Choose Halo Infinite if you want a conventional shooter campaign you can buy separately, plus a free multiplayer game with Forge, custom games and Firefight. Choose Destiny 2 if you want a shared-world shooter built around campaigns, character progression, co-op, raids and PvP—but expect to check which expansions unlock the activities you want. There is also a major current difference: Bungie says Destiny 2 has no further planned live-service content updates after June 9, 2026.
How campaign access differs
The biggest practical difference is how each game separates its story from its free entry point. Halo Infinite presents a distinct campaign alongside free multiplayer. Destiny 2 lets everyone start for free, but its campaigns and activities are divided between free content and paid expansions.
Halo Infinite: a separate campaign purchase
Halo Support says the multiplayer and Academy are free to play, while the campaign must be purchased or accessed through some Xbox Game Pass memberships. Check the current Xbox listing to confirm that your specific membership qualifies. Halo Support also says an Xbox physical disc grants the full game, including the campaign. On Steam, the campaign is purchased through Steam; the store listing separates it from free multiplayer.
The Steam listing describes network campaign co-op with up to three other fireteam members, as well as mission replay. That is online co-op; the available information does not establish split-screen campaign co-op. See Halo Support’s explanation of Halo Infinite and the Steam listing for platform-specific details.
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- Bonus Content: Order Halo Infinite and receive the exclusive VK78 Commando Rifle Skin only while supplies last. Codes will be distributed after eligible order is placed. *In some cases, it may take up to 24-hours after release date for available codes to be distributed.
- The legendary Halo series returns with a groundbreaking multiplayer experience and the most expansive Master Chief campaign yet.
- Campaign: When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.
- Multiplayer: Halo’s celebrated multiplayer returns, reimagined and free to play! Seasonal updates evolve the experience over time with unique events, new modes and maps, and community-focused content.
- Cross-generation and cross-platform gaming: Halo Infinite provides an amazing experience across the Xbox One and newer family of consoles with stunning graphics and world-class cross-platform play. On Xbox Series X, enjoy enhanced features like up to 120 FPS and greatly reduced load times creating seamless gameplay that ushers in the next generation of gaming.*
Destiny 2: free story content, with more behind expansions
Destiny 2 is free to start, not a complete free collection of its campaigns and activities. Bungie lists the New Light questline and the story content of Shadowkeep and Beyond Light among the content available to all players. Introductory missions for some paid campaigns are also available, but owning an expansion unlocks its campaign and associated content, which can include activities such as exotic missions and raids.
For a specific purchase, check the included-content list rather than assuming that a campaign name or bundle includes every related activity. Bungie’s available content guide explains free and paid access conditions. Its Destiny 2: The Collection page lists bundle contents and exclusions; editions and availability can change.
Rank #2
What you get in multiplayer
Halo Infinite: focused multiplayer with creative tools
Halo Infinite’s free multiplayer includes matchmaking, ranked modes, Custom Games and Forge. Forge lets players create and share maps; Custom Games provide a way to play outside matchmaking. Halo’s Xbox Store listing describes more than 70 maps in matchmaking, a vendor-stated figure that may change, and also lists Firefight: King of the Hill. See the Xbox Store listing for its current feature description.
This is the clearer fit if your main goal is arena-style competitive play, custom maps or a free multiplayer game you can install without buying the campaign.
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Destiny 2 combines competitive Crucible playlists with co-op and other PvE activities. Bungie documents Crucible modes including Control, Elimination, Rumble and Survival. Its activity mix also includes strikes, Gambit, raids and dungeons, alongside fireteam adventures and character gear progression. Not every activity is available to every player: access can depend on expansion ownership, campaign progress or power level.
That breadth makes Destiny 2 a better match if you want PvP as one part of a larger shared-world game, rather than the main attraction. Bungie’s content guide and Crucible playlist guide set out activity access and modes.
Rank #4
- CPU: Custom AMD Zen 2, 8 Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.66 GHz with SMT); GPU: Custom RDNA 2, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz, 12 TFLOPS.
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6 with 320-bit bus (10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s); Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen 4 custom NVMe SSD, 2.4 GB/s raw, 4.8 GB/s compressed; Optical drive: Ultra HD Blu-ray.
- Gaming Resolution: True 4K; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; High Dynamic Range: Up to 8K HDR.
- HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
- What's Included: Xbox Series X – Halo Infinite Limited Edition; One Xbox Wireless Controller – Halo Infinite Limited Edition; Full-game download of Halo Infinite (coming soon); Power cord; Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. Nogtox PVT HDMI_cable
What Destiny 2’s update status means for a new player
Bungie announced on May 21, 2026, that Update 9.7.0, released June 9, 2026, would be Destiny 2’s final planned live-service content update. Bungie says the game remains playable and that stability hotfixes may still be released. This means you should not choose it expecting a planned stream of new live-service content after that update; it does not mean the servers are shutting down. Bungie’s announcement is “Destiny 2: Every End is a New Beginning.”
No current regional prices or live sale prices are established here. Compare the price and included-content list in your own storefront, especially for Destiny 2 expansions and Halo campaign access.
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- Software Main Type: Game
- Software Sub Type: First Person Shooter
- Software Name: Halo Infinite Standard Edition
- ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
- Single Player Supported: Yes
Which one should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A defined campaign with a separate free multiplayer game | Halo Infinite | The campaign is a separate purchase or qualifying Game Pass benefit; multiplayer and Academy are free. |
| Campaigns plus a wide range of PvE and PvP activities | Destiny 2 | It combines story content, co-op, raids, dungeons and Crucible, with access varying by ownership and progression. |
| Free multiplayer with Forge and Custom Games | Halo Infinite | Those features are included with its free multiplayer experience. |
| A shared-world progression loop with builds and gear | Destiny 2 | Its character and activity structure is built around gear progression and varied fireteam play. |
| Planned ongoing live-service content updates | Neither, based on the available information | Bungie says Destiny 2 has no further planned live-service content updates after June 9, 2026; no roadmap comparison for Halo is established here. |
There is no evidence here to rank the games’ narrative quality, mission design or gunplay as objectively better. The more useful distinction is structure: Halo pairs a separately accessed campaign with free, feature-rich multiplayer; Destiny 2 offers a broader connected activity ecosystem, but requires more attention to expansion access and no longer has planned live-service content updates.
Quick Recap
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