Today, Bungie revealed new details about Destiny 2: Lightfall, the next expansion in the Destiny franchise, releasing February 28, 2023, as well as details on the new Season of Plunder, which is available now.
Light Will Fall
“In Lightfall players will face Calus, the malevolent former emperor of the Cabal, who has returned to our solar system alongside the Pyramid fleet as a Disciple of the Witness – the cosmic nemesis that was first introduced in Destiny 2: The Witch Queen,” reads the official press release. “Using abilities granted from a brand-new subclass Strand, Guardians will explore a new destination – Neptune’s gleaming megacity of Neomuna – which is under attack from Calus’s mysterious and deadly Shadow Legion.”
The new powers granted to players, Strand, are the first abilities that players will posses outside of any other race – our Guardians are the only ones in the universe to access these new psionic abilities that allow us to reach into another dominion and pull the literal strings of space-time to manipulate and eviscerate our enemies.
Chief among these new abilities is the Grappling Hook. Drawing inspiration from other major FPS titles smart enough to utilize the absolutely best mechanic ever introduced to gaming, only this time with a Destiny twist, the grappling hook is a new means of traversal. This grappling hook is part of the Strand set of powers, and also draws into a separate dimension, allowing players to grapple in mid-air, no objects to attach to here, you’ll be just like Spidey in the 2001 Raimi film tie-in game.
Arg, Matey, Set Sail Fer Da Stars
Also shown off today was the new Season of Plunder: Eramis, Kell of Darkness, has broken free from her icy prison and is out for revenge. The Guardians will have to team up with The Drifter, the Kell of Light Mithrax, and Eido, Daughter of Mithrax to take down Eramis in an all new pirate-themed adventure.
Players are going to be tackling three new activities in Ketchcrash, Expedition, and Pirate Hideouts while they set sail aboard their own Ketch, courtesy of The Drifter himself. Encounter the Spider, Eramis, Mythrax, and more in this new season, all while wielding the new Arc 3.0 subclass revamp. Hunters and Warlocks be warned, Titans are about to become a menace in the Crucible.
An Epic Partner
Bungie and Epic made it official today, too, announcing that Destiny 2 is coming to the Epic Games Store. Players who download the EGS version of Destiny 2 will get the 30th Anniversary content pack for free.
On top of the partnership, Destiny cosmetics are coming to both Fortnite AND Fall Guys, while Fortnite cosmetics make their way into Destiny 2. The Fortnite cosmetics include new skins for Zavala, Ikora Rey, and The Exo Stranger, Elsie Bray. There are also new gliders and pickaxes as well as backbling to kit out your Battle Royale killing machine. Fall Guys is also getting some Titan, Hunter, and Warlock skins as a fun bonus that I don’t think anyone was expecting.
The Return of the King
While it has also long been speculated, the long awaited return of the fan-favorite raid, King’s Fall, is finally here. Originally part of the Destiny: The Taken King expansion, King’s Fall will make it’s Destiny 2 debut on Friday, August 26th.
Bonus Points
Perhaps the coolest revelation to come out of the show is Bungie’s efforts on the Destiny engine and their commitment to cease Sunsetting in Destiny 2 for good. No more expansions or Destiny content will be entering the DCV any time soon, and that is a massive sigh of relief.
Another new event is that Destiny 2 is completely free to play, including every piece of expansion content in the game currently, until August 30th. It seems that this is a trend that might stick around, occasionally offering itself up for F2P weeklong excursions, another great way to encourage players to dip their toes in.
Finally, the fabled Mobile game from NetEase was not revealed this year, despite some recent, public facing hints suggesting otherwise. While the mobile wasn’t revealed today, it is certain that it is only a matter of time until it is shown off.
Destiny 2: Lightfall releases February 28th, 2023
