The highly anticipated Desert Perpetual World First Raid race for Destiny 2 officially began on July 19, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific Time. This marks the first raid event under the game’s newly launched expansion, The Edge of Fate, introducing a fresh chapter for the franchise with the start of the Fate saga. As with previous raid launches, the first 48 hours are governed by Contest Mode, a special setting designed to level the playing field by capping player Power and disabling specific gear, mods, and perks.
Contest Mode will remain active until July 21, restricting the use of several powerful items and mechanics within the raid. Bungie has published a comprehensive list of disabled gear, including notable weapons like Outbreak Perfected and Hierarchy of Needs, as well as several seasonal weapon mods such as Temporal Tracker and Temporal Blast. Bounty and weapon progression for combatant kills have also been suspended inside the raid during this period to ensure competitive integrity.
Set within the enigmatic realm of the Nine, The Desert Perpetual raid challenges fireteams of six to navigate through unfamiliar and treacherous territory. Unlike traditional missions, raids in Destiny 2 are designed with minimal guidance, demanding coordination, strategy, and swift adaptability from participating teams. The stakes are high, with the first fireteam to successfully clear the raid earning the coveted World First title and exclusive in-game rewards.
Early coverage of the event has been extensive, with Bungie hosting an official pre-show broadcast and notable community streamers like CBGray and Evanf1997 providing live commentary throughout the race. Twitch viewers are also able to earn exclusive drops such as Power Hues and Golden Relief by watching participating streamers, adding further excitement to the community’s engagement with the event.
Bungie has not yet officially confirmed the leading teams, but initial reports from the community suggest that some of the most well-known names in the Destiny 2 raiding scene have made significant progress in the early stages of the competition. As of this writing, aTides and Thunderlord appear to be in the lead; however, they suffered a wipe during the final damage phase.
This World First race marks a critical moment for Destiny 2 in its eighth year, especially as it transitions into a new era following the conclusion of the Light and Darkness saga. The Edge of Fate expansion has introduced sweeping changes to gameplay systems, gear management, and overall balance—factors that are now directly influencing the dynamics of the raid competition.
Once the World First completion is verified by Bungie, the standard version of The Desert Perpetual raid will become available to all owners of The Edge of Fate expansion. This follows the tradition of previous expansions, where the elite raiding community’s triumph unlocks access for the wider player base.
With Contest Mode underway and the competition heating up, the coming hours will reveal which team manages to navigate the complexities of the raid’s challenges and secure their place in Destiny 2’s history. Fans can continue to follow the event via Bungie’s official channels and community streamers as the race for World First intensifies.
