The Desert Perpetual is the new raid in Destiny 2’s Edge of Fate expansion. Here’s everything you need to know: release time, Contest Mode, Power level, and raid rewards.
With Edge of Fate, Bungie is kicking off the next big saga of Destiny 2, bringing a new storyline, a new Kepler destination, and a ton of quality of life changes. This expansion sets the stage for Year 8, which is called the “Year of Prophecy”; the focus of this expansion, however, is on the Nine.
As part of the expansion, there’s a brand-new raid coming, and it’s called The Desert Perpetual. Just like previous raids, players can look forward to high-stakes combat, puzzles, and a new raid-exclusive exotic weapon.
In this article, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the raid, from when it starts to the gear and rewards tied to it.
Destiny 2 Desert Perpetual Raid Start Date and Time
The Desert Perpetual raid goes live on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10 AM PT. That’s when the doors open and players can jump in for a shot at World First. As always, the raid will launch in Contest Mode, which makes it more challenging but also more rewarding for those chasing the top spot.
Here’s the release date and time converted into other time zones:
- Saturday, July 19, at 10 AM PT (Pacific Time)
- Eastern Time (ET): 1 PM – July 19
- Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC): 5 PM – July 19
- British Summer Time (BST): 6 PM – July 19
- Central European Time (CET): 7 PM – July 19
- Gulf Standard Time (GST – UAE): 9 PM – July 19
- India Standard Time (IST): 10 PM – July 19
- Japan Standard Time (JST): 2 AM – July 20
- Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST): 3 AM – July 20
The raid is expected to tie heavily into the Nine, with Bungie teasing just enough to keep things mysterious. The devs revealed the full loading image for the raid, which you can check out below.
Destiny 2 Desert Perpetual Raid Race and Contest Mode Details
Like past raids, Contest Mode for The Desert Perpetual raid will run for 48 hours, starting at launch. During this time, every team in the world will be playing under the same difficult settings, and the race will be on to see who finishes first.
The first team to complete every encounter and loot the final chest will be officially crowned World First champions. They’ll even receive exclusive raid belts as a real-world reward. Bungie will confirm the winners using internal tools to make sure everything was done fairly. If cheating or rule-breaking is found, Bungie can still take the win away, even after announcing it.
After the first completion is verified, the Normal Mode version of the raid will go live for everyone else, but Contest Mode will still stay open for the full 48 hours.
Destiny 2 Desert Perpetual Raid Contest Mode Power Level
To get into the raid, you’ll need to complete the Edge of Fate campaign first. That’s your entry ticket. If you finish the campaign on Legendary difficulty, you’ll be raid-ready for Contest Mode right away.
If you choose the Normal difficulty, don’t worry, you’ll need to grind for Power before the raid opens. Bungie hasn’t shared the exact Power Level you’ll need just yet, but it’ll be announced before July 19. So make sure you keep an eye on their official channels if you’re planning to compete.
We will update this section once more details become available.
Destiny 2 Desert Perpetual Raid Twitch Drops
Bungie is once again offering exclusive Twitch rewards for those tuning into the Desert Perpetual raid race. If you’re planning to watch the action unfold live, here’s what you can earn just by showing up.
Power Hues Emblem
You can unlock the Power Hues emblem simply by watching eligible Twitch streams during the raid event. Bungie has set up several featured channels covering the raid, including both global and regional creators. Check out the featured streams below:
- Bungie Pre-Show: 6:45 AM PT – 10 AM PT
- Evanf1997 (Full Coverage): 6:45 AM PT – 6 PM PT
- WiseThug & Merj1 (French): 10 AM – 2 PM PT
- Nexxoss Gaming & EllyKnalltRein (German): 10 AM – 2 PM PT
- Masseo (Italian): 10 AM – 2 PM PT
- El Tío Toland (LATAM/MX): 10 AM – 2 PM PT
- CBGray (YouTube): Will be handing out limited Power Hues emblem codes during the event
Just make sure your Twitch and Bungie accounts are linked so the reward shows up in your collections.
Golden Relief Emblem
There’s also a second limited-time reward: the Golden Relief emblem.
How to unlock it:
- Gift a Twitch subscription to any eligible Destiny 2 channel that’s streaming The Desert Perpetual raid between: July 19 at 6 PM PT and July 29 at 10 AM PT
Destiny 2 Desert Perpetual Raid Exotic Weapon and Armor
While Bungie hasn’t officially shown off the Exotic weapon or armor tied to the Desert Perpetual raid just yet, we know from past experience that these are usually some of the best items in the game. Leaks suggest there could be a new Strand Heavy Exotic weapon.
Raid weapons typically feature a new Origin trait, and for armor, the visual style that matches the theme of the raid. We will update this section once we have the full loot pool for the raid.
Alongside all the raid hype, Bungie has also released the full soundtrack for Edge of Fate. The full soundtrack contains a total of 19 tracks, some of which are brand-new and some are remixes of the old ones. You can check it out here.
That’s the full rundown on Destiny 2’s Desert Perpetual raid. Are you planning to race on launch day? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
