With the new expansion Beyond Light, Destiny 2 is now opening a new chapter – a decisive one for many players. But how do the developers see it? Is the fate of the game tied to Beyond Light? MeinMMO author Sven Galitzki had a conversation with Bungie about this in an interview.
What is Beyond Light about? With Beyond Light, the new major expansion, as well as Season 12, the 4th year of Destiny 2 begins. And a lot will change in Bungie’s action MMO.
For some players, this new expansion represents a critical point in the history of Destiny. For many, the future of Destiny 2 as a game hangs in the balance.
We took this as an opportunity to ask the studio behind the game some questions about Beyond Light and its significance for Destiny 2 in an interview.
Who is speaking in the interview? In the discussion were Guillaume Colomb, the Narrative Lead at Bungie, and Sven Galitzki, shooter expert from MeinMMO and passionate Guardian.
He is a Destiny fan from the beginning and has spent a lot of time in both parts of the franchise. If there is one game that holds a special place in his heart, it’s Destiny. He has also spent countless hours in various “Call of Duty” installments, as well as the Division and Battlefield series.
Bungie revealed to us in the interview about Beyond Light and Destiny 2
MeinMMO: It may feel like Beyond Light is a kind of fresh start for Destiny 2, perhaps a kind of Destiny 2.5. There is a new beginning, a lot of content disappearing, but numerous new content and many innovations are also being added. And this is the first really big thing without Activision. How does Bungie view Beyond Light? How important is it to you?
Guillaume Colomb: I would say that every new expansion is important. Definitely. I wouldn’t say that Beyond Light is Destiny 2.5, but we had a vision of what Destiny should be – a big whole, an action MMO. And since this idea has crystalized out, we try to get closer to it each time. And Beyond Light is definitely a big step in that direction. But it’s not a brand new game, it’s still the same game, but now doing some things better. So we are getting closer to our vision.
And we have already been working on several seasons without Activision, so it’s not our first big thing without Activision. You will see a continuous line from Shadowkeep to Beyond Light, many things will get better – among other things the New Light experience. All of this is something we wanted to do ourselves.
MeinMMO: How has the development gone? Were there, for example, problems where you wished you had the additional power of the two Activision studios available? Or do you see more advantages in being able to make your own game now – especially in relation to Beyond Light?
Guillaume Colomb: I can tell you that the only problem we had with Beyond Light was the major Corona pandemic, which forced us to work from home. This really set Beyond Light’s production apart from everything else we had done so far.
In terms of production, however, it’s always the same. Every major release is the same – we always try to make the best possible game – whether with or without Activision. It’s not really something that hits us directly.
MeinMMO: If you take a look at the community, you see that for many players, especially veterans, everything pretty much hinges on Beyond Light. For them, Destiny 2 stands and falls with this expansion. Do you see it the same way?
Guillaume Colomb: As an established Destiny player, you will know that every year when there is a new expansion, we always hear the same thing from the community. But it’s not something I personally pay much attention to, because we try every time to make the best possible game. We never try to make it worse than we can. We always work ambitiously and try to bring out something that as many people as possible will like.
We also take risks, Destiny has changed a lot over the years. Some things resonate well with players, others less so. I think Beyond Light also carries some risks. But I think if you love Destiny, you will also love Beyond Light. We have also announced other expansions and see a bright future for the game. We are not only looking forward to Beyond Light, but also to what follows in the years to come. We are no more nervous or fearful about Beyond Light than we have been with other major releases in the past.
MeinMMO: From your own perspective – what are the three most important changes of Beyond Light compared to the previous state of Destiny 2?
Guillaume Colomb: Okay, the first one is definitely Stasis. This has huge implications for players and the sandbox. And it’s really exciting and fun to play – in PvE and also in PvP. We are very curious to see what ways players will discover to use Stasis that we haven’t thought of.
Another major factor will be the Content Vault. However, I don’t think players will immediately feel the associated benefits, as with Beyond Light, they will first see much content disappearing. Some seasons will require patience. Then, for example, the Vault of Glass will return. And for us, this helps enormously for the future to concentrate on certain stories. Because we can’t tell stories everywhere and for everyone. Being able to focus this way will be a big change that will definitely help.
And what’s directly related to that is New Light 2.0. It’s a massive improvement. We are bringing back the Cosmodrome, there is a lot of nostalgia. I think players will really enjoy seeing this location and better understanding the possibilities offered by the Content Vault. The New Light experience we created with Shadowkeep was the best that was possible at the time. But it was also something we wanted to improve and work further on. And now we have a new character – Shaw Han. We have, I don’t want to say a campaign, but a few missions and quests that will really guide new players into the world of Destiny.
