Is Destiny 2 Crossplay? PC, PlayStation & Xbox Guide
Destiny 2 is one of the biggest live-service games around, capturing the attention of millions of gamers around the world. However, many gamers wish to enjoy Destiny 2 with players on various platforms via crossplay, whether you’re on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or even Stadia.
Crossplay is now available in Destiny 2, enabling players using PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Stadia to mingle, play together, and connect in-game. Competitive activities are not set to crossplay pools by default, and crossplay can only be disabled on PlayStation and Xbox.
With so many players enjoying this incredible game, it’s totally understandable that anyone would want to have crossplay enabled in Destiny 2. Stick around to find out everything you need to know about crossplay and cross-progression in Destiny 2, including available platform crossplay and how to manage this feature in-game.
Does Destiny 2 Have Crossplay?
Crossplay is an incredibly important and popular feature amongst avid gamers worldwide, allowing players to connect and compete with each other irrespective of their preferred platform. In many games, crossplay enables PC and console gamers to play their favorite games together, competing with each other, teaming up against enemies, or even grouping into parties to take on vicious NPCs and bosses.
Players had initially been separated by their platforms from Destiny 2’s initial release back in 2014, being left with only one option – to play the game with only players on the same platform. Dedicated fans and players had been demanding crossplay in Destiny 2 for many years, with an endless stream of requests throughout the community.
Thankfully, Bungie stepped in and had been working on a crossplay masterpiece for quite some time – there have been plenty of teasers along the way and even an early testing phase for crossplay in Destiny 2. But, crossplay finally went live in Destiny 2 on August 24th along with the Season of Lost, offering a ton of new opportunities, competitors, and teammates for avid players!
According to Bungie’s statements in a blog post, players across all platforms are now able to play together and connect with each other in a seamless, user-friendly, and simplistic manner. They confirmed that all content and activities can be accessed together irrespective of hardware and preferred platforms, stating the following:
“Guardians across Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Stadia will be able to join fireteams to take on the Darkness together.”
They have even enabled specific crossplay features that can greatly heighten immersion and enjoyability amongst players, such as Crossplay Voice Chat. Simply team up with friends playing on different platforms, navigate to the in-game voice chat panel, and start chatting while you play!
Destiny 2 Crossplay Platforms and Compatibility
Destiny 2 players can now team up and grind through the game’s latest content with friends and family, irrespective of the preferred platform. Unlike many other games that do have specific limitations concerning crossplay enabling and features, Destiny 2 allows players of all platforms to mingle with each other in-game.
This crossplay system, which includes inter-generational crossplay as well, means that Destiny 2 players can all play together freely. There are no set limitations as to who can and cannot join a Fireteam – at least, not regarding platform choice or platform families.
Destiny 2 allows players to crossplay between all of the available platforms, namely:
- PC (Microsoft Store or Steam)
- PlayStation
- Xbox
- Stadia (Note: Bungie considers Stadia as a console)
PlayStation users can form teams with Stadia players, while Xbox players can be invited by PC gamers and join them directly into their lobbies. There are no combination limits, and Bungie confirmed this with the following statement:
“You’ll be able to play with all your friends no matter what platform you call home.”
Destiny 2 Crossplay Limitations
It seems that all destinations, activities, and future Destiny 2 content will be accessible by mixed platform Fireteams. However, there may be ‘limitations’ as to which activities can be played by default.
One key area that has gained attention is PvP, and this could be for a variety of reasons. Bungie did clarify that console and PC Destiny 2 players will not be joining each other by default, but they can still play PvP together if they would like.
These players would need to specifically invite their console using friends to play the PC PvP pools or vice versa. As such, activities are divided into Competitive Matchmaking and Non-Competitive Matchmaking in crossplay, according to Bungie:
Competitive Matchmaking
Competitive game modes such as Gambit and Crucible playlists will be divided into two matchmaking pools. There will be one pool for console players (PlayStation, Xbox, and Stadia) and one pool for PC players.
