What does the future of Destiny look like?
From the very beginning, Destiny had a roadmap. At the release in September, a “Season Pass” was already announced, stating: We will bring two major content expansions. And hardly had “House of Wolves” been released, Bungie announced the major expansion “The Taken King” at E3.
Although “The Dark Below” and “House of Wolves” were somewhat disappointing, the roadmap was always clear. The Guardians knew from September 2014 to September 2015 what to look forward to and what to prepare for.
But now everything is different. For “The Taken King” there was no further Season Pass as expected. Also, Bungie remains tight-lipped about the future, so for the first time Destiny players have to truly ask: “What comes next?”
The Near Future
The near future of Destiny is clear. Either on December 8 or December 15 a new patch will be released. It will:
- revise the weapon balance
- unlock the Challenge Mode in Raids
- bring 15 exotic weapon armor items, 2 of which are new, 13 already known from Year 1.
However, based on everything we know, no new gameplay content will come: no new zone, no strike. Therefore, the December patch will likely not be something that keeps Destiny players occupied for a long time. It lacks the wow factor; while it will bring new content for those who still play, it is not an “expansion.”
Previously, there were patches that also changed the balance, but in no patch were new Exotics introduced, as this was always reserved for paid DLCs. The question, therefore, is: Is this going to be the new standard? Will such patches be the only thing in Year 2?
Well, we don’t know, and that’s exactly what unsettles many. The patch marks at least “the end” of The Taken King for this content cycle. Perhaps this is why we feel uneasy about the question: What comes next?
The Distant Future
It seems that the distant future of Destiny is also clear. There are many indications that in September 2016 Destiny 2 will be presented. It is assumed that this will not be a classic sequel but will operate similarly to “The Taken King,” perhaps with even more significant changes. For existing players, it will continue seamlessly, while “newcomers” will have an opportunity to start and join the hordes of Destiny players.
By the way, there are models that refer to early contracts between Bungie and Activision, suggesting that Destiny 2 will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Old consoles will no longer be supported. This could also indicate how significantly different Destiny 2 could be from the first part.
However, that is still far off, and there is little known about what Bungie is working on. Most players are much more preoccupied with the question of what will happen from January onwards.
This is exactly the question we will be addressing on the next page.
