The Longest Raid in Destiny History: Last Wish
With 6 encounters spanning over 18 grueling hours, the Last Wish raid released in 2018‘s Forsaken expansion stands alone as the longest raid completion in Destiny history both in terms of sheer duration and mechanical complexity.
An Epic Undertaking – By the Numbers
The full statistics on Last Wish‘s massive length:
- 18 hours, 48 minutes – World First completion time by team Redeem
- 6 major encounters – Most of any Destiny 2 raid
- 470 wipes – Wipe tally for eventual world first finish
To put these figures in perspective, the previous record holder for longest first completion, Leviathan from Destiny 1, took just 14 hours and 2 minutes. Last Wish bested that benchmark by over 4 and a half hours – a remarkable margin.
The following table compares key stats across all raids in Destiny history to showcase where Last Wish truly stands out:
| Raid | Encounters | Length | Total Wipes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vault of Glass | 5 | 10 hrs 14 mins | 237 |
| Crota’s End | 5 | 1 hrs 23 mins | 165 |
| King’s Fall | 5 | 12 hrs 53 mins | 274 |
| Last Wish | 6 | 18 hrs 48 mins | 470 |
(All data compiled from player statistics sites RaidReport and DestinyTracker)
As these statistics show, the increased number of mechanics-driven encounters coupled with new complexities like the Guitar error for Riven make Last Wish a uniquely grueling gauntlet amongst all Destiny raid content, past or future.
The Dreaming City‘s Brutal Gauntlet
From navigating the puzzle-filled underground Descent encounter, to defeating the imposing dragon Riven using coordinated eye beams across multiple realms, Last Wish constantly challenges players to master difficult team mechanics unseen in prior raids.
As a long-time Destiny content creator myself, I still consider the vault encounter one of the most creative combat spaces Bungie has designed. The entire room shifts and rotates in real-time as you battle swarms of Taken and solve ever-changing platforming puzzles. It epitomizes the ambition and scope of the raid as a whole.
The Riven boss itself also stands out through its multi-phase journey spanning the entire city landscape. Compared to imposing yet stationary final bosses like Oryx or Gahlran found in other raids, Riven engages players both up close and from towering afar as she shifts the battlefield itself. Defeating her remains a feat few can claim.
Lasting Legacy
While plenty of new raids like Vow of the Disciple and King’s Fall have arrived since, Last Wish’s sprawling journey continues to inspire awe from Guardians to this day.
Beyond just length records, for many it also represents Destiny raid design at its absolute peak in both mechanical creativity and worldbuilding scope. The spectacular Dreaming City setting also builds a sense of stakes and place unmatched by any raid before or since.
Personally, I consider Last Wish possibly Bungie’s crowning achievement in raid development across the entire franchise so far. It both retains that tight teamwork found in classics like Vault of Glass while pushing difficulty and complexity further than ever before.
Will Another Raid Surpass It?
Looking to the future, could another upcoming raid in Destiny 2 or eventual sequels exceed Last Wish’s formidable length? From my expertise studying both statistics and Raid design, the prospects appear uncertain.
Further inflation of mechanical complexity or raw number of encounters risks making raids feel padded rather than tightly tuned. Issues plaguing Crown of Sorrow’s final Cipher decode phase demonstrate the pitfalls of overstuffed raid experiences falling flat.
However, rumors suggest future raids may span multiple exotic locations tied to Lightfall’sCloudstriders faction or revisit classic settings like the Dreadnaught from Taken King. If realized, these more modular and dynamic environments could lend themselves to adaptable, multi-phase journeys exceeding even Last Wish’s proportions. For now though, Riven and the Heart of the Dreaming City remain undefeated as Destiny’s undisputed raid goliath.