If a console player joins a Fireteam containing PC players (Steam or Microsoft Store), then the Fireteam will be matchmade into the PC player pool for the activity. Additionally, Trials of Osiris will require players to have Crossplay enabled to participate.
Non-Competitive Matchmaking
Non-competitive activities and game modes, such as Strikes and social spaces, will matchmake across all available platforms. These activities will not be separated into distinct pools depending on the chosen platform pool.
Bungie Names are used as universal names across all platforms and are the only real way to track and identify players and friends across all platforms while playing Destiny 2. They are generated at launch based on the player’s current name and can be used to add friends from across all platforms.
Does Destiny 2 Have Cross-Progression?
Destiny 2 does allow cross-progression, although it’s referred to as ‘Cross-Save’ in-game. This enablement allows players to save their progress across multiple platforms, choosing which set of guardians’ progress and gear will be carried over to other platforms.
It’s an incredibly convenient and simple way to play Destiny 2 on multiple platforms without losing progress in the process. But, players will need to link their Bungie.net account in order to enable the Cross-Save feature.
Follow the steps below to enable cross-progression/cross-save in Destiny 2:
- Log into your account on Bungie.net.
- Select the ‘Cross Save’ option from the Account menu.
- Link any new platforms that aren’t already associated with your Bungie.net account using the login information for each of those platforms.
- Authenticate any existing platforms that were previously linked by re-entering your login information for these systems.
- Select the platform/characters whose progress you want to carry over across all other systems.
- Confirm your selection one final time.
- After you’ve completed this process and finalized the setup, you’ll receive a message that says “Cross-Save Activated”.
How To Crossplay In Destiny 2
Playing Destiny 2 crossplay is no different from how one would play crossplay in other games, as players can invite their friends on their chosen platform by using the relevant Bungie Names for friends. The process is fairly simple – in fact, crossplay enabling is automatic, according to Bungie:
Cross Play will be automatically enabled for all players, and does not require activation.
Bungie Help
How To Turn Off Crossplay In Destiny 2
Although playing crossplay can be really fun and immersive, there are a few downfalls – namely, potential advantages for certain platforms in certain activities. The differences between PC and consoles leading to a range of debates in the FPS gaming world are nothing new, and players have been facing platform or mechanic-related issues during crossplay for ages.
Within the general gaming community, some have said that the use of a mouse and keyboard can prove advantageous over players using a controller, primarily due to faster and more precise movements. Others argue that controllers have an advantage since the developers have implemented aim assist, which can make things easier compared to PC players.
Destiny 2 is not as ‘unfair’ as many other crossplay cases, and Bungie has tried to support fairness where possible – such as by disabling default crossplay matchmaking in PvP or competitive activities. But, if you find yourself tired of crossplay in Destiny 2, you will be able to turn it off (if you’re playing on Xbox or PlayStation).
If Crossplay is turned off, players will matchmake only with other players on the same platform – specifically players who also have Crossplay disabled. Although, players will need to note that matchmaking can take longer since there will likely be fewer players on the same platform, also hoping to play at the exact same time.
If you play Destiny 2 on PlayStation, simply navigate to the game settings and you’ll find an option to disable crossplay. If you play Destiny 2 on Xbox, you’ll need to navigate to General > Online Safety & Family > Details & Customization > Communication & Multiplayer, and select ‘block’ on “You can join cross-network play”.
Unfortunately, turning off crossplay in Destiny 2 is not possible when playing on PC or on Stadia. At the time of writing, the option to turn off crossplay is only available for PlayStation and Xbox users.
The reason for this is unknown – perhaps it’s due to the number of players on PC and Stadia, or the perceived advantages/disadvantages of platforms. Either way, there has been plenty of debate about this topic, and many PC/ Stadia Destiny 2 players hope there will be a solution in the future.
Although struggling to play Destiny 2 with friends or family using other platforms may feel frustrating, the game does allow plenty of freedom for crossplay in quite a few fair and simple ways. There may still be some room for improvement here and there, but Bungie has definitely delivered on the promise of a seamless and simple crossplay system thus far.
