Since yesterday, players in Destiny 2 know the name of the upcoming Season 16: “Season of the Risen”. It will be a journey into the past of Light and Darkness. MeinMMO reveals what has been announced so far, what you can expect in the new Season 16, and why new players can still jump in.
Players of Destiny 2 already know that Savathun will be one of the greatest threats in the universe. She may even be the most cunning and diabolical enemy the franchise has ever had. The highlights of the “Season of the Risen” are meant to kick off this arc while simultaneously replacing the old “Season of the Lost”.
No one knows exactly what Savathun is planning or whether, once she has stolen the Light, she will be more friend or foe. But players already know a few of her “creations”:
- The “Radiant Brood” uses Light just like the Guardians.
- Savathun has created “Moths” that can “charge their fighters with Light”.
- The Throne World is a treacherous mirror of the Witch Queen’s consciousness.
Additionally, Bungie has already promised players greatness in advance, stating: “2022 will see more Destiny than ever before”. The Witch Queen itself is said to be “the most ambitious expansion in a long time” for all interested players.
New players should be able to jump in easily
The Witch Queen marks the seventh year of Destiny expansions and concludes narrative threads that date back to the first Destiny 1 and the “Taken King” expansion.
Many interested players are unsure if it is still worth it to join. But Bungie gives the green light for that. The new DLC and the upcoming Season 16 are said to be the perfect entry point even for new players, as Bungie’s Project Lead Blake Battle revealed to MeinMMO.
Currently, Mara Sov, the Queen of the Awoken, has only one task to fulfill in the current Season 15: the “Worm Exorcism” of Savathun. Once it starts, it will likely kick off the content of the new Season 16.
So far, nothing has been heard for a long time about the powerful Queen of the Reef, except that she can keep a massive bridge construction extremely secret.
This is what players can expect in the upcoming Season 16
In the new “Season of the Risen”, players will not only discover new exotic and legendary weapons and armor. The known activities will also bring changes for players in Season 16 of Destiny 2.
The Season 16 begins on Mars: Players will initially return to Mars. However, it has changed and features strange fissures that glow green. The Guardians will have to find out what has happened to the planet after it was swallowed by Darkness. Ikora Rey, who has also been leading the investigation against Savathun, will assist players in Season 16.
A Cabal Princess supports the Vanguard: In the Destiny 2 Collector’s Edition, it was already hinted and the ViDoc confirmed it. Caiatl, the current Cabal Princess and Calus’ daughter, will assist the Vanguard in their fight against the “Radiant Brood”.
Zavala personally asks her for help (no marriage, as hinted in the Collector’s Edition), and she not only provides him with new weapons but also stylish Season 16 armors with tusks for his Guardians.
Apparently, she also has a particularly large pipe for him. This “special delivery” has at least been hinted at briefly in the ViDoc. Here, you can see how a Cabal ship flies in a kind of “mega-cannon” or a “component”. What technology that exactly is, we do not know yet. – but it is definitely huge.
Perhaps the Psions of the Cabal, until the Guardians find other solutions, will disrupt the powers of Savathun’s forces by suppressing the Hive Spirits. These allow the “Radiant Brood” to be repeatedly revived and to stab players in the back.
By the way, you will become your own weapon master: During an initial quest mission in Season 16, you will also discover a kind of forge on Mars. The “Enclave” houses a mysterious, abandoned “Pyramid Relic”. This will grant players access to the new weapon crafting in Destiny 2 and their first glaive. Is this a gift from the Darkness?
- Players can forge a desired weapon with their favorite perks there
- The perks of new exotics can also be “shaped” in the Enclave
- If the requirements change, the shaped weapon can be altered again
Upgrades for your Void abilities: However, not only the weapons will be “improved” in Season 16. Your abilities will also receive the long-awaited Void 3.0 upgrade.
In the “Season of the Risen”, players can earn various aspects and fragments, thereby changing their playstyle and trying out effective builds. What we know so far is that there will be three new aspects:
- “Feeding the Void”
- “Chaos Accelerant”
- “Child of the Old Gods”
This way, soon all three classes in Destiny 2, Titans, Warlocks, and Hunters, alongside the other grenade types, will also be able to use suppressor grenades.
