from vendors like Shaw Han in the Cosmodrome are also good for quick XP.

- Repeatable bounties, though lower in XP, can be completed quickly and repeatedly for steady gains.

- Each objective in the Pathfinder system also grants 4000 XP on completion, which can be a viable farming method.

With these tips, you'll be well-prepared to tackle The Final Shape's new challenges, increase your power level efficiently, and maximize your XP gains.

Also, check out my Destiny 2: The Final Shape review and other guides below:
- Destiny 2: The Final Shape: How to Access Excision
- Destiny 2: The Final Shape: How to Obtain Exotic Armor