Which side will you take?
Destiny 2 is a game where you get to create your own guardian in the way that you want. You pick the looks, powers, loadout, and everything in between! But beyond the surface of loadouts and playlists, a deeper, more subtle divide exists among its most dedicated players. One that everyone knows about, but you will rarely find anyone talking about it, and it dictates how people interact with the game’s endgame. We’re talking about speed versus style. One side has speedrunners and min-maxers. For them, success is measured in time, performance, and rewards per hour. On the other, the players that focus on fashion, aesthetics and looking cool, who see Destiny 2 as a roleplaying sandbox just as much as a shooter. Their goals are aesthetic, expressive, and often more personal. Both groups love the same game. But they often inhabit very different realities within it. This article explores how this split manifests in Destiny 2, why both approaches are valid, and what it says about the game Bungie has built.
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The Speedrunners: Masters of the Clock
Destiny 2’s endgame rewards players who understand systems deeply. This has naturally led to the rise of “speed culture” in content like Grandmaster Nightfalls, Raids, and Dungeons.
These players live and breathe efficiency:
- They optimize their loadouts based on frame-by-frame DPS tests.
- They coordinate subclasses with team synergy in mind (e.g., running triple Well of Radiance, or Thundercrash Titans with Cuirass for burst phases).
- They shave minutes off clear times, not because they have to, but because that’s where their fun lies.
To them, mastery isn’t just finishing a raid — it’s finishing it faster, cleaner, and with the fewest revives. For these players, PvE becomes a kind of ballet of control and domination.
The tools of this trade include:
- DPS spreadsheets and sandbox test labs
- Damage rotation practices
- Build-crafting using mods, fragments, and exotic synergies
- Frequent references to high-clear YouTube guides and Reddit optimization threads
And of course, the holy grail: the Speedrun Record. While many players are satisfied with just completing a Raid, the speed community competes for the world’s fastest clears. Sometimes clocking in under 30 minutes on content that can take a casual group three times that.
The Fashionistas: Warriors of Aesthetic and Identity
Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, another subset of Destiny players logs in for an entirely different kind of endgame: Fashion. Vibe. Style.
These players may not always care about the fastest Nightfall time, but they do care about matching their shader to their Ghost shell. For them, Destiny is a canvas for self-expression. Transmog is their sandbox. And every time they equip a new piece of armor, it’s about building a visual identity, not necessarily a stat-optimized god roll.
Fashion players may gravitate toward themed builds:
- A Void Warlock with an all-black shader set, glowing purple eyes, and the Nezarec’s Sin exotic.
- A Titan with a white-and-gold Trials set, roleplaying as a “Paladin of the Light.”
- A Hunter decked out in full Festival of the Lost gear, using only guns that match the spooky vibe.
You’ll find them posting in different social media sites like Reddit or X. In the Tower, they’re the ones inspecting your loadout, not for your DPS, but for your aesthetics.
To them, what you look like is part of what you are. And that identity is more important than the timer on a Strike.
Two Endgames, One Universe
What’s fascinating is that both of these groups are engaging with the same game, but drawing meaning from entirely different areas. Destiny 2 is unique in that it supports both.
Bungie didn’t build a single endgame — they built a layered one!
- For the Speedrunners, they’ve introduced contest modes, Master raids, and damage-check DPS phases that reward elite execution.
- For the Stylists, Bungie launched transmog, shader presets, and armor focusing systems that allow for fine control over appearance.
Even seasonal activities have something for both crowds. A player grinding a seasonal activity like “Salvage” might be there to cap out their red border weapon progress, farming efficiently with a fireteam. But right beside them, another Guardian is dancing in a corner, showcasing their Taken-themed ensemble while using an off-meta weapon just because it fits the vibe.
Neither of these players is “wrong.” They just play for different reasons.
When the Two Worlds Collide
Of course, friction between these philosophies is inevitable — especially in matchmade or LFG groups.
The Speed-oriented player might get frustrated when their fireteam member is using a sub-optimal loadout like Graviton Lance or Rat King, even if it matches their outfit. Meanwhile, the Fashion player may feel judged or dismissed for not adhering to strict DPS meta expectations.
These clashes often spark debates online:
- “If you’re not using Arbalest in this GM, you’re throwing.”
- “Let people play how they want. It’s just a game.”
- “Sure, use that off-meta build — but not in my raid group!”
This tension becomes especially apparent in high-stakes content like Raids or Trials, where expectations of efficiency rise. But it’s not really about skill. It’s about expectation mismatch!
When both parties understand that the other is playing for a different reason, these conflicts can be avoided. But it requires awareness and mutual respect.
Bungie’s Tightrope Walk
Interestingly, Bungie is in a delicate position: they must cater to both groups without alienating either. And so far, they’ve done a surprisingly good job.
Recent expansions and seasonal content show that Bungie sees both sides:
- Themed armor sets and event cosmetics keep the fashion crowd satisfied.
- Loadout systems and mod overhauls cater to the min-max crowd.
- Artifice armor, stat recalibration, and crafting systems serve both: optimizing stats and customizing look.
Still, challenges remain. Bungie must constantly balance between power fantasy and creative freedom. If fashion becomes completely decoupled from power, speedrunners may ignore it entirely. If power becomes inaccessible without playing “the right way,” fashion-focused players may feel excluded.
It’s a tough balance. But Destiny 2’s enduring appeal suggests they’re walking that tightrope better than most.
In Conclusion
Destiny 2 is many things, a looter shooter, a social hub, a sci-fi epic, but above all, it’s a game that allows players to find their own goals.
Whether you’re racing through a Grandmaster Nightfall with a stopwatch in hand, or walking into the Tower looking like a celestial god, you’re engaging with Destiny 2 on your own terms. The real magic is that Bungie has made a game that supports both.
And while the Speed vs. Style divide might seem like a silent culture war, it’s really a reflection of the game’s depth. So the next time someone’s doing a little too much with their emote combos instead of clearing adds, or you see a triple Thundercrash team bulldozing a strike in record time, remember: both are chasing greatness. Just in very different ways!