History of Power Level

Overview

Power (formerly Light level) is the number representing the average of your equipped weapons and armor. It shapes how hard you hit and how much damage you take against enemies, and gates activities by recommended Power. A character far below an activity's recommendation deals little damage.

Progression

Caps are raised with each expansion. Below the soft cap all gear drops raise Power; between the soft cap and the powerful cap only Powerful gear does; up to the pinnacle cap only Pinnacle gear does. The Seasonal Artifact adds bonus Power on top. Power advantages are disabled in some competitive modes such as Crucible and Gambit.

Cap numbers in the sources are from Season of the Wish and are outdated, so they are not listed here.