Destiny 2 Ban Wave: What Bungie Actioned, and How to Appeal
Bungie finally took action and issued a new ban wave banning various cheats and cheaters from Destiny 2 in the Monument of Triumph update, but the community are mad about this well the cheaters are.
Bungie issued a large Destiny 2 ban wave on 1 October 2026. If you have ever handed your login to a friend, bought a carry, or had a stranger drop unearned XP on your account, you have a reason to care. Most coverage stops at the announcement. Below is what Bungie actioned, what its written policy actually says, and what an appeal can realistically do.
What Bungie actioned
The Destiny 2 Team confirmed a large ban wave against accounts breaking the Terms of Service through cheating, or through account recovery, ban evasion, and boosting services. Bungie also said it had further investigated appeals tied to this wave to validate accuracy, per the Destiny 2 Team's announcement.
Bungie did not publish a number. It never does. It also declines to describe detection methods, on the reasoning that published detection logic is a roadmap for cheat developers.
Bungie's policy defines an account recovery as giving someone else access to your platform account and control of your characters. Screenshot: Bungie.
The four behaviours in scope
Cheat tools and cheat services
Aimbots, macros, reward spamming, and anything else that produces an unearned gameplay advantage. This is the uncontroversial category.
Account recovery and boosting
This is the one that catches ordinary players. Bungie's account restrictions and banning policy defines an account recovery as giving someone else access to your platform account and control of your characters. Both the buyer and the seller of a recovery service can be banned. The policy also states that boosting recoveries done for free can result in bans or restrictions, so "my friend did it for nothing" is not a defence the policy recognises.
Ban evasion
Returning to the game on a new profile or console after being actioned, including through console game sharing.
Benefiting from a cheater
Bungie's policy states that a ban or restriction for a player found cheating or violating the Code of Conduct may also be applied to a team if the team benefited from that player. This has been Bungie's position since its 2021 Destiny 2 security update, which also made clear that you are responsible for your account's security if someone else is detected cheating on it.
The cheat that drops rewards on strangers
Bungie flagged a newer problem: cheats that spam unearned rewards and XP onto accounts that did not ask for them. Accounts using these cheats maliciously have already been actioned, and Bungie says it works to ensure players who are not actively seeking these cheats or their benefits are not punished.
Practically, that means two things. Do not accept an offer of free rewards, free XP, or a "free carry" from a stranger. And if your account suddenly gains progress you did not earn, report it rather than enjoy it.
Account ban or device ban
A device ban is the one players underestimate. It follows the hardware, so a fresh account does not restore access.
The distinction matters and is often missed.
Restriction. Hits specific activities, at either account or device level. Temporary, and access returns when it expires.
Account ban. Hits that account's access to the game. Permanent.
Device ban. Hits the hardware itself, regardless of which account signs in. Permanent.
Bungie reserves the right to permanently ban accounts or player hardware for confirmed repeat offenders, and for first-time offences it considers egregious violations of its Code of Conduct or Terms of Use. A device ban is why "just make a new account" does not work, and why attempting it is itself ban evasion.
How to appeal
Bungie states plainly that not every appeal gets a reply, and that repeat submissions can make things worse. Submit once. Screenshot: Bungie.
Appeals go through Bungie's ban and restriction appeal form. Read the page before submitting; it sets expectations most players get wrong.
What helps. Evidence. Bungie's appeal page states that if it can verify a game bug caused the action, it is more likely to overturn the result. A specific, documented account of what happened beats a character reference.
What does not help. Bungie does not guarantee a response to any submission. Requests for extra information, such as why you were banned or how long a restriction lasts, are disregarded. Multiple submissions, inappropriate content, or abuse of the contact form can lead to further restrictions. Submit once, properly, and wait.
Why enforcement ramped up now
Four months separate the update billed as Destiny 2's last from the announcement that vaulted content is coming back. The ban wave landed ten days after that reversal.
Context explains the timing. Bungie shipped Monument of Triumph on 9 June 2026 as what was then billed as Destiny 2's final live-service content update, and the months that followed were widely read as maintenance mode.
That changed on 21 September 2026. Studio head Poria Torkan and Marathon general manager Josh Deane announced that Bungie would restore vaulted Destiny 2 content, including the Red War campaign, Curse of Osiris, Warmind and Forsaken, along with their destinations and raids, as reported by KitGuru. No delivery date has been published, and Bungie has said the technical work is substantial.
A ban wave ten days later is consistent with a studio preparing to bring players back rather than one winding down. That is a reasonable reading, not a confirmed cause, and Bungie has not linked the two.
How this compares with ARC Raiders
The comparison is worth making carefully, because it is frequently reported wrong. Embark's Frozen Trail update, due 8 October, does not include a specific anti-cheat addition. Executive producer Aleksander Grondal described the studio's anti-cheat work as continuous and largely behind the scenes, according to Dork's reporting. Embark subsequently published a dedicated anti-cheat post covering permanent bans and hardware bans.
The contrast with Bungie is one of communication style, not effort. Bungie announces waves and stays silent on method. Embark works quietly and publishes policy separately. Both studios decline to explain detection logic, for the same reason.
Key takeaways
The 1 October 2026 wave covered cheating, account recovery, boosting, and ban evasion.
Buying or selling an account recovery can get you banned. So can a free one.
You can be actioned for benefiting from a cheater in your fireteam.
Device bans exist, which is why a fresh account does not solve a ban.
Appeals need evidence, allow one submission, and carry no guarantee of a reply.
Never share credentials, and never accept unearned rewards from strangers.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get banned in Destiny 2 for letting a friend play your account?
Bungie's policy defines account recovery as giving someone else access to your platform account and control of your characters, and states that boosting recoveries done for free can also result in bans or restrictions. The safest reading is that credential sharing carries risk regardless of payment.
Can you be banned for playing with a cheater in Destiny 2?
Bungie's policy states a ban or restriction may be applied to a team if the team benefited from a cheating player. Leaving a fireteam when something looks wrong is the sensible response.
What is a Destiny 2 hardware ban?
A ban applied to the device rather than the account. No account can play on a banned device, regardless of its own status.
Will Bungie tell me why I was banned?
No. Bungie's appeal page states that requests for additional information, including the reason for a ban or the length of a restriction, are disregarded.
How long does a Destiny 2 ban appeal take?
Bungie publishes no timeframe and does not guarantee a response to every submission. Submitting repeatedly can itself lead to further restrictions.
Is Destiny 2 still being updated in 2026?
Live-service development ended with Monument of Triumph in June 2026, but Bungie announced in September 2026 that it will return to the game and restore previously vaulted content. No release date has been given.