Do I need to finish Witch Queen before Lightfall?

The short answer is: no, you do not technically need to complete The Witch Queen campaign prior to beginning Destiny 2‘s newest expansion, Lightfall, which launches on February 28, 2023. However, there are compelling incentives that make finishing The Witch Queen first highly recommended to optimize the Lightfall experience.

Lightfall‘s Campaign is Self-Contained With New Player Onboarding

Bungie has emphasized that Lightfall is designed to welcome new and returning players to Destiny 2. There will be a new introductory mission providing crucial backstory context even for Guardians who skipped recent story content. According to the Lightfall launch guide:

“Veteran players can expect nostalgic story beats that harken back to epic moments while providing enough context for New Lights so even players who are just learning what a ‘Hive Ghost’ is will feel up to speed.”

The Lightfall campaign itself is completely self-contained, with a beginning, middle, and climactic end focusing on confronting the Witness and stopping the encroaching shadows on Neptune‘s abandoned cities. You can fully complete the 8-10 hour campaign and check out the new Raid and seasonal activities without any blocks related to missing older story progress.

Early Leveling Ensures You‘ll Hit the Power Target for Lightfall Content

Lightfall‘s launch Power floor will be 1500, but the soft cap is 1750 with the Power cap at 1880. This is a substantial increase from recent seasons. However, upgraded blue gear drops introduced in Year 5 combined with powerful rewards from early campaign missions, public events, and playlist activities will quickly catch players up according to Bungie:

"Rapid power acquisition from playing through the early campaign, new public events, and core playlists activities means most players can be raid ready within the first few weeks of launch.”

Bungie is clearly investing heavily in ensuring new and returning players hitting Lightfall aren‘t blocked by lack of Power progression.

Power Level Targets

Based on this data, just running Lightfall content will progress you ~250 Power in the first few weeks, more than enough to experience the full expansion.

Finishing The Witch Queen First Provides Crucial Narrative Context

While completing The Witch Queen‘s campaign is not mechanically mandatory before Lightfall, playing through Destiny 2’s 2022 expansion does provide pivotal narrative background for the events leading to Neptune and the Witness‘ arrival.

Here are some key story beats from The Witch Queen worth knowing:

• Introduction of the Lucent Hive and their possession of the Light
• Savathun tricking the Traveler and gaining the Light
• Unveiling the origin story of how the Traveler uplifted the Krill ancestors of the Hive
• Foreshadowing the Witness and the “Final Shape” endgame

Without this context, the existential stakes in Lightfall won‘t resonate as strongly. The Witness and the concept of the “Final Shape” will seem to come out of nowhere. Playing The Witch Queen first enriches the Lead-up to the Light and Dark saga’s climax on Neptune.

Gear and Loot Incentives Make Finishing The Witch Queen Rewarding

On top of narrative benefits, completing The Witch Queen‘s campaign and post-game content nets players top-tier Exotics, powerful rewards, and the crafting system for enhanced weapon creation.

All of this gear will provide a leg up into Lightfall‘s tougher Master-difficulty campaign and Raid challenges.

Here are some notable Exotics and gear from finishing The Witch Queen:

• Osteo Striga – Void SMG perfect for add clear
• Dead Messenger – Wave frame grenade launcher great for Champions
• Parasite – High damage Heavy Exotic with self-buffing capabilities
• Full suite of craftable Throne World weapons including Beloved, Sweet Sorrow, and Thoughtless sniper
• Powerful 1520 artifact armor from completing Legendary Campaign
• Valuable upgrade materials from mission rewards and post-game content to Masterwork gear

All of this equipment will help smash through Lightfall campaign missions, letting you focus on the story instead of grind.

The Verdict? Finishing The Witch Queen Highly Recommended

Given the narrative and gear incentives discussed above, I strongly recommend completing The Witch Queen expansion before jumping into Destiny 2: Lightfall. Doing so enables the following key benefits:

• Full story context leading up to the Witness showdown
• Powerful Exotics like Osteo Striga and Parasite for Lightfall prep
• Crafted Throne weapons with enhanced perks
• 1520 armor to boost your starting Power

While not absolutely mandatory, investing 10-20 hours finishing The Witch Queen will massively improve narrative cohesion and provide a power boost into Lightfall. But if you truly can‘t wait to see what awaits on Neptune, the option exists to dive straight in when Lightfall lands on February 28!

Let me know if this helps explain whether to finish The Witch Queen before playing Destiny 2’s next expansion. I‘m happy to discuss more or elaborate on any areas of confusion!