Destiny 2 has finally shown what the franchise will look like going forward and surprisingly presented not only the new fall expansion “Beyond Light” but also its plans for the next 3 years – with 2 more big addons.
This is what many have been waiting for: In Destiny 2, the MMO shooter by Bungie, the Season of Arrival began today, on June 9th. This marks the final stage of the current Destiny spin-off’s third year. After the new Season 11, Year 4 is set to begin with a new expansion that Bungie has introduced simultaneously with the new season.
But that’s not all. To the general surprise, Bungie has done something that many fans and players have wished for a long time: namely, it has spoken plainly about the future of Destiny 2 and revealed its plans for the coming years.
MeinMMO shows what Destiny 2 has planned for Fall 2022 with Beyond Light and in the subsequent years as part of the “Find your next Game” action.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light – This is the new big fall expansion
The next big expansion for Destiny 2 will be Beyond Light and is set to release on November 10, 2020 (delayed from September 22). It will continue the story that is being built up in the new Season 11 and will reach its climax.
What we know about Beyond Light:
New Location
Destiny 2: Beyond Light takes us to Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter, where new adventures await us. By the way, Europa is home to the mysterious Deepstone Crypt and is the birthplace of the Exo. There should be plenty of new things to discover on this ice rock.
New Content
Most of the new campaign will also take place there. A new power has been born from the ancient pyramid ship hovering over the moon Europa. And beneath it, a dark empire has risen. Familiar characters like Eris Morn and the Wanderer are likely to play important roles, as teasers have already revealed.
Additionally, Beyond Light is set to offer a new raid and new gear, as Mark Noseworthy, the General Manager of Destiny 2, revealed in an exclusive interview with MeinMMO prior to the big reveal.
The new raid will take place beneath the frozen tundra of Europa – in the Deepstone Crypt, a BrayTech facility from the Golden Age that has been inactive for decades.
New Power
On Europa, we will also meet the leader of a Fallen empire named Eramis, Kell of Darkness. Under her leadership, the scattered houses of the Fallen have gathered and built their new empire on Europa.
Abandoned by the Traveler and forsaken by the Light, Eramis embarks on her journey into Darkness and is on a collision course with the Guardians. She has learned to control and harness the dark power that comes directly from the pyramid ships of Darkness.
If you defeat her, you will also be able to control this power. Thus, for the first time since the launch of Destiny 1 six years ago, Guardians will receive a new damage element – Stasis. Along with new supers for each class, each of whom can utilize the Darkness in different ways.
While the previous elements Arc, Solar, and Void are all based on Light, Stasis draws its power from Darkness. We will thus be able to harness Darkness ourselves for the first time without succumbing to it – as Mark Noseworthy stated, we will not become evil or corrupted ourselves; we simply use Darkness to protect the Light.
Destiny 2 – The plans until Fall 2022
Bungie is clearly committed to Destiny 2 for the coming years, as the studio told us in the interview, and wants to bring a lot of content for that. The much-speculated Destiny 3 now seems to be a distant prospect.
The upcoming “Beyond Light” expansion is just the first part of Bungie’s multi-year plan.
What to expect by Fall 2022
- By 2022 there will be 3 major expansions – one per year
- In Fall 2020, Destiny 2: Beyond Light will be released
- For 2021, the expansion Destiny 2: Witch Queen is planned. A new enemy is expected to emerge from the shadows. This enemy is Savathûn, the sister of Oryx, which should please many fans of the series. Guardians have been hoping and waiting for the Witch Queen as an opponent for a long time.
- In 2022, the expansion Destiny 2: Lightfall is expected to come. This will focus on the final showdown between Light and Darkness.
- The 3 expansions embody a sort of trilogy that aims to tell one big story.
The interesting part: Bungie claims that with Destiny 2, they are going full action MMO and want to be number one worldwide. Together with the commitment to Destiny 2 for the coming years, this marks a clear direction the game is heading – aiming to be a big MMO instead of Destiny 1, 2, 3, or 4.
This is still planned for Destiny 2
In addition to the upcoming expansions, Bungie also revealed some exciting details about the immediate future of Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 on Next-Gen Consoles
Bungie confirmed some time ago that Destiny 2 will also be available on the new consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X. Now there are further details.
For owners of the game, Destiny 2 will be available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as a free upgrade. This means: All content already owned on PS4 will be transferred to PS5 at no additional cost. You do not have to pay a second time for anything.
Additionally, many Guardians speculated whether the game would perform better with better hardware. The answer will likely please many Guardians.
Destiny 2 will offer 60 FPS and true 4K resolution on next-gen consoles. 60 FPS has always been one of the biggest wishes among console players.
Intergenerational Crossplay
With the introduction of the new console generation, Bungie aims to enable intergenerational crossplay in Destiny 2 – meaning that different generations of consoles from the same manufacturer can play Destiny 2 together.
PS4 players will then be able to play with PS5 Guardians, and the same applies to Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
True Crossplay is Coming
While there is currently no fixed date for this, in the interview, Mark Noseworthy revealed that Bungie hopes to introduce true crossplay among all platforms next year. This is a high priority for the studio, according to the General Manager of Destiny 2.
Then Guardians on PC and consoles could finally team up and create a large overarching community – regardless of which platform they play on.
Potential: Strong Outlook
Finally, Bungie has done what many fans and players (myself included) have been demanding for a long time in Destiny 2 – they are laying all cards on the table and speaking plainly about the future of Destiny 2. And not just about the new season or the next expansion, but about the big picture. At first glance, this looks very promising.
The studio clearly commits to its game for years to come, thus dispelling many uncertainties, insecurities, and rumors. Destiny 3 is off the table for now; Destiny 2 is likely to continue until at least 2023 (with seasons after Lightfall).
Moreover, Bungie has also communicated openly and early what to expect regarding Destiny 2 on the next-gen consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X.
What the upcoming content will ultimately hold remains to be seen. But everyone now knows how the rough roadmap and direction for the coming years looks and can decide for themselves whether they want to be a part of it and follow this path or not. And that is exactly what many have wished for so long.
I now look forward to the future of Destiny 2 with a much more positive outlook and am excited for the coming years with the game. See you starside, Guardians.
Sven Galitzki
Freelance author, “Destiny 2” and shooter expert at MeinMMO
