In the online shooter Destiny 2, Bungie will present the big autumn expansion “Forsaken” in a live stream this evening. We at Mein MMO will ticker in German.
Everything else was just a prelude: Today it’s all or nothing. Bungie is showcasing the autumn expansion for Destiny 2. Since players noticed in November 2017 that Destiny 2 fell short of high expectations in some areas, it became clear: The two planned DLCs and smaller content updates would not solve the fundamental issues with the game. The autumn expansion must fix that.
Even higher expectations: Three years ago, the “autumn expansion” for Destiny 1 was what many players had wished for. It gave the game more depth, brought an interesting story, and several features. Destiny became more of a “hobby” with “The Taken King.” Bungie has promised that again for September 2018. So far, the exact details have been withheld – that should change this evening.
When does the stream start and where can I watch it? The stream starts at 6 PM – usually it’s a bit later when Bungie does it. Around 6:05 PM it should be ready. You can watch the stream here.
Live ticker in German: We at Mein MMO will accompany the reveal stream with a live ticker, as the holy tradition dictates. Then you can read in German what the gentlemen are up to later or during the show.
The Mein MMO Live Ticker for the big reveal
5:15 PM: The five most important questions for this evening:
- Will the Queen, Mara Sov, return?
- Who will take the lead for the expansion? Who from Bungie’s team is presenting this? Will we see Luke “Throw money at the monitor” Smith again? Or is in some form the B-team in charge, which we might have to assume? Maybe Matt Simmons, Chris Barrett, or people from Vicarious Visions? Is Jason Jones back or someone completely new?
- Will there really be new surprising features for Destiny 2? Is this revolutionary PvP mode really so that one would say: “With Xur’s tentacles, I definitely need to get this thing?”
- Is there any shock moment that sends a clear signal “We have understood”? Fans would love a “Oh, by the way, the expansion is free” – but that seems almost impossible.
- And is there any concession or official hint towards “Yes, we have something to make up for” or do they ignore it all and play the PR game straight.
5:55 PM: About 6 minutes to go until the start. There are 46,332 people in the chat. Let’s see how high the number will go and what we will see. What kind of presentation will this be? Probably a relatively concise, prepared one with many trailers. I can’t imagine that DeeJ will be sitting on the sofa again in a jacket right away.
5:57 PM: DeeJ sound check. He is the host, has two developers on the sofa. I was right again – Destiny expert is on board. “Awesome” moment: This is a sound check. So you can ensure that your eardrum doesn’t burst while we blow your mind. Expectations set.
6:01 PM: Fans are most excited about the return of Variks. The stream is starting. 127,648 people are watching.
The reveal stream for Forsaken in Destiny 2 begins
6:01 PM: B-Team producer is Scott Taylor, who was responsible for “Rise of Iron”. The first sentences in the video documentation for “The Forsaken” are: “This expansion brings everything fans want.” Destiny does not hold back. It brings everything it has.
Firefly vibe: It will be a western expansion
6:03 PM: At the beginning, Cayde-6 breaks out of prison. There is supposed to be a western vibe. First place “Tangled Shore”, a location full of pirates and outlaws. One will hunt “Barons” who have different traits, such as being snipers or carrying melee weapons.
6:04 PM: The weapon slot system will be different. Players should be able to decide for themselves:
- Will I play like Destiny 1
- Will I play like Destiny 2
- or play completely crazy with 3 shotguns.
New Super – Together with a new weapon: Bow and arrow
6:05 PM: New Supers are coming: Giant Hammer. And weapons are supposed to be unique now. Players should be able to invest time again.
6:06 PM: New weapon type: Bow and arrow, but like Hawkeye style, with technical arrows.
6:07 PM: The new super mode is called “Gambit” – a mix of PvE and PvP. Players fight in their own arena, where items drop that can be picked up and have effects on the enemies. One will be able to send one player per side to the other, allowing him to infiltrate the enemies and disrupt them in PvE.
6:08 PM: The new raid “Dreaming City” is supposed to have more bosses than any raid before. It is the homeland of the Awoken. The raid is a magical, mysterious place with puzzles, hiding spots. Raiders should be able to change the place.
6:10 PM: Phew, quite an information overload.
Forsaken is meant for those who love Destiny
6:11 PM: “We’re making Forsaken for people who love Destiny.” In the ViDoc, they essentially say everything the fans want to hear in the first 10 minutes.
6:12 PM: Now it’s time for the couch. DeeJ with Scott Taylor (producer) and Steve Cotton (creative director). The team from the “Rise of Iron” corner.
6:14 PM: First big announcement, as expected: We want a deeper Destiny. Players should think about Destiny and feel smart.
6:15 PM: The raid is supposed to be an endgame zone, full of secrets. This zone is supposed to be connected to the raid in interesting ways – but they apparently don’t want to talk about it. Players should discover that for themselves.
6:16 PM: The story is supposed to be revealed at E3: For me, it already looks very clearly like a kind of “space western”.
Gambit aims to bring PvE players closer to PvP
6:17 PM: Over the summer, Bungie seems to be wanting to involve streamers and present further details. They seem particularly proud of the new mode “Gambit”. This mode is also supposed to help bring pure PvE players closer to PvP. The mode will put players in decision-making situations, also tactically: Will you play aggressively, focus more on resources, or even attack the enemies? At E3, Gambit is supposed to be playable.
2nd season pass “Annual Pass” for Destiny 2 planned, will probably cost money
6:22 PM: Year 2 of Destiny 2 will likely come again without DLC – but it will cost money. They call it “Annual Pass.” Instead of two DLCs, there will be three content updates, it seems. There are supposed to be additional power upgrades here. This is the plan for winter 2018 until summer 2019. Those who pay will receive exclusive content here. The idea is to provide content but no big cutscenes. Each of the three updates is also supposed to bring a new season.
6:25 PM: A new roadmap for Year 2 of Destiny 2 is here. There are already plans for July. The new seasonal event here is called “Solstice of Heroes.” This is stuff that every player gets, also for free:
- 4 new Crucible maps
- “Mass shader deletion”
- 200 more slots in the vault
- A new mod update
- Equipment collections
6:28 PM: With all due respect, after Bungie has had hardly any info for months, they have now planned total overkill. Just for “Weapon Randomization” or “Weapon Slot Changes” they should do their own “This week at Bungie”.
6:29 PM: The astonishing thing is that they haven’t really said a word “Oops, last year was nothing”, but are approaching it directly like “This is all coming”.
6:30 PM: For hardcore Destiny fans, the big question will be: “How does all this play? How does it really feel to be out there with the new freer weapon slots?” From the table it all sounds interesting. What Bungie apparently wants to make a point about is: “Let’s allow players to do more of what we want.”
6:32 PM: A little warning, not every number from the stream has to be the final number. Everything can still change.
Destiny 2 is supposed to become more open and deeper – also bring content and progress in 2019
6:34 PM: So far it is what one expected. Maybe even a little more: It’s not just “We’re going back to Destiny 1”; apparently, they intend to make Destiny 2 even deeper and more open than Destiny 1.
- Little things that will probably please people: They want to bring more lore into the game and make it findable. And they likely want to ensure a steady power increase beyond 2019 – until now, there has always been a drought in the year after release
- Disadvantage: They likely also want to make more money through the Annual Pass in this otherwise “quiet” year.
6:40 PM: The collections should awaken the collectors’ passion of the guardians. Make them aware: “What is still missing – go hunt for it!” This will come with Forsaken.
6:41 PM: The stream has now raised many questions: Especially in the gameplay field and regarding mechanics, there is certainly a need for clarification:
- “Upgradeable masterwork weapons”
- “Free weapon slot system”
- What are the new supers?
- How does the new mod system work?
6:45 PM: 150,000 people have watched the stream on average. No sign of Mara Sov so far. Here at Mein MMO, we will thoroughly deal with everything seen today and in the coming days – just as you have come to expect from us over the last four years.
Thank you for staying with us as we engage with this game, which still has a unique appeal even after four years, even if at times you want to grab it and shake it a bit.
