Games Like Destiny 2 for More Looter Shooter Obsession
The best games like Destiny 2 — looter shooters, sci-fi multiplayer games, and MMO-RPG hybrids with deep progression systems.
Destiny 2 from Bungie established the modern looter shooter formula. Exotic weapons that meaningfully change gameplay, raids that demand coordinated teamwork, seasonal content cycles, and the specific satisfaction of a 100+ hour grind for the perfect god roll — Destiny 2 has occupied a specific gaming lifestyle niche since its 2017 launch.
The franchise has had rough patches (Lightfall's lukewarm reception, sunsetting controversies, Final Shape's stronger comeback), but the core gameplay loop remains excellent. If you're looking for more looter shooter experiences, here's what delivers.
The Direct Looter Shooter Competitors
Warframe is the free-to-play alternative many Destiny fans migrate to. Over a decade of content, ethical monetization (you can earn premium currency in-game), and deep customization. Full Warframe coverage.
The First Descendant is the Korean looter shooter that launched in 2024 with direct Destiny-adjacent gameplay.
Outriders is a story-focused looter shooter with class-based gameplay.
Remnant II is soulslike looter shooter with procedurally generated dungeons and co-op.
Anthem (Bioware, now abandoned) was the failed attempt at Destiny-alike.
Marvel's Avengers had looter shooter mechanics with Marvel characters.
The Division 2 is tactical shooter with looter mechanics in Washington D.C.
The Division (original) is set in New York.
Borderlands 4 continues the franchise that established "looter shooter."
Borderlands 3 and earlier remain playable with massive content pools.
Wonderlands is the Borderlands spinoff with fantasy theming.
The Live Service Sci-Fi
Warframe (mentioned above).
The First Descendant (mentioned above).
Helldivers 2 is cooperative sci-fi shooter with live service ongoing content.
Deep Rock Galactic is cooperative space-dwarf mining FPS.
Payday 2 and Payday 3 are cooperative heist shooters.
Back 4 Blood is cooperative zombie shooter.
The Diablo-Likes (For the Loot)
If what you love about Destiny 2 is the loot grind specifically:
Diablo IV continues Blizzard's action RPG franchise. Full Diablo coverage.
Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 are the hardcore alternative to Diablo.
Last Epoch is indie ARPG with deep skill customization.
Torchlight: Infinite is free-to-play ARPG.
Grim Dawn is classic-style ARPG with excellent character building.
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is the AAA ARPG with Souls-adjacent combat.
Lost Ark is Korean MMO ARPG with massive content.
The Raid-Focused Games
Destiny 2's raids are widely considered some of the best MMO-style content ever made. Games with comparable raid content:
Final Fantasy XIV has legendary savage raids. Featured in our JRPG coverage.
World of Warcraft remains the foundational MMORPG with its own raid tradition.
Monster Hunter Wilds has cooperative hunts that capture some raid-adjacent satisfaction.
Risk of Rain 2 has raid-like endgame challenges.
The FPS with RPG Progression
Borderlands series (mentioned above).
Dying Light 2 is parkour zombie FPS with RPG progression.
Far Cry 6 has RPG-lite progression.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla has gear-based progression in open-world format.
Horizon Forbidden West has Aloy's gear progression.
Starfield has Bethesda RPG progression in space setting.
The Competitive Shooters
Apex Legends is hero shooter battle royale.
Marvel Rivals is hero shooter with Marvel characters.
Overwatch 2 is hero shooter. Overwatch coverage.
Valorant is tactical hero shooter.
Counter-Strike 2 is classic tactical shooter.
Fortnite continues as the dominant battle royale.
Call of Duty: Black Ops series continues.
The Cooperative FPS
Deep Rock Galactic (mentioned above).
Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 remain playable classic co-op zombie FPS.
Payday 2 and Payday 3 (mentioned above).
Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Breakpoint are tactical co-op shooters.
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 has cooperative endgame.
The Finals from Embark Studios is cooperative shooter with destructible environments.
Back 4 Blood (mentioned above).
Hunt: Showdown has unique asymmetric 6v6 with supernatural bosses.
The Build-Crafting Games
Part of Destiny 2's appeal is crafting specific builds. Games with similarly deep build customization:
Path of Exile (mentioned above) has the deepest skill tree in gaming.
Grim Dawn (mentioned above).
Last Epoch (mentioned above).
Monster Hunter Wilds has deep weapon-based builds.
Elden Ring has massive build variety. Our build guide.
Baldur's Gate 3 has deep character building. Baldur's Gate coverage.
The Endgame Grind Games
Diablo IV and the Diablo series generally.
Path of Exile series (mentioned above).
Warframe (mentioned above).
Borderlands 4 (mentioned above).
Monster Hunter Wilds.
Hollow Knight's Pantheon of Hallownest is indie equivalent endgame challenge.
Why Destiny 2 Works
Destiny 2 succeeds through craft excellence. Bungie's gunfeel — the weight of trigger pulls, the satisfying impact sounds, the way guns reload — is among the best in gaming. The PvP and PvE balance is genuinely hard to match. The seasonal content cycle provides regular engagement points for dedicated players.
The franchise's worldbuilding (The Darkness, The Traveler, The Nine, Ahamkara) creates enough mystery to sustain curiosity across years of content. The raids genuinely reward the 6-player coordination they demand.
The criticism of Destiny 2 is fair — monetization can feel predatory, content removal (sunsetting) frustrated fans, and the narrative quality has been inconsistent. But the core gameplay loop remains excellent, and the community is dedicated enough to sustain the game regardless.
The broader live service genre produces alternatives constantly. Marvel Rivals' hero shooter approach, Helldivers 2's cooperative missions, and The First Descendant's direct competition all capture portions of Destiny 2's appeal.
Start with Warframe if you want free-to-play looter shooter with decade of content. Borderlands 4 for looter shooter with humor. Diablo IV for pure loot grind. Path of Exile for deepest build customization. Remnant II for soulslike looter shooter. Helldivers 2 for cooperative chaos. All capture pieces of what Destiny 2 delivers, and together they cover the looter shooter genre Destiny helped define.