Fastest way to start The Final Shape for new and returning Destiny 2 players

If you are a frequent player of Destiny 2, you’ll be caught up and ready to go as soon as you are able to get into Destiny 2: The Final Shape. However, if you’ve never played Destiny 2 or haven’t played in a long time, tons of content has been added and it can be a bit difficult figuring out how to get into the new expansion content. This is the fastest way to start The Final Shape for those new and returning Destiny 2 players.

How to skip ahead to Destiny 2: The Final Shape content

As a new player who has not played Destiny 2 at all, you will have one extra step over those that are returning after a long hiatus. Create your character and start Destiny 2 which will plop you into the Cosmodrome region on Earth. This is essentially the beginning of the game, but don’t worry; you only have to do the first mission. Once you reach the end, you’ll get a quest that tasks you with speaking to Commander Shaw which is also located in the same Cosmodrome region as you and should be highlighted on your map.

Once you have completed the initial tutorial mission, here is the fastest way to start The Final Shape expansion content in Destiny 2:

1. Find Commander Shaw.
2. Skip the New Light quest and acquire your New Light Kit at the Tower.
3. Visit Commander Zavala at the Tower and reach Guardian Rank 2.
4. Return to Zavala to start The Final Shape quest and unlock The Pale Heart.

Here is a detailed walkthrough for each step you must complete to unlock and access The Final Shape expansion as soon as possible:

Find Commander Shaw

Speak to Shaw and he will tell you to sync up with his ship, which is located right behind him and to the left. This will unlock two new quests, one titled A Guardian Rises which tasks you with progressing through the original Destiny 2 campaign, and another called Learning Light which is what you are looking for. Once you start the Learning Light quest you can return to the flag where you synched with Shaw’s ship, and you will now see the option to Skip New Light.

Skip New Light and acquire your New Light Kit

Doing so will skip ahead and allow you to bypass completing the story missions, which will unlock the Tower and a new campaign quest specific to your class. Visit the Tower and head to the class NPC marked by your quest objective to acquire your New Light Kit which is essentially a set of starter gear that you would normally have the equivalent of if you actually played through the original campaign story missions.

Visit Zavala at the Tower and reach Guardian Rank 2

Afterward, you will be tasked with heading to Zavala to continue the Spark of Hope questline. It will seem as though it’s making you go through the entire quest line, but I assure you it’s not. Zavala gives you the objective of hitting Guardian Rank 2, which simply requires you to open your Character screen, hit the Journey tab, then click to level up to Guardian Rank 2. Head to the Ironwood Tree right next to you at the Tower and you will officially progress to rank 2 and complete the objective.

Return to Zavala and start The Final Shape quest and unlock The Pale Heart destination

Finally, head back to Zavala which is nearby on the Tower and speak to him. Confirm you’ve reached Guardian Rank 2 and as long as you have purchased Destiny 2: The Final Shape expansion, he will now give you the breadcrumb quest to start the expansion titled The Final Shape and will also unlock the new area for the expansion called The Pale Heart.

Congratulations, you’re all caught up and ready to start playing Destiny 2: The Final Shape!