These are things that will help us create better stories and expansions in the future.
MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of nostalgia: How much nostalgia can we still expect? After all, the Content Vault also includes all content from Destiny 1. And we already know that at some point the raid “The Vault of Glass” will return.
Guillaume Colomb: I don’t think we have a specific plan for the next years. We are still exploring possibilities. It took us some time to understand what the Content Vault should ultimately become and encompass. Now we are looking at the stories and content we think will be of most interest to players. So I don’t think we have a roadmap for the content, but everything is basically on the table if we feel it’s the right thing for the game.
MeinMMO: Destiny 2 New Light, the free-to-play experience, will have a fresh start, but also lose a lot of content. Are there plans to mitigate this loss somewhat? Possibly upcoming new content? Are there plans to expand New Light again?
Guillaume Colomb: The New Light experience is an interesting thing. We don’t want it to be too large in terms of time. Because Destiny is a game best played with friends. And if you have a friend who says, “Hey, let’s try Destiny,” you don’t want them to have to play for X hours before you can finally go out together.
We need to find the right length. And with the first New Light, we experimented too much. This time we made it (the beginning) longer and guided players more. Now we will see how the players respond to it. So there could be some changes in the future, but we don’t want to have a huge campaign like “Red War” that took 15-20 hours. That was way too much.
MeinMMO: How do you plan to introduce new players to other recurring content from Destiny 1? Most of them probably don’t know how all the stuff fits into the game – for example, with the “Vault of Glass” raid. Is anything planned aside from the new beginning?
Guillaume Colomb: I think new players will come to Destiny because they’re interested in Destiny itself. There is a lot of nostalgia for all Destiny 1 players, but new players might not be aware of that. When it comes to new players, we try to primarily see: What is Destiny today? For that, we make the best possible introduction with New Light. And the content that’s coming back is more aimed at veterans – like the Vault of Glass. We’ll then see if that content fits into the game like we did with the Moon in Shadowkeep. We brought the Moon back, but that was part of the current story. Veterans loved it because it returned, while new players could discover it as a new location. It’s all about where we want to tell a story in the future.
MeinMMO: What is the most exciting thing new players can look forward to in Destiny 2: Beyond Light?
Guillaume Colomb: As I said, I think for new players, Destiny itself will be interesting. I believe that no other game creates such an action MMO feeling – as a hobby, with its own rituals. Many games try to compete, but we still prove: we are still here. As you already said, every year some people feel “Oh, perhaps this will be the year when Destiny 2 is no longer successful.” But every year we are filled with love and talent, creating some new things that players can hold onto, while also bringing in new players – including those who want to keep coming back. It’s this unique “action MMO shooter” aspect that new players can look forward to. Stasis is cool too, but it probably won’t attract new players. That’s more for active players.
MeinMMO: When we talk about that: What are the three most exciting things veterans and existing players can look forward to in Beyond Light?
Guillaume Colomb: Yes, definitely Stasis. As mentioned, this will be a major change to the sandbox that players can look forward to. And they will be surprised at the ways they can use Stasis.
Then of course the return of the Exo Stranger and Variks. If you played Destiny 1, you probably have many open questions about these characters, and in Beyond Light, we will answer many of them. While there will still be some secrets, we will be talking a lot about who the Exo Stranger is, where she comes from, and what she wants.
And finally, all the mysteries surrounding the new location Europa and Clovis Bray. For example, the new raid is the Deep Stone Crypt, which represents a major mystery for veterans. There will be many stories there. And again: we will not unravel all the secrets. There will still be much in the game that players can discover.
MeinMMO: Okay, my last question and I’ll keep it short: Are there any plans beyond the year 2022? After the 3rd planned expansion of Destiny 2? You don’t have to go into detail. Will there still be a Destiny?
Guillaume Colomb: It’s hard to plan (laughs). But I can tell you one thing: When we think about stories, we are already looking at Witch Queen and Lightfall [the 2nd and 3rd expansions after Beyond Light]. But we are not looking at Lightfall in the way that says: Okay, then we are done with Destiny 2. And now we’ll do something else. There will be more stories about Destiny 2 after Lightfall.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Guillaume Colomb for taking the time for us. And now it’s your turn:
How do you view Destiny 2: Beyond Light? Are you there at the release? Or are you waiting for reviews and will decide afterwards? If you really want to dive deeper into the story of Beyond Light, we recommend the complete backstory to Beyond Light – Finally time for explanations
By the way, we will closely follow the release and contents of Beyond Light and Season 12 here on MeinMMO, bringing several articles daily – whether news, specials, guides, or analyses. If you want to stay up to date with Destiny 2, feel free to visit MeinMMO regularly.
