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The shortlist is intentionally focused. The available evidence supports these three recommendations, but it does not establish a complete ranking of every Destiny-like game, current prices for every edition, or the current platform status of every title. Treat release dates, editions, online requirements, and live-service details as checks to make before buying.
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Quick comparison
| Game | Combat format | Co-op documented in the available sources | Build-crafting tools | Loot and ongoing play | Entry and platform notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borderlands 4 | First-person looter-shooter | Two-player local split-screen; online co-op for up to four; dynamic level scaling and individual difficulty settings | Branching skill trees, character choices, gear and loadout decisions | Deep loot chase and endgame-oriented progression described by Gearbox | Paid game. The 2K roadmap dated August 29, 2025 listed PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC for September 12, 2025, and Nintendo Switch 2 for October 3, 2025. Verify current editions and availability. |
| The First Descendant | Third-person looter-shooter | Four-player co-op boss encounters advertised on the Steam listing | Distinct characters and their abilities combined with weapon and loot choices | Strategic boss fights and repeated looting are central to the listing’s description | Free to play on the cited Steam listing. The listing also carried an October 8, 2026 notice about a planned November Guide Quests update; onboarding details can change. |
| Diablo IV | Action-RPG combat rather than shooting | Co-op campaign, shared open world, and parties of up to four for instanced dungeons in Blizzard’s 2019 overview | Skills, talents, items, and legendary powers | Class-based progression and item-driven build changes | Paid action RPG. The co-op and build details cited here come from a 2019 overview, so check current systems before purchase. |
How to choose a Destiny 2 alternative
“Games like Destiny 2” can mean several different things. Some players primarily want first-person gunplay; others want a four-person party, an endless gear chase, or the ability to rebuild a character around new skills and item effects. Decide which of those is non-negotiable before comparing labels such as “looter-shooter” or “action RPG.”
Start with combat
- Stay with shooting: Choose Borderlands 4 for first-person combat or The First Descendant for third-person combat.
- Accept an action-RPG change: Choose Diablo IV if the build-and-loot loop matters more than aiming a gun.
Check how your group plays
- Couch co-op: Borderlands 4 is the only title in this shortlist whose cited feature material explicitly describes local split-screen, for two players.
- Four online players: Borderlands 4 supports online parties of up to four, while The First Descendant advertises four-player cooperative boss fights. Diablo IV’s cited baseline describes parties of up to four for instanced dungeons.
- Uneven character levels: Borderlands 4 is the only one here with an explicitly documented solution: dynamic level scaling and individual difficulty settings.
Decide what “build crafting” means to you
In Borderlands 4, the documented foundation is branching skill trees plus gear selection. The First Descendant combines distinct characters and abilities with guns and loot. Diablo IV puts the emphasis on class skills, talents, items, and legendary powers. Those are different kinds of experimentation: a shooter build usually changes weapons, damage behavior, or abilities, while an action-RPG build can alter the entire rotation and role of a class.
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Separate campaign progression from the repeatable loop
Borderlands 4 is described as having a deep loot chase and ongoing endgame-oriented progression. The First Descendant’s cited listing foregrounds repeatable strategic boss encounters and looting. Diablo IV’s overview establishes campaign co-op, a shared world, dungeon parties, and item-based customization, but it is too old to serve as a complete description of the game’s current seasonal or endgame systems. If your purchase depends on a particular late-game activity, verify that activity in current official documentation.
Borderlands 4: the closest match for co-op loot and build crafting
For a group specifically searching for a Destiny 2-like combination of shooting, cooperative progression, and gear experimentation, Borderlands 4 is the strongest fit supported here. Gearbox’s feature article, published August 12, 2025, describes branching skill trees, a substantial loot chase, two-player local split-screen, and online co-op for up to four players. That combination covers the three pillars most players mean by this request: gunplay, shared missions, and a reason to keep changing equipment.
Why its co-op structure matters
Mixed-level parties are a common problem in loot games: one friend rushes ahead while another contributes little damage, or the group has to replay old content at an unsuitable difficulty. Gearbox says Borderlands 4 uses dynamic level scaling and lets players set individual difficulty preferences. Anthony Nicholson, Gearbox’s senior project producer, described the purpose this way: “Dynamic level scaling ensures that everyone can contribute, so you can always play together regardless of differences between your Vault Hunters’ levels or gear loadouts.” That is a practical advantage for families, established groups with different schedules, and players returning after a break.
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Local and online options
- Local: The cited feature material describes split-screen for two players.
- Online: Up to four players can play together.
- Account requirement: Gearbox says online play requires an internet connection and a SHiFT account.
- Crossplay: Crossplay requires SHiFT.
- Console requirement: Console online play requires a separate paid online subscription.
Those requirements are easy to miss if you assume a paid game includes every network service. Confirm the relevant console subscription and create or link the required account before your first group session.
What build crafting looks like
The official description emphasizes branching skill trees rather than a single fixed character path. That means a level-up decision can support different roles or play patterns, while the loot chase supplies the equipment decisions that make those choices practical. The exact number of trees, nodes, modifiers, or final combinations is not established by the cited material, so do not treat marketing language about “deep” builds as a promise of a particular build count.
