After selecting a character slot, you’ll have to make a big decision at the start of Destiny 2 — which class you’ll want to play as. Selecting a class is a big commitment, and it’s all about finding the class that best fits your playstyle. Do you like weaving through enemies and unleashing medium-to-close range powers to devastating effect? Or maybe you like protecting your fireteam while soaking up lots of damage. Maybe you’re all about support, and like using special abilities to control the flow of combat.
Whatever role you prefer, there’s a class in Destiny 2 that’s right for you. Here, we’re going to break down what makes each class unique — the classes are brought over from Destiny 1, but there’s plenty of new stuff you need to know about too. New Supers, Class Abilities, and Subclasses mix things up. Take a gander below and see which class fits your style with the role breakdown below.
More Destiny 2 guides on Gameranx:
- Destiny 2: 10 Things You Should Know Before Starting | Beginner’s Guide
- Destiny 2: Here’s How End-Game Power Levels Work | 260+ PL Guide
- Destiny 2: Soccer Balls, Lava Skins & Bonus Keys | New Social Easter Eggs
- Destiny 2: How To Get Legendary Shards | Exotic Currency Guide
- Destiny 2: How To Earn (Or Buy) A Sparrow | Mount Unlock Guide
- Destiny 2: How To Get All New Subclasses | Artifact Unlock Guide
- Destiny 2: How To Unlock The Crucible | PVP Guide
- Destiny 2: How To Get The Scout Commander Aura | Farm Secrets Guide
- Destiny 2: How To Get Every Exotic Weapon | All Exotics List
- Destiny 2: How To Get Exotic Engrams | Farming Method Guide
Titan, Warlock & Hunter Class Guide
Once you choose one of the three classes, you’re locked in permanently. There’s no going back (unless you create a new character) — each class has two alternate subclasses you will unlock later in the game. Classes have different mobility options, different stats on their armor, and a distinctive look that sets them apart from the rest.
All classes can use all weapons. Everyone can equip Kinetic, Energy and Power weapons irrespective of class, you won’t have to worry about being unable to use your favorite gun. All weapons are always open for all classes — although some weapons may get a bonus when used in conjunction with a certain class.
Each class has one unique armor slot. Hunters have cloaks, Titans have Marks, and Warlocks have Bonds. It’s also worth noting that all classes fulfill many roles in Destiny 2 — everyone fights hard and shoots an endless stream of bullets. Nobody hangs out in the back. It’s all about fighting, but some classes have an ability or two that makes them more than another all-arounder.
Titan – Class Overview
- Role: Tank, Defender
- Heavy Armor, Ally Shields
- Mobility: High Vertical Double Jump
The Titan is more than just a standard Tank. Titans do get early buffs to health and shield regeneration, and they’re noticeably slower and less mobile than other classes — they match a standard FPS character speed, rather than being super-nimble like the Hunter. Titans are all about taking damage and dishing it out, and their unique ability to drop two different types of barrier can make them unstoppable solo on the Crucible or with a team.
Titans can summon two types of bulletproof, impassable barriers; Rally Barricades and Towering Barricades. Towering Barricades are tall barriers that can block movement, blocking enemy attacks and making some paths completely impassable for the duration of the barrier. The Rally Barricade is waist-high cover that’s a lot wider than the Towering variant, providing protective cover that also gives allies buffs in the form of free reloads and other enhancements. Both Barricades cause damage and slow enemies that touch.
The Titan splits into two classes; the Striker, and the all-new Sentinel.
- Subclasses:
- Striker: A powerful attacker subclass that unlocks explosive melee Super attacks.
- Super: Fists of Havoc – Ground pound or chain shoulder-charges for explosive elemental damage on enemies.
- Sentinel: All about the defense, this subclass provides a Shield Super you can use to attack or defend.
- Super: Sentinel Shield – Summons a Shield you can use to soak up damage, bash attack enemies in melee range, or throw once per activation.
- Striker: A powerful attacker subclass that unlocks explosive melee Super attacks.
Choose This Class If You…: Like wading into combat and shooting everything. Don’t mind limited mobility. Want lots of armor. Want to protect your friends with barriers. Become Captain America and ricochet your shield Super at enemies.
