Finding games similar to destiny is honestly a bit of a nightmare because "Destiny" isn't just one thing. It's a weird, lightning-in-a-bottle blend of crisp Bungie gunplay, a cryptic sci-fi universe, and a dopamine-loop endgame that feels more like a second job than a hobby. Most lists you see online just throw a bunch of random shooters at you and call it a day. That’s lazy.
If you’re looking for a new home after thousands of hours in the Dreaming City, you’re usually looking for one of three things: the "feel" of the shooting, the depth of the build-crafting, or the social chaos of a raid. You won't find one game that does all three better than Destiny, but you can find games that do one of those things significantly better.
The Problem With the "Destiny Killer" Label
Remember Anthem? Of course you do, mostly as a cautionary tale. For years, every big publisher tried to manufacture a "Destiny Killer." They all failed because they tried to copy the homework without understanding the math. Bungie spent decades perfecting the way a digital gun feels when it kicks against a virtual shoulder. That 30-second loop of fun—run, jump, shoot, reload—is the hardest thing to replicate.
Digital Extremes did it differently with Warframe. They didn't try to be Destiny. In fact, Warframe predates the original Destiny release by a year. While Destiny is about precision and limited power, Warframe is about becoming a literal space god who moves so fast the screen blurs. It's the most common recommendation for a reason, but the barrier to entry is a brick wall. You’ll spend more time looking at a Wiki than actually playing for the first fifty hours.
Warframe is for the spreadsheet junkies
If your favorite part of Destiny is hitting Max Power and optimizing your stat splits, Warframe will ruin your life in the best way possible. It’s free. That’s the first thing everyone says. But it’s "free" in a way that demands your time as a literal currency. You aren't just farming for a roll on a hand cannon; you're farming for the components to build the gun, which then takes 12 to 24 real-world hours to "forge."
The movement is the draw. Bullet jumping across a tileset feels like parkour on steroids. In Destiny, you’re a tanky wizard; in Warframe, you’re a blender. The modding system is where the "build-crafting" lives. You don't just put on a piece of armor with better Intellect. You slot in cards that fundamentally change how your abilities work. You can turn a frame that's supposed to be a healer into a nuke that clears entire rooms. It’s chaotic. It’s overwhelming. It’s also probably the most generous free-to-play model in existence, since you can trade the premium currency (Platinum) with other players.
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The Division 2: For the People Who Miss the Tactical Grind
Maybe you don't care about space magic. Maybe you just want a solid cover-based shooter where the loot actually matters. The Division 2 is the "adult" version of the looter-shooter. It’s grounded in a crumbling Washington D.C. and NYC. The gunplay is heavy. If you stand out in the open like you’re in a Strike, you’re going to die in three seconds.
Massive Entertainment nailed the "world" better than Bungie often does. The environments are dense. Every trash pile feels like it was placed by a level designer with a story to tell.
The gear system here is actually more intuitive than Destiny’s current "Armor 3.0" setup. You have brands. Wearing three pieces of "Wyvern Wear" gives you specific buffs. You can "recalibrate" gear, taking a high stat from a piece of junk and slapping it onto your favorite chest plate. It removes the layer of RNG frustration that makes Destiny players want to throw their controllers. Plus, the legendary missions and raids provide that high-end challenge, though the community is smaller and a bit more insular these other days.
Why Outriders is the best "One-and-Done" alternative
Not everyone wants a "forever game." Sometimes you just want to play a campaign, get some cool gear, and feel powerful without worrying about seasonal resets or sunsetting. Outriders by People Can Fly had a rocky launch—the servers were a mess—but after the Worldslayer expansion, it became a really tight experience.
It’s aggressive. There’s no "wait for your shields to recharge" here. To heal, you have to kill. It forces you into the face of the enemy. The story is surprisingly dark and weird, leaning more into the "cosmic horror" side of sci-fi than the "hopeful hero" vibe. It’s not a live service. You buy it, you play it, you finish it. For a lot of burnt-out Destiny vets, that’s exactly the palate cleanser needed.
