With Shadowkeep, the Fortress of Shadows in English, the Guardians return to the Moon. We summarize the most important details about the new expansion of Destiny 2 and show you what you need to know before purchasing.
When is Shadowkeep releasing? Soon, the Fortress of Shadows expansion for Destiny 2 will celebrate its release. Shadowkeep will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Stadia.
The expansion will be released for consoles and on Steam on October 1, 2019. PC players should keep in mind that Destiny 2 is moving from Blizzard’s Battle.net to Steam. How to migrate your Battle.net account to Steam before Shadowkeep’s release is covered in this guide.
For Google’s Stadia, Destiny 2 and the Fortress of Shadows are set to release in November.
What is Destiny 2: Shadowkeep about?
In the Fortress of Shadows, it will finally be revealed where Eris Morn has disappeared to. The important NPC that the Guardians have been missing in the Tower for a long time left at the end of Destiny 1 to follow a lead. So far, she has not appeared in Destiny 2, but that is set to change with the expansion.
Eris Morn has unleashed a power that has been dormant beneath the Moon’s surface for a long time. She cannot control this power, which is why our Guardians must return to the Moon to help fend off this threat.
Players will encounter nightmares that take the forms of our old enemies. Crota, son of Oryx, and the witch Omnigul were already seen in the trailers.
Is there a preload?
Before the launch of Shadowkeep, there will be a preload for all platforms.
When does the preload start? PC players can already download the expansion via Steam. The preload is currently running there.
Console players on PS4 and Xbox One will have to wait until September 30, the day before the Shadowkeep release.
However, the Guardians should prepare for a break from Destiny 2: On September 30, the game will be taken offline to prepare for the release of the Fortress of Shadows.
Pre-order Fortress of Shadows – What editions are available?
There are various editions for Shadowkeep that differ in their additional content. Pre-ordering customers receive a pre-order package containing the exotic rocket launcher Dual-Tailed Fox and an exclusive Shader ornament.
- Destiny 2: Fortress of Shadows – Standard (€34.99): Includes the Shadowkeep expansion and the Season Pass for the “Season of the Undying”, which is Season 8 in the game.
- Destiny 2: Fortress of Shadows – Digital Deluxe Edition (€59.99): Includes the Shadowkeep expansion, four season passes, and exotic items in the Eris Morn style: emote, ghost shell, and emblem.
The Standard Edition of Shadowkeep is available for the following platforms:
The Digital Deluxe Edition, on the other hand, is available for these platforms:
There was also temporarily a Collector’s Edition for the expansion, which is already sold out. This included exclusive physical items such as a Hive Cryptoglyph Replica, a Luna Mission Container made of metal, and two journals with lore and designs.
Shadowkeep Roadmap – What can we expect in the expansion?
The Fortress of Shadows will not only tell the story about the Moon and Eris Morn. With four seasons, Shadowkeep will continue further, just like with the annual pass for Forsaken.
Season 8, the first season of Shadowkeep, will be named “Season of the Undying” and will focus entirely on the Vex. Bungie has already released a detailed roadmap for this. Here, you can see what to expect in Season 8 in October and November. Important highlights include:
- October 5: Shadowkeep Raid release and start of the Vex Offensive
- October 22: Exotic quest for “Leviathan’s Breath”
- October 29 to November 19: Festival of the Lost
Season 9 will be called Season of Dawn and is set to repair the timeline according to a ViDoc. Nothing more is known about the upcoming seasons.
What new features and changes are coming with Shadowkeep?
The Fortress of Shadows expansion brings several innovations that veterans and newcomers to Destiny can look forward to. In addition to the Moon zone, which is said to feel both new and familiar to players, there are also some exciting features:
- New endgame activity Nightmare Hunt
- Changes to the Nightfall strikes
- The Armor 2.0 feature, which allows players not to differentiate between the look and functionality of their gear
- Seasonal artifacts, with which you can theoretically increase your power level infinitely
- Various finishing moves for different characters
Additionally, there will be considerable adjustments made to the sandbox, which will include buffs and nerfs to the supers and change auto-reloading. There will also be some new features in the Crucible.
Destiny 2: New Light
For those of you who do not play Destiny 2 or have friends who have not yet succumbed to the wild loot chase across the universe, the release of Shadowkeep brings a great innovation. With Destiny 2: New Light, the base game and Year 1 DLCs Curse of Osiris and War Mind will be free-to-play.
Additionally, players can use the following features for free:
- All worlds, including the upcoming Moon, that can be explored on patrols
- All Strikes
- All PvP maps and activities
- All Year 1 Raids
- As well as the PvEvP mode Gambit
However, additional content such as the expansions Forsaken and Shadowkeep or the season passes will remain paid and can be purchased optionally. More information about New Light can be found in this article.
