At gamescom 2019, our Destiny author Sven had the chance to interview Bungie about the future of Destiny 2 . We present you with the most important details that the studio shared with us.
Who did we talk to? At this year’s gamescom, the Project Lead Scott Taylor and the UX Director Orvar Halldorsson from Bungie made themselves available as interview partners.
Why these questions? First of all: We had a long list of various questions about Destiny 2 and Shadowkeep prepared – including
- the Trials and the faction rallies
- the PvP
- possible nerfs and buffs in Season 8
- other returning exotics from Destiny 1
- or even Destiny 3
So, if you’re wondering why some hot topics, such as the Trials of the Nine, are not mentioned here, it is not because we chose to skip these questions, but because Bungie could not answer everything.
In the following questions, we therefore focused on the most interesting details to which we received corresponding answers from the studio.
11 Facts about Destiny 2 directly from Bungie
Eris Morn and Cayde-6 had a special relationship. Will Eris react to Cayde’s death? Cayde’s death does not play a significant role in the Shadowkeep expansion. Eris focuses on what is happening on the Moon.
Which familiar faces apart from Eris will we see again in Shadowkeep? In Destiny 2 Shadowkeep, there will be a new activity – the so-called Nightmare Hunt. There, Guardians will encounter some old friends, or rather enemies, such as the Hive Prince Crota, the son of Oryx, from Destiny 1. Other known bosses (Omnigul and Skolas have already been spotted by fans in the footage) are also expected to return as Nightmares in this activity.
What will happen to the Trials, faction, and Iron Banner armors with the switch to Armor 2.0? The Trials and faction armors will not be transitioned to Armor 2.0, nor will they function as ornaments. They can still be drawn from the collection and be infused in Shadowkeep if you earned them – but with the current, then already “old” armor system.
With the current Iron Banner armor, which can wear all earned Iron Banner set pieces from Year 1 as an ornament, the developers were not sure. They assured us that they would clarify this question with the relevant team and then provide us with an answer.
Will there really be only one (Gambit mode), as Franchise Director Luke said in his big “Director’s Cut” blog?
At gamescom, Bungie somewhat qualified this statement. Currently, this means nothing immediate. There will be no immediate effects for the two existing modes. Luke only wants to gather feedback so that Bungie can better orient itself in the evolution of Gambit and focus its resources better. This does not necessarily mean that one of the two modes will be removed, although that can happen.
Will Uldren Sov’s story be picked up or continued in Shadowkeep? A cutscene from Forsaken has led to much speculation and discussion among fans. Cayde’s murderer Uldren, who paid for his crime with his life, was resurrected by a Ghost – essentially becoming a Guardian or “Risen”. Since then, many players have been waiting to see if or how Uldren’s story will continue.
And it seems they will have to wait a bit longer. Bungie stated: Uldren’s story is not the focus of Shadowkeep. At some point, this storyline will surely be revisited, but not now. The focus of the Shadowkeep story is Eris Morn.
Will raid weapons become more significant in Shadowkeep? Legendary raid weapons were once among the best that the Guardian arsenal had to offer in Destiny 1. In Destiny 2, that is different. Here, these weapons often lag behind in comparison to top weapons such as the Submachine Gun Recluse or the Grenade Launcher The Summit. Will that change? This is what the developers said:
Such preferences are purely a matter of taste. A renovation or design changes for raid weapons are not expected with Shadowkeep. Bungie has also ruled out elemental primary weapons in this context.
However, it is felt that with the new armor system Armor 2.0, new possibilities could arise as specific builds can be crafted.
Are there plans for Sparrow races? No, there are currently no plans for a return of the Sparrow Racing League. However, a hot topic within the studio is Sparrow horns. While there are no details to announce yet, discussions are actively taking place.
Will there be new dungeon activities in Shadowkeep? Yes, with Shadowkeep, you can look forward to new activities such as the Shattered Throne. The exact timing and the number were not revealed by the studio. But once you purchase Shadowkeep, this content will definitely be included.
The first mission of Destiny 2: New Light leads Guardians into the Cosmodrome of Destiny 1. Are there plans for more content such as Strikes or missions from Destiny 1 to return? The Moon returns as a popular Destiny location in a new guise but also with numerous familiar spots. Beyond that, there was nothing to announce.
However, it was added that this introductory mission is not a 100% copy of the first mission from Destiny 1 – even if it contains many familiar details and places.
Are there plans for a Destiny 1 Remastered? On explicit inquiry, we were informed that a potential remastered version of Destiny 1 (for example for PC) is currently not a priority and that the focus is on Destiny 2 and Shadowkeep.
Will the vendor inventory finally be updated with Shadowkeep? The inventory of planetary vendors will receive an update with the release of Shadowkeep.
There will likely be no changes to the weapons of existing vendors, but the armor available there will be transitioned to Armor 2.0.
In addition, there will be Shadowkeep weapons from Eris. But you can also expect further cool vendor experiences on the Moon – complete with new bounties.
Check out our video interview with Bungie: Not only in closed-door discussions did the developers answer our questions. Further questions, such as those regarding a potential return of the Gjallarhorn or Cross-Play, can be found in this video interview from gamescom:
Which open questions interest you most in the lead-up to Shadowkeep? What are you particularly looking forward to? And what concerns do you still have? Let us know in the comments.
