The Edge of Fate kicks off the next era of Destiny 2 with a trippy campaign premise all about the Nine, and that's going to be further expanded upon once the The Desert Perpetual release time rolls around. From the brief glimpse we've had so far, it looks to give us more of a look at the Nine's realm of Eternity, and I'm all here for it.
Of course, The Edge of Fate raid begins with the usual Contest Mode veterans have come to expect, but it works a little differently this time around—better, if you're not looking for so much of a challenge at release. Below, I'll go over everything there is to know about The Desert Perpetual raid right now.
Destiny 2 The Desert Perpetual release date and time
As with previous expansions, The Edge of Fate raid doesn't launch alongside the actual expansion. Instead, The Desert Perpetual goes live at 10 am PT on Saturday, July 19, 2025, kick-starting the World First raid race in Contest Mode:
- 10 am PDT (West Coast US)
- 1 pm EDT (East Coast US)
- 6 pm BST (UK)
- 7 pm CEST (Europe)
- 3 am AEST, July 20 (Australia)
To access The Desert Perpetual raid (at launch or in the future), you must complete the Edge of Fate campaign. Although Bungie is yet to reveal the recommended power level, you'll be contest-ready if you finish the campaign on legendary difficulty.
Destiny 2 The Desert Perpetual Contest Mode and raid race
Just like previous raids, The Desert Perpetual launches with Contest Mode enabled for 48 hours, making encounters more difficult, but gives exclusive rewards (like emblems and a raid belt) that you won't ever be able to earn again. This is when the raid race officially begins, with players racing to be the first team in the world to beat it.
This time around though, Bungie has made a big change (for the better, in my opinion): once the raid race is over and a team has won, Normal Mode will go live for all players while Contest Mode remains available until the full 48 hours are up. This is great for those who still want to beat the raid in the first two days, but don't care for the Contest Mode challenge.
Destiny 2 The Desert Perpetual Twitch Drops
Even if you're not taking part in The Edge of Fate raid race, you can earn exclusive rewards thanks to a new Twitch Drop campaign. If you watch the following Twitch accounts while the World First race is taking place, you can earn the Power Hues emblem as a Twitch Drop:
- Bungie pre-show from 6:45 am – 10 am PT
- Evanf1997 pre-show and full raid follow from 6:45 am – 6 pm PT
- WiseThug and Merj1 (FR) from 10 am – 2 pm PT
- Nexxoss Gaming and EllyKnalltRein (DE) from 10 am – 2 pm PT
- Masseo (IT) from 10 am – 2 pm PT
- El Tío Toland (LATAM MX) from 10 am – 2 pm PT
After the raid race is over, you can also earn the Golden Relief emblem by gifting a sub to any eligible Twitch Channel in the Destiny 2 category streaming The Desert Perpetual raid from Saturday, July 19 to Tuesday, July 29.
All you need to do to start earning these Twitch Drops is to link your Bungie and Twitch accounts and tune in to eligible streamers while the event is active.
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