• Guide

All XP boosts & values - Destiny 2

Learn the difference between XP and XP+++ as well as every XP boost source in Destiny 2.

Sam Chandler

May 19, 2024 7:45 PM

Bungie

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Play Destiny 2 for any period of time and you’ll eventually be crunching numbers on XP. While bounties and challenges reward XP all the way up to XP+++, there are also things that boost the value of those XP gains by a certain percentage. All of this information in spread across various screens and submenus in Destiny 2, so we thought it best to collate it all in one spot.

All XP boosts

There are several different types of XP boosts in Destiny 2. All of these boosts can work together to increase how much XP you will earn, however not all of them will be available at all times. Utilizing these is critical when it comes to moving through the Artifact’s XP levels. Here are the XP boosts names followed by what they actually do.

• Well-Rested
• XP Gains
• Shared Wisdom
• Blinding Light Ghost mod

Well-Rested is a once-per-week XP boost that doubles your XP for 5 season pass ranks. This means that all your XP is worth twice as much, until you level up five times. Five levels in the season pass equals 500,000 XP. This is simply an easy way to boost the value of your bounties and challenges.

XP Gains is a personal XP boost that does not affect your fireteam. Another 2 percent is added to XP Gains on the following Season Pass ranks:

Note that players with the premium season pass start a season with a 20 percent increase.

• 9
• 15
• 35
• 49
• 65
• 86

Shared Wisdom, also known as Fireteam XP Boost, is applied whenever you are in a fireteam with your boots on the ground (does not work in Orbit). Two percent is added to Shared Wisdom on the following Season Pass ranks:

• 5
• 25
• 45
• 55

Finally, there is the Blinding Light Ghost Mod which offers a 12 percent increase to your XP.

All XP values: Bounties & Challenges

Each bounty and seasonal challenge in Destiny 2 offers a different amount of XP. The XP values they give are represented by the letters XP followed by a plus sign (sometimes none, sometimes multiple). The more plus signs, the more the task is worth

• XP (4,000 XP)(Repeatable bounties)
• XP+ (6,000 XP)(Daily bounties)
• XP++ (12,000 XP)(Weekly bounties)
• Challenger XP (25,000 XP)
• Challenger XP+ (50,000 XP)
• Challenger XP++ (100,000 XP)
• Challenger XP+++ (200,000 XP)

Typically, Challenger XP is reserved for seasonal challenges. These often take much more commitment to complete than bounties. Bounties come in a few different varieties and, like seasonal challenges, the more time-consuming the bounty, the more it is worth. Stockpiling weekly bounties is a great way to prepare for a new expansion, this effectively allows you to hoard XP and get a head start on leveling up.

How to best use XP boosts and bounties/challenges

To effectively level up, you want to take advantage of the XP boosts and any available bounties or challenges. A good idea is to join another player that has already unlocked the Shared Wisdom / Fireteam XP boost – in fact, don’t pop bounties unless you are with someone else who has the boost. This ensures you aren’t missing out on massive XP gains.

There are reports that you can overshoot the Well-Rested 5-level-limit buff as well. How this works is you save a Challenger XP seasonal challenge until you have gained 4 levels but not quite 5 (Well-Rested disappears after gaining five levels). You then claim the Challenger XP item and the entire XP value is doubled despite the fact you were close to level 5.

The reason this works seems to be that Well-Rested is applied to an entire bounty or seasonal challenge XP value. This lets you get more than five levels from Well-Rested. Reindurrt14 claims to have received 7 levels instead of 5, though more are likely possible with a Challenge XP+++ item and edging your XP as close as possible to 5 levels.

Outside of this fringe XP trick, you want to ensure you’re completing weekly challenges on all three classes. However, it’s worth weighing up the time commitment. If Hawthorne’s Hard-Fought Victory bounty will take you a while to complete, it could be worth just doing three repeatable bounties.

Understanding how Destiny 2’s XP boosts and XP labels work will ensure you get the most out of your efforts in-game. At first, XP will be useful for leveling the Season Pass to 100 but beyond that, it’s critical in reaching higher Power levels needed for various endgame activities. Be sure to read over our Destiny 2 Strategy Guide for additional support and information on the game’s systems.

Sam Chandler

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler