How To Exceed Destiny 2’s Soft Level Cap And Use New Unstable Cores Material

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate revolutionizes character progression with a completely redesigned upgrade framework that introduces specialized materials for advancing beyond the level cap. This seasonal approach fundamentally changes how players approach endgame power advancement.

The expansion’s most significant innovation is a comprehensive armor enhancement system that transforms the traditional methodology for increasing your Guardian’s combat effectiveness. Our comprehensive walkthrough details the mechanics for surpassing the 200 power threshold and maximizing the utility of new resources obtained through expansion content engagement.

The Edge of Fate establishes a universal soft level ceiling at 200—Bungie implemented a tenfold level compression to streamline numerical values and reduce power creep. Progression to this threshold maintains familiar mechanics: completing activities rewards equipment with marginally superior power ratings compared to your currently equipped items. To maintain your preferred gear, you can sacrifice duplicate higher-level drops through Enhancement Core expenditure, while legacy Upgrade Modules should be dismantled for resources. Enhancement Cores can be acquired by breaking down surplus equipment, completing various activities, and purchasing from faction vendors.

An example of the author’s character with a 202+ power level pulse rifle.

Upon reaching 200 power, an entirely new progression paradigm activates. Surpassing the soft cap now provides temporary advancement—these gains reset when the active season concludes. This design ensures all players return to 200 power with each new expansion; Bungie implemented this system to permanently address the power inflation that has defined Destiny’s progression since its inception.

You’ll begin acquiring weapons and armor featuring a foundational 200 power level augmented by seasonal bonus power; these enhanced values display in distinctive blue coloring (refer to the included visual example). These temporary power increments contribute normally to your overall character level, but the equipment’s enhanced ratings will also revert to baseline when the season concludes.

The seasonal bonus power is indicated in blue and will expire upon the launch of the next expansion.

Acquiring superior loot becomes increasingly challenging beyond the soft cap, making it advantageous to pursue Legendary, Mythic, and Fabled-tier activities and events that provide seasonal power enhancements. Higher difficulty content typically yields 3-5 additional power levels per activity compared to standard missions.

Similar to the established infusion mechanics, you can sacrifice higher-tier weapons to your preferred equipment to elevate it above 200. This process requires a new material exclusive to the expansion: Unstable Cores, which players typically begin accumulating well before reaching the soft cap. Elevating equipment to 200 requires standard Enhancement Cores, but exceeding this threshold demands multiple Unstable Cores.

Pro Tip: Begin stockpiling Unstable Cores immediately upon starting the expansion, as you’ll need 15-25 cores for a complete gear set upgrade beyond 200. Nightfall strikes and raid encounters provide the highest core drop rates.

Infusing a weapon with a different, level 200+ weapon will require Unstable Cores. In this case, as New Land Beyond is only level 54, this infusion costs both Enhancement Cores and Unstable Cores.

Infusing weapons with alternative, level 200+ equipment will necessitate Unstable Cores. In this specific instance, since New Land Beyond remains at level 54, the enhancement expenditure includes both Enhancement Cores and Unstable Cores. The infusion economy operates on a sliding scale—upgrading from 200 to 205 might cost 3 Unstable Cores, while advancing from 205 to 210 could require 5 cores.

Advanced Strategy: Prioritize upgrading your primary weapon first, as it provides the most significant combat effectiveness improvement. Then focus on your chest armor for survivability, followed by other damage-dealing weapons. This approach maximizes your capability to tackle higher-level content efficiently.

Seasonal power bonuses follow diminishing returns—the first 10 points above 200 require approximately 8-10 hours of gameplay, while progressing from 210 to 215 might demand 12-15 additional hours. Plan your play sessions around weekly reset bonuses and double reward events for optimal progression.

Optimal Activity Sequencing: Begin with Legendary-difficulty Lost Sectors for initial core accumulation, progress to Master Nightfalls for bulk materials, and complete weekly raid challenges for guaranteed high-tier drops. This systematic approach can reduce your time to maximum seasonal power by 30-40% compared to random activity selection.

Common Mistake: Many players waste Unstable Cores on marginal upgrades early in the season. Instead, wait until you have multiple pieces of 205+ gear before investing cores, as this provides more significant power spikes.

Coordinate with your fireteam to share duplicate high-level drops—if a teammate receives a 208 weapon duplicate and you have a 204 version, they can drop it for you to use as infusion fuel. This cooperative strategy effectively doubles your progression rate.

Resource Management: Maintain a balance of 15-20 Enhancement Cores for standard upgrades while dedicating the majority of your playtime to Unstable Core acquisition activities.

For players transitioning from other Complete Guide games, the temporary nature of seasonal power requires psychological adjustment. Unlike permanent progression systems, you’re building temporary advantage for current-season content rather than permanent character growth.

The new system particularly benefits players who master Weapons Unlock mechanics, as the focus shifts to horizontal progression through new weapon acquisition rather than vertical power advancement.

Endgame Preparation: As the season conclusion approaches, shift focus from power grinding to mastering Class Guide synergies and team composition strategies that will remain valuable after the power reset.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » How To Exceed Destiny 2’s Soft Level Cap And Use New Unstable Cores Material Master Destiny 2's new seasonal power system and gear upgrades beyond level 200 with expert strategies