Max Power cap - Destiny 2

Learn the 'Light' level cap in Destiny 2 which is comprised of a soft cap, Power cap, and Pinnacle cap which is the max Power excluding the Artifact.

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Every time Destiny 2 releases a new expansion, expect the max Power level to increase to a new cap. This has been the case with every new DLC and season (as well as with some limited-time events). When Destiny 2 first launched, the max Power was 300 (305 with mods) but now, all these years later, Guardians have grown fat with strength. With the release of each new DLC, players want to know the new soft cap, Power cap, Pinnacle cap and what other new levels there are to chase. The latest expansion, Lightfall, will continue the trend of increasing the max Power.

Last updated on November 7, 2023.

Power Cap, Max Pinnacle Power, and Soft Cap - Season 23

Three Guardians pose in Trials of Osirirs armor

Source: Bungie

The Power cap in Destiny 2 increases whenever a new expansion or piece of DLC is released. Previously, Destiny 2 also raised the player level (a now defunct system). The last time “levels” were involved was the release of Destiny 2: Forsaken, which saw the level cap raised to 50. Now players only need to focus on Power.

The new max Power is 1800 (1810 with Pinnacle gear) as of the latest season. The following table shows what the max Power is for the new season as well as what it was for previous seasons, DLCs, and events. It also includes the previous soft caps. Check out our guide on the Destiny 2 season release dates for a deeper look at each previous season.

Destiny 2 Power level caps
Content Soft Cap Powerful Cap Pinnacle Cap
Destiny 2 base game - 300 305 (with mods)
Curse of Osiris - 330 335 (with mods)
Warmind 340 380 385 (with mods)
Moments of Triumph event - 400 405 (with mods)
Forsaken / Season of the Outlaw 500 600 -
Season of the Forge - 650 -
Season of the Drifter - 700 -
Season of Opulence - 750 -
Shadowkeep / Season of the Undying 900 950 960
Season of Dawn 900 960 970
Season of the Worthy 950 1000 1010
Season of Arrivals 1000 1050 1060
Beyond Light / Season of the Hunt 1200 1250 1260
Season of the Chosen 1250 1300 1310
Season of the Splicer 1260 1310 1320
Season of the Lost 1270 1320 1330
The Witch Queen / Season of the Risen 1500 1550 1560
Season of the Haunted 1510 1560 1570
Season of Plunder 1520 1570 1580
Season of the Seraph 1530 1580 1590
Lightfall / Season of Defiance 1750 1800 1810
Season of the Deep 1750 1800 1810
Season of the Witch 1750 1800 1810
Season of the Wish 1750 1800 1810

It’s important to note that all these figures do not take into consideration the seasonal artifact. Every new season (as of Shadowkeep) introduces an artifact along with a Power increase. This artifact is used to gain additional Power through XP acquisition. Check out our guide on Artifact XP: Perks & Power.


How Power works & how to make progress

Power is how Destiny 2 balances your own strength against that of the enemies. Your Power is the average of all your equipped gear, meaning a higher piece can pull your Power level up while a really low piece can drop it down.

You can amass Power by completing activities of varying difficulty levels. When first starting, simply completing a campaign should get you to the soft Power cap or close to it. You can follow this up by running Strikes, playing Crucible, and other standard activities.

Once you reach the soft cap, you will need to focus on activities that reward Powerful gear. You will need to play these activities a few types in order to receive an engram, which are typically only available once per week (for each activity).

After hitting the Powerful cap, you will need to focus on activities that reward Pinnacle gear. These are things like the featured raid, dungeon, and Trials of Osiris. All of these types of engrams (Powerful and Pinnacle) are highlighted when hovering over an activity.


Old level system

For those that are curious about the aforementioned levels that were removed, here is what they were over the course of the first year and a bit of Destiny 2:

  • Destiny 2 base game – Level 20
  • Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris – Level 25
  • Destiny 2: Warmind – Level 30
  • Destiny 2: Forsaken – Level 50

While the max Power will likely increase with every new season and DLC, it’s safe to say that there will no longer be a player level like there was with the base game. This streamlines the experience, allowing players to focus on completing new content (like the campaigns) and then shifting focus to Powerful reward drops and Pinnacle activities to reach the new max Power in Destiny 2. Take a moment to look over the Shacknews Destiny 2 complete strategy guide to make sure your Guardian is fully prepared to take on the next threat.

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