Pay to win means paying for the exact item to avoid a grind and gain an advantage over someone. It’s kinda like people paying for recovs the day a pinnacle comes out. Paying for an expansion so you can grind the new content and a few weapons are the best isn’t pay to win, it’s just natural for a game. New light players will already have some great stuff for crucible but if they want the shiny new stuff they’re going to have to pay like everyone else. Also pinnacle weapons don’t require an expansion I believe so if a player gets recluse, alone as a god is one of the best snipers rn and wardcliff, a y1 exotic, is one of the best heavy weapons rn. That’s a solid loadout. Sure it requires a grind but you’re getting it for free so you should expect a grind. I think pvp wise, the new light players will have enough to succeed. I hope that bungie makes a pvp playlist where new light players can fight each other (make it 4v4 or 3v3 so less time for matchmaking) and have it be a training playlist so they can be prepared to fight in qp and comp.

If they enjoy the game they will most likely buy the content