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For a cooperative group, the useful question is not “Which class is best?” but “Can each player make a distinct contribution?” The documented scaling system makes level differences less disruptive; branching skills and gear give each player room to specialize. You can therefore plan around complementary preferences—such as one player prioritizing sustained damage and another preferring utility—without assuming the source material guarantees a specific meta composition.
Launch and roadmap caveats
A 2K roadmap dated August 29, 2025 listed Borderlands 4’s launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on September 12, 2025, followed by Nintendo Switch 2 on October 3, 2025. That roadmap is a dated planning document, not a current availability guarantee or a complete release calendar. Check the store page for the edition, platform, regional availability, patches, and any post-launch changes before purchase.
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- Groups that want first-person shooting rather than an action-RPG replacement.
- Players who need couch co-op as well as online play.
- Friends who often have different character levels or gear quality.
- Loot-focused players who enjoy changing a build as new equipment drops.
The First Descendant: a free-to-play third-person option
The First Descendant is the clearest alternative when the group wants a third-person perspective and a free-to-play entry point. Its Steam listing highlights strategic boss fights in four-player co-op, unique characters, gunplay, and looting. That makes it a reasonable choice for players who want a shooter with a visible character model and a party loop centered on coordinated encounters.
How its co-op loop is presented
The cited listing puts four-player boss fights at the center of cooperative play. “Strategic” matters here: the appeal is not simply adding more players to ordinary missions, but assembling a team for encounters that reward coordination. The available evidence does not specify matchmaking rules, crossplay conditions, voice-chat features, or how progression is synchronized between party members, so confirm those details in the current client and official support pages.
Character abilities plus loot
The First Descendant combines unique characters with gunplay and looting. In practical terms, your build decisions begin with the character you select and continue through the weapons and other drops you keep. This is a different emphasis from Borderlands 4’s explicitly described branching skill trees: the cited material supports character variety and loot-driven loadouts, but it does not establish the full size or respec rules of the skill system.
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Free-to-play does not mean friction-free
The Steam listing identifies the game as free to play, removing the initial purchase barrier. It does not, by itself, tell you the current cost of optional items, the exact progression speed, storage limits, or which content requires a purchase. If your group wants to avoid spending, review the current store and account terms together rather than assuming that every character, mission, or convenience feature is permanently free.
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Onboarding can change
The cited Steam page included an October 8, 2026 notice about a planned November update to Guide Quests. Because that notice concerns onboarding, new players should recheck the current tutorial and quest flow before relying on an older guide. A change to introductory quests can alter where features unlock, how quickly a new character reaches co-op, and which early objectives must be completed first.
Who should choose it
- Players who prefer third-person shooting.
- Groups that want four-player boss encounters.
- Anyone who wants to try a looter-shooter without buying the base game first.
- Players comfortable checking live-service changes and optional spending before committing long-term.
Diablo IV: the action-RPG alternative
Diablo IV belongs on this list because its cooperative progression and build customization answer the same underlying desire, even though combat is not shooter-based. Blizzard’s 2019 feature overview describes co-op campaign play, a shared open world, parties of up to four for instanced dungeons, and customization through skills, talents, items, and legendary powers.
What you gain by changing genres
Diablo IV shifts attention from aiming and weapon handling to class identity, ability timing, equipment combinations, and the interaction between skills and legendary effects. If your favorite part of Destiny 2 is rebuilding a character around a new set of abilities and gear, this can be a productive change rather than a downgrade. If precise first-person shooting is the essential part, however, Diablo IV will not substitute for a looter-shooter.
Co-op structure
The cited overview supports a cooperative campaign, a shared open world, and parties of up to four in instanced dungeons. That gives a group several scales of play: progress through the story together, encounter other activity in the shared world, and form a full party for dungeon runs. The overview is from 2019, so treat it as a baseline rather than a current specification of party limits, cross-platform features, account rules, or endgame activities.
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Build-crafting tools
- Skills: Active abilities define what your character does moment to moment.
- Talents: Choices shape how those abilities develop.
- Items: Equipment changes the numbers and interactions that make a build viable.
- Legendary powers: Special effects can alter how skills or item combinations function.
The available source does not establish current class balance, respec costs, seasonal mechanics, or the best endgame builds. Use current official information for those decisions, especially if you are choosing the game for a specific class or activity.
Who should choose it
- Players who value build depth more than a shooting viewpoint.
- Groups that want campaign co-op and shared-world play.
- Action-RPG fans who enjoy testing skills, talents, and item effects.
- Players willing to verify current systems because the cited feature overview is dated.
Comparison by the decisions that affect a group
Combat viewpoint and feel
| Priority | Best fit from this shortlist | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| First-person shooting | Borderlands 4 | The researched description identifies it as a first-person looter-shooter with a loot chase and skill trees. |
| Third-person shooting | The First Descendant | The Steam listing presents third-person gunplay, unique characters, boss fights, and looting. |
| Build experimentation over shooting | Diablo IV | Its cited overview centers skills, talents, items, and legendary powers in an action-RPG framework. |
Party size and local play
Borderlands 4 has the broadest documented co-op mix: two-player local split-screen plus online parties of up to four. The First Descendant’s cited feature is four-player online boss co-op. Diablo IV’s cited 2019 overview describes up to four players in instanced dungeons and cooperative campaign play. Only Borderlands 4 has an explicit local option in the material used here.
Playing with differently progressed friends
Borderlands 4 has the clearest answer through dynamic level scaling and individual difficulty settings. The sources do not establish equivalent systems for The First Descendant or Diablo IV. If your group regularly has returning players, ask specifically how enemy levels, rewards, mission completion, and difficulty are handled before choosing a game.
Cost and commitment
The First Descendant is identified as free to play on the cited Steam listing. Borderlands 4 and Diablo IV are presented as paid games, but current prices, editions, discounts, and regional taxes are not established here. A paid entry price can be simpler for a fixed group, while a free-to-play game lowers the trial barrier but may require closer attention to optional purchases and live-service changes.
How to prepare a co-op group
Use this checklist before inviting everyone into a long campaign. It prevents the most common mismatches between what one player expects and what the game actually requires.
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- Agree on combat format. Confirm that the group wants first-person shooting, third-person shooting, or action-RPG combat.
- Set the party target. Decide whether you need couch co-op, a four-player online group, or both.
- Check platform and edition. Verify each player’s platform, edition, region, and current store listing. Do not rely on the dated Borderlands 4 roadmap or the old Diablo IV overview as a live availability record.
- Confirm accounts and subscriptions. For Borderlands 4 online play, plan for an internet connection and SHiFT account; console players also need the relevant paid online subscription. Confirm equivalent requirements for the other game you select.
- Compare progression expectations. Ask whether everyone wants to follow one campaign, repeat bosses, experiment with builds, or mix those activities.
- Plan for level differences. Borderlands 4 documents dynamic scaling and individual difficulty settings. For the other games, verify how a higher- or lower-level friend is treated.
- Review onboarding. In The First Descendant, check the current Guide Quests after the dated October 8, 2026 notice, since the introductory route may have changed.
- Choose a spending boundary. For a free-to-play game, decide whether the group will spend only on the initial free content or allow optional purchases. For paid games, agree on the edition and any add-ons before starting.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
Assuming every loot game is a shooter
Diablo IV demonstrates why genre labels need a second look. It shares cooperative progression and build-focused loot, but its combat is action-RPG based. Read the combat description first; “looter” alone does not tell you whether you will be aiming, dodging, casting, or managing a class rotation.
Treating a dated feature page as a current rules reference
The Diablo IV details cited here come from 2019. The Borderlands 4 roadmap is dated August 29, 2025. Both are useful evidence for the features they describe, but neither should be used to infer current prices, patches, platform support, seasonal content, or account policies. Check current official pages immediately before purchase.
Ignoring network and account dependencies
A paid game can still require a separate subscription for console online play, and crossplay can require a publisher account. Borderlands 4 explicitly documents both the SHiFT requirement and the console subscription requirement. Make those checks part of setup rather than discovering them when the party is ready to play.
Choosing a game for a build system that is not documented
“Deep build crafting” is not a standardized measurement. The evidence here confirms branching skill trees for Borderlands 4, character and loot choices for The First Descendant, and skills, talents, items, and legendary powers for Diablo IV. It does not provide build counts, balance rankings, respec rules, or a guaranteed best setup. Select the game based on the kind of decisions you enjoy, then consult current system documentation for detailed planning.
Confusing a free entry point with a fixed total cost
The First Descendant’s free-to-play status answers the question “Can I start without buying the game?” It does not answer how much optional content or convenience will cost over time. Review the current store terms and set a spending limit if your group wants predictable expenses.
A practical decision guide
Pick Borderlands 4 when…
- Your priority order is shooting, co-op loot, then build crafting.
- You want both local two-player split-screen and online groups of up to four.
- Your friends often have different levels or gear and you want documented scaling support.
- You are comfortable checking SHiFT, crossplay, console subscription, and current platform requirements.
Pick The First Descendant when…
- You prefer third-person gunplay.
- Your group wants four-player boss encounters.
- You want a free-to-play starting point.
- You are willing to follow live-service changes, including updates to introductory quests and other onboarding systems.
Pick Diablo IV when…
- You care more about class and item interactions than shooter mechanics.
- You want cooperative campaign and shared-world play.
- You enjoy developing a character through skills, talents, items, and legendary powers.
- You will verify current systems because the cited co-op overview dates to 2019.
What this shortlist can—and cannot—tell you
These recommendations are grounded in official feature descriptions and a current Steam listing, not hands-on testing, player-count data, review scores, or a complete market survey. No reliable named statistic in the cited material establishes content hours, population, drop rates, or comparative performance. Those omissions matter: a game can fit the structural definition of a Destiny 2 alternative while still feeling different in pacing, matchmaking, monetization, or endgame variety.
Use the comparison to narrow your choice, then verify the details most likely to affect your group: current platform availability, edition contents, online subscriptions, crossplay and account rules, onboarding steps, and the exact activities available at the level where your party plans to spend its time.
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