Destiny 2: Forsaken - How To Go Beyond Power Level 500+ | Prime & Powerful Engrams Guide

[UPDATED: Now includes information on Prime Engrams!]

Things have changed in Destiny 2: Forsaken. The DLC lets Guardians reach Level 50 — and naturally, that includes an easy array of weapons and gear that will become more powerful as you level up. The trouble begins when you reach the cap. At Level 50, you can only earn items that are PL 500 as rewards or drops. To actually increase your PL, you need to find an alternate path.

That alternate path comes in the form of Daily Challenges. A new addition to the Weekly Resets, Daily Challenges are useful way to push your Power Level ever-so-slightly higher. Just check the rewards, and you’ll quickly learn why. Daily Challenges aren’t the only way to continue to climb the ranks, but they’re a consistent path, and I’ll explain why with the full guide below.

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How To Go Beyond Power Level 500+ Soft Cap | PL 600 Guide

Destiny 2: Forsaken changes the Level Cap and the Power Level Cap — you can now reach Level 50 and Power Level 600. If you manage to reach Level 50, which should be easy if you complete the new story campaign missions, you’ll be able to grab random loot or open engrams with gear at Power Level 500. That’s the softcap, and pushing your Power Level to 500+ is a whole lot harder.

UPDATE: You can now also collect Prime Engrams to earn a higher Power Level.
- You’ll get your first Prime Engram from the Cryptarch once you reach Level 50.
  - You’ll gain the “Prime Attunement” Buff after gaining your first Prime Engram. This will increase the chances of collecting future Prime Engrams.
  - Prime Engrams are dropped by Powerful Enemies (Yellow HP Bars) and after Crucible Matches. You can complete Wanted Bounties, clear Lost Sectors, or play through Heroic Public Events for a chance to get a Prime Engram.
How To Earn Prime Engrams Fast:
- It’s theorized that the best way to earn Prime Engram drops, currently, is by completing Lost Sectors in The Dreaming City.
- The Chamber of Starlight and the Lost Sector in The Strand are good places to farm for Prime Engrams.

Reaching Level 50 is extremely simple. Complete the main campaign, join Public Events, clear Lost Sectors, and open Region Chests. You don’t really need to grind at all. Just complete tasks you haven’t done yet, and you’ll easily reach Level 50. For every level, you’ll earn higher PL gear, up to 500.

Going beyond PL 500 is all about finding “Powerful Engrams” — regular Legendary Engrams are useless. You’ll always want to find “Powerful Engram” rewards.
- Powerful Engrams are a common reward for Forsaken Daily Challenges. Check your map and milestones too — browse quest-givers and search out bounties. Talk to the Gambit / Crucible NPCs. All of these can possibly given you Powerful Engrams.
- Daily Challenges cycle every four days.

What makes Powerful Engrams different? Powerful Engrams will ALWAYS give you weapons or armor that are slightly higher than your current Power Level. Before earning the Engram, make sure you equip gear so you’re at the highest possible Power Level you can reach. Whenever you earn a Powerful Engram, the PL of the Engram is set in stone. It doesn’t matter when you open it.

Apparently, there’s a very small chance that you can earn Powerful Engrams as a random drop or reward. Don’t count on it, though.

Save all the Powerful Engram Dailies — you don’t want to earn a Powerful Engram before you’re PL 500. It’s a waist to earn them before that, because you’ll naturally earn PL 500 gear just by reaching Level 50. It’s a cinch. The real challenge is gaining PL above 500.

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