When will the rework for Arc and Solar come? The last two subclasses, Arc and Solar, are also set to be transitioned to the 3.0 system later this year. Bungie will focus on the healing and burning aspects of Solar, as well as the chaining and lightning aspects of Arc.
Whether players will have to unlock the new abilities like Stasis is unclear. Bungie has not yet provided any specifics on how you will be able to get these abilities in Witch Queen. However, it is rather unlikely that this upgrade will be fully served on a silver platter.
Season 16 brings new and changes old activities
A new raid, but likely no dungeon: Season 16 will also see the launch of a new raid on March 5. Bungie had announced that there would be either a raid or a dungeon each season. Since a new dungeon “Shroud of Greed” recently debuted, there will likely be none in Season 16.
However, the raid leads the Guardians into the Pyramid that has already been seen. It is hidden in the swamps of Savathun’s Throne World. In the raid, players must confront the ancient danger trapped within.
The open world offers new secrets: Even though Destiny 2 is a shooter, fans love to puzzle and discover new secrets. In the upcoming Season 16, it seems that Guardians will first need to think, then shoot. In Savathun’s Throne World, alongside mocking enemies, there is much to discover.
- Various collectibles and chests that can be found
- There are patrols that players can start and public events
- In the open world, you can use “Deepsight abilities” to “uncover” secrets
- A seasonal triumph seal will present Guardians with many different tasks
Alongside the open-world activities, something will also change in Season 16 regarding the offerings from Vanguard, Crucible, and Gambit.
Initially only two old maps for the Crucible: PvP players can initially look forward to two maps in Season 16. These are revamped Destiny 1 maps that Bungie has “rebuilt” for Witch Queen.
With Season 17, a brand new PvP map with new territory, possibly in the Throne World, will come into play, as Joe Blackburn announced on Twitter.
Gambit fans will have to wait in Season 16: Although Bungie has already discussed Gambit in one of the upcoming “This Week at Bungie” blogs, it is unclear whether changes will come in Season 16. Bungie only stated that “the team would like to gather data for another season before making adjustments.”
It is quite possible that Bungie is planning a revision of the ranking system for Gambit, resembling that of Trials of Osiris. At least, it makes sense, as this system has been very well received by Guardians and is a great way to earn the loot they want.
Changes to the Vanguard: Changes are also being made to the Vanguard activities in Season 16, so that playlist strikes are worthwhile again.
- The Vanguard rank will increase twice as fast starting in Season 16
- Nightfalls on higher difficulty levels will also grant faster gains
- The changes will be closer to the rank gain of the Crucible playlists
- New modifiers will rotate out or come in
Will the artifact of Season 16 be a weapon? Observant Guardians have also noticed a special secret for the new Season 16. In the announcement photo of the “Season of the Risen” from Bungie, the Guardian is holding a kind of spear.
From what was seen in the ViDoc, this seems to be the artifact for the upcoming Season 16. However, whether this is just a collage or if Guardians will actually use the artifact as a weapon, we do not know yet.
When does the “Season of the Risen” start? The upcoming Season 16 will launch simultaneously with the new DLC “The Witch Queen” and also promises the return of familiar faces. Not only will the seasonal content of the “Season of the Risen” go online, but players will also be able to explore the Witch Queen campaign.
Season 16 will provide all players with a season pass. It has 100 levels and rewards gameplay with Season 16 weapons, various materials, items, and cosmetics. By the way, the entry into Destiny 2 is free via New Light and offers a good insight into the Destiny universe.
Even now, “The Witch Queen” and the first Season 16 feel big and significant and have far-reaching implications for the entire plot in Destiny 2. Just like the Forsaken expansion had with the death of Cayde-6.
What do you think? Can Bungie keep its promise, and will this Season 16 bring a new experience for Guardians and make Destiny 2 more exciting? Or do you think Bungie is overpromising? How do you personally gauge the hype around the new expansion “The Witch Queen” and the first Season 16? Please let us know in the comments.
