Destiny 2 Veteran's Perspective on Rising: The Mobile Spin-Off That Gets the Grind Right in 2026

Destiny: Rising, the mobile spin-off, surprisingly outshines Destiny 2 with superior quality-of-life features. Discover how its intuitive onboarding, seamless matchmaking, and streamlined progression redefine the looter-shooter experience.

As a professional gamer who has spent countless hours in Destiny 2's universe, I approached Destiny: Rising with the deepest skepticism imaginable. A non-canon mobile spin-off from NetEase? It screamed all the warning signs of a cash-grab. I was ready to tear it apart, especially after hearing about the AI voice acting. But folks, I have to admit, I was wrong to judge it so harshly. Sticking with it revealed something surprising: Destiny: Rising implements several crucial quality-of-life and design features that Destiny 2 has been sorely lacking for years. Now, in 2026, it's become a fascinating counterpart to the main franchise.

That isn't a declaration of perfection. Let's be clear: Destiny: Rising is still a mobile title, burdened with all the genre's typical baggage. The monetization feels aggressive, time-gates are everywhere, and some systems feel designed to manipulate your playtime. However, if you can mentally set aside the "mobile-ness" of it all—and I'm not saying you have to—you'll discover a genuinely solid looter-shooter that iterates and improves on Destiny 2's foundational formula in several significant ways.

Onboarding and Progression: No More Confusion

Just like its big brother, Destiny: Rising is a complex beast. Character advancement isn't just about hitting a level cap; it's a web of activities, currencies, and upgrade paths for your gear and abilities. It could easily be overwhelming. I've played for dozens of hours and I still don't have a PhD in the difference between "Gauntlets Ops" and "Singularity: Chaos." But here's the kicker: I don't need to.

Unlike Destiny 2, which often leaves you to decipher a labyrinth of arcane, interconnected systems, Rising always points you directly where you need to go. Want to upgrade a specific weapon but lack the materials? Simply tap on the weapon. The game instantly shows you a curated list of vendors and activities where those items drop. Tap again, and you're launched straight into the action. The friction of navigating menus and progression is virtually eliminated. There's always a button on screen that acts as your personal guide, teleporting you to your next objective. It respects your time from the very first minute.

Matchmaking & Backfilling: The End of LFG Hell

This is the feature that will make every veteran Guardian weep with joy. Everything in Destiny: Rising has matchmaking. Let me emphasize that for my fellow Destiny 2 players stuck in the Discord LFG trenches: Every. Single. Playlist. Activity. This includes the competitive PvP mode "Calamity Ops" and even the endgame, six-player raid equivalent, "Gauntlet: Onslaught." While you might not instantly find a full team for every niche playlist (especially during off-peak hours), the option to queue solo is always there.

The game's systems are incredibly smart about filling teams:

• Automatic Fireteam Finder: If queue times get long, the game automatically creates a Fireteam Finder listing for you. You can then post this to your preferred social channels with a single tap.

• Bot Backfilling: If no other players are available, most activities will populate your fireteam with competent AI teammates. This means you're almost never locked out of content simply because you're playing solo or at an odd hour.

A couple of ultra-high-end activities are designed for pre-made, coordinated squads, but the vast majority of Rising's rich content library is accessible without ever having to beg for teammates in a third-party app. It's a liberating experience.

Activity Variety: A Fresh Playlist Breathes New Life

Maybe I've just been running the same Destiny 2 strikes for too many years, but Rising's activity playlist feels like a revitalizing gust of wind. It has the classics—Strikes, public events, seasonal activities—but it truly shines with its innovative modes that either reimagine familiar concepts or introduce entirely new ones.

Here are a couple of standouts that have me hooked:

• 🏆 Shifting Gates (PvPvE Extraction): This is the Gambit evolution we've been clamoring for since Forsaken. Four teams of three compete in a race to defeat enemies and bank motes. The brilliant twist? Teams can invade each other's realms not just for a quick kill, but to ambush, disrupt, and outright steal the motes their opponents have farmed. It's a thrilling, chaotic blend of MOBA tactics and extraction shooter tension that I can't get enough of.

• 🧩 Modular Raid Encounters: Rising's approach to raid content is revolutionary for the mobile space. Instead of one monolithic, multi-hour commitment, each major raid encounter is broken into its own separate playlist activity. Each has its own rewards and scalable difficulty. This makes complex, coordinated endgame content digestible. No more committing three hours to a team that disbands after one failed encounter. You can practice and master each piece on your own schedule.

A More Manageable, Less Overwhelming Daily Grind

Time-gates are a contentious topic, especially when they're tied to monetization. However, in the current 2026 ecosystem of Rising (where direct purchases for progression are limited), I've found these gates to be a blessing in disguise. They provide a clear, satisfying daily loop that leaves me feeling accomplished, not burned out by an infinite checklist.

My daily ritual is straightforward and rewarding:

• 2 Daily Missions

• 3 Daily Bounties

• Weekly Playlist Bonuses (extra rewards for running each activity type a few times)

To maximize your core rewards, you only need to engage in a couple of playlist activities per day. You can grind beyond that for diminishing returns, and there's always the expansive patrol zone, Jianshi Metro, to explore for extra materials and lore. But the beauty is that the "dailies" are so manageable. I can log in, complete them, and log off feeling like I meaningfully progressed my character, without the guilt of leaving a mountain of undone tasks. If I have more time, the world is my oyster.

Sparrow Racing: Filling a Community-Shaped Void

I'll be honest: I was never the most ardent supporter of bringing Sparrow Racing League (SRL) back to Destiny 2. I understood Bungie's resource allocation challenges. But seeing a fully-fledged racing mode in Destiny: Rising? It impressed me deeply. This inclusion signals that NetEase isn't just making a generic shooter; they're demonstrating a real understanding of the Destiny community's history and its long-standing desires.

Why This Matters in 2026:

Feature	Destiny 2 (Traditional)	Destiny: Rising (Mobile Evolution)
Matchmaking	Largely absent for endgame	Universal, for almost all content
Progression Guidance	Often obscure, requires external guides	Integrated, in-game pathfinding
Daily Commitment	Can feel like a part-time job	Structured, satisfying short sessions
Community Requests	Often slow or unaddressed	Directly integrated (e.g., Racing)

This awareness positions Rising uniquely. It can successfully cater to two key audiences:

1. Mobile-First Gamers who prefer shorter, more contained gaming sessions.

2. Existing Destiny 2 Players looking for a complementary experience to extend their engagement onto other platforms, especially one that addresses long-standing pain points.

Final Thoughts: A Surprising Contender

Look, Destiny: Rising won't replace Destiny 2. The mobile monetization framework and some simplified mechanics ensure that. But as a professional player who has seen countless live-service games rise and fall, I have to give credit where it's due. In 2026, Rising stands as a fascinating experiment and a potent reminder of how quality-of-life features and respectful design can rejuvenate a familiar formula. It takes the core loot-shoot-loop we love, sands down the frustrating edges, and packages it for a different, often more convenient, play style. It's the streamlined, accessible cousin that isn't afraid to implement the features the main family has been debating for years. For that alone, it deserves a closer look from any fan of the genre.