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The Borderlands Paradox
You can't talk about games similar to destiny without mentioning the grandfather of the genre. Borderlands 2 is still the gold standard for many, even if Borderlands 3 has the better mechanical gunplay.
The tone is the polarizing factor. Destiny takes itself very seriously (mostly). Borderlands is a loud, screaming, neon-colored joke. If you can stomach the "humor," the loot system is infinitely more varied. We’re talking billions of guns. Guns that walk on legs. Guns that scream when you fire them. Guns that heal you.
The endgame in Borderlands 3, particularly the "Mayhem" levels, mirrors the Grandmaster Nightfall experience but with more explosions. It’s less about the "dance" of a boss fight and more about how much visual clutter you can create on the screen before the frame rate drops. It’s pure, unadulterated power fantasy.
First Descendant and the New Guard
Lately, The First Descendant has entered the chat. It’s basically what happens if Warframe and Destiny had a baby in the Unreal Engine 5. It’s beautiful. The characters look like they stepped out of a high-end anime.
But it’s grindy. Incredibly grindy.
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It uses a "Descendant" system similar to Warframe’s frames. You don't create a character; you unlock pre-made heroes with specific kits. Bunny is the speedster. Ajax is the tank. Lepic is the soldier. The boss fights (Void Intercepts) are actually very reminiscent of Destiny’s "Strike bosses" but with more mechanical complexity that requires a coordinated team. It’s a young game, though, so it lacks the decade of content that Bungie has built up. Expect to repeat the same three missions a lot.
Remnant 2: The "Soulslike" Looter
If you love the secrets of Destiny—the stuff like the Whisper of the Worm mission or the hidden puzzles in raids—Remnant 2 is your game. People call it "Dark Souls with guns," and while that’s a bit of a cliché, it’s accurate.
The worlds are procedurally generated in a way that actually matters. Your version of a world might have a completely different boss and questline than mine. It encourages multiple playthroughs. The "loot" isn't just a gun with a 5% better reload speed; it’s a unique artifact that fundamentally changes your build. It’s tighter, more difficult, and rewards exploration more than almost any other game on this list.
Making the Switch: Practical Advice
If you’re moving from Destiny to something else, don't expect the same "vibe." You have to adjust your expectations.
- Stop looking for the "Bungie feel." You won't find it. No one else has that specific physics engine. Focus instead on the mechanics—do you like the loot, the movement, or the co-op?
- Accept the Wiki. Games like Warframe or The Division 2 have layers of systems (Expertise, Arcanes, Helminth) that the game does a poor job of explaining. Use the community resources.
- Bring friends. These games are all exponentially better with a fireteam. If your clan is still stuck in Destiny, use Discord LFG servers to find a new crew. Most of these communities are surprisingly welcoming to "Destiny refugees."
- Try a different genre. Sometimes the best game similar to destiny isn't a shooter. Monster Hunter: World or Rise captures that "boss fight, get loot, make better gear to fight bigger boss" loop perfectly, just with giant swords instead of pulse rifles.
The reality is that Destiny 2 is a singular beast. It has survived a decade because it’s a very specific drug. But the "Looter" genre is wider than most people think. Whether it’s the high-speed ninja action of Warframe, the tactical grit of The Division, or the secret-hunting intensity of Remnant, there is life after the Traveler.
Start by picking one "core" thing you love about Destiny. If it's the build-crafting, download Warframe. If it's the gunplay and cover mechanics, grab The Division 2. If you want a challenge that respects your time, Remnant 2 is the play. Each of these games offers a version of that "just one more mission" feeling without the specific baggage of the Bungie ecosystem.
Dive into the subreddits for these games specifically to find "New Player Guides." Most are written by former Destiny players who have already done the heavy lifting of translating the terminology for you. Focus on the first ten hours—if the core movement doesn't click by then, move to the next one on the list. The right replacement is out there, but it usually doesn't look like what you expect.