Hunter – Class Overview
- Role: Attacker, DPS
- Light Armor, Enhanced Melee & Self-Buff Dodges
- Mobility: Triple Jump, Dodges
The Hunter is all about speed and doing lots of damage fast. They’re so fast, you can weave through enemy fire, dodge to safety, then resume the attack from a better position. Hunters run faster, jump faster, and gain a pair of special dodge moves — one instantly reloads your weapon while you dodge, the other refills your melee when dodging next to enemies.
Every Hunter comes equipped with a sweet cloak and an enhanced melee knife. The Hunter is all about movement to avoid incoming damage, and using melee or medium-range weapons. Their two subclasses split the different pretty well; the Gunslinger unlocks a sidearm Super ability, while the Arcstrider earns you a killer lightning staff for melee combat.
- Subclasses:
- Gunslinger: Unleash deadly, accurate Solar damage from medium-range. Safer, but less mobility than the Arcstrider.
- Super: Golden Gun – Unlocks a powerful golden sidearm with a handful of shots that deal Solar damage.
- Arcstrider: An acrobatic, melee-attack chaining machine, the Arcstrider unleashes a lighting staff with high mobility.
- Super: Arc Staff – Summons a melee staff with Arc-elemental power that chains through nearby enemies. Very fast, with fancy attack animations.
- Gunslinger: Unleash deadly, accurate Solar damage from medium-range. Safer, but less mobility than the Arcstrider.
Choose This Class If You…: Like being light and nimble, dishing out high-damage at medium-to-close range. Want to weave through combat and get buffs with Dodge Mobility moves. Enjoy the risk-versus-reward, high-stakes lifestyle. Want to become Darth Maul and carve up enemies with the Arc Staff, or become a Gunslinger and use a Super gold revolver to melt enemies with Solar damage.
Warlock – Class Overview
- Role: Support
- Medium Armor, Healing & Empowering Buffs
- Mobility: Float
The Warlock is your classic Support class, only with a whole lot more firepower at their disposal. They’re somewhere between the Titan and Hunter when it comes to defense, but they can stand on their own with a unique floating mobility move and two special buffs — Healing Rift and Empowering Rift.
That’s where the Warlock class really shines. They can float, with class upgrades to enhance their abilities while gliding through the air, and they can defend their team by opening rifts. The Healing Rift heals allies that enter the area-of-effect, while the Empowering Rift grants bonus weapon damage. The subclasses focus on the Warlock’s damage-per-second potential, giving them access to a massive, deadly explosive Void bomb, or a Dawnblade sword that’s further enhanced by gliding and ground-slams.
- Subclasses:
- Voidwalker: Unlock enhanced melee abilities, an upgraded “Blink” dodge, or special Nova Bomb upgrades that suck enemies in, or causes the Nova Bomb to track.
- Super: Nova Bomb – Throws a Void bomb that explodes into even more, smaller Void bombs. Unlike other Super Modes, this is a single, quick attack.
- Dawnblade: Enhances mobility by granting even more buffs and abilities while gliding.
- Super: Daybreak – Grants Solar Blades that can be thrown, or use a gliding ground-slam to create an explosive burst of Solar energy.
- Voidwalker: Unlock enhanced melee abilities, an upgraded “Blink” dodge, or special Nova Bomb upgrades that suck enemies in, or causes the Nova Bomb to track.
Choose This Class If You…: Like floating above the battlefield, blasting enemies from the sky. Want to protect your team with buffs and heals. Want more defense than the hunter, but less than the Titan. Become a sword-wielding badass and slamming the ground from above with the Dawnbreaker Super, or fire-and-forget a massive ball of Void energy.
There’s so much more to each of the Destiny 2 classes, but we’ll leave the rest for you to discover. Happy hunting, Guardians!
Check out more Destiny 2 guides on Gameranx:
- Destiny 2: Dawnblade Breakdown | Class Guide
- Destiny 2: Arcstrider Breakdown | Class Guide
- Destiny 2: Sentinel Breakdown | Class Guide
- Destiny 2: Striker Breakdown | Class Guide
- Destiny 2: Gunslinger Breakdown | Class Guide
- Destiny 2: Voidwalker Breakdown | Class Guide
- Destiny 2: Nightstalker Breakdown | Class Guide
- Destiny 2: Homecoming Walkthrough | Beta Guide