Update: Activision has confirmed that a "major expansion" will be coming to Destiny 2 towards the end of 2018. The information emerged during an Activision Blizzard investor call (Via Polygon), but no further details on what the expansion would actually contain were revealed.
Presumably the expansion will be on the scale of, if not bigger than, The Curse of Osiris and will suitably top off the extensive updates and improvements Bungie has said it will be working on over the course of the year.
During the call Activision's Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said that sentiment towards Destiny 2 is “already starting to shift," adding that the team has "a great expansion coming in May, and a major expansion coming at the end of the year, and those events have always been opportunities to re-engage our communities and win back people who have churned out."
Destiny 2's next big event, Crimson Days, will start up next week but we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more information on what this "major expansion" may involve and update as we know more.
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Destiny 2 has arrived on all platforms but though the game has finally been released that doesn't mean the news and updates are going to stop – this is a game that's only going to grow over time.
With that in mind, we've created a one stop shop for all of your Destiny 2 update needs. Here you'll find the latest news on what's being added to the game and when updates are coming.
It is, however, still early days so in the meantime why not take a look at our definitive Destiny 2 review to get an idea of whether or not this is the game for you. Convinced it is? Then you might be interested in our tips and tricks for getting started. Whether you're completely new to the Destiny universe or just need to brush up on all that jargon, this guide will ease you in.
Read on below for our pre-release coverage of the game.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The highly-anticipated follow up to MMO shooter Destiny
- When it is out? Now
- What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One and PC
- Destiny 2 developers: Bungie and High Moon Studios
- Destiny 2 publisher: Activision Blizzard
Planned improvements
In terms of upcoming dates to be aware of, the first Faction Rally of Season Two will start on January 16, with the first Iron Banner coming January 30. The game's next event, Crimson Days, will start on February 13. It'll bring event-specific cosmetic customization items, with leveling up providing double Engrams – one Crimson one specifically for the event and one Illuminated.
The Masterwork system which is currently in place for legendary weapons will now encompass armor and now raid armor will be unique with individual perks.
Timers are being removed from Nightfalls and will now include Strike Scores with leaderboards like in the original Destiny. Private matches and and six-versus-six matches will also be making a return in the spring.
Open and clan chats are now coming to the Tower on PC, which very angry PC players will be glad to hear.
Finally, Valor and Glory are two new forms of progression rank coming to the Crucible with the former being awarded for how much you play and the latter for how well.
Fans of the original Destiny will notice that a few of these changes are actually making the old new again. Still, Bungie is well aware that improvements need to be made and work seems to be underway.
That's what's coming over the next few months, but to reads the plans in their entirety you can visit Bungie's official blog.
When's the next event?
The next Destiny 2 event will be called Crimson Days and will revolve around Valentine's day. It starts February 13. This event first appeared in the original Destiny back in 2016. It wasn't particularly successful or well-received.
Bungie has promised this time things will be different, though (isn't that a well-worn Valentine's Day phrase?) In the next day or so we can expect to see a new blog post from Bungie detailing what the event will involve but it's likely the Crucible event known as Crimson Doubles will re-feature.
DLC
Major Expansion 2018
Activision has confirmed that a "major expansion" will be coming to Destiny 2 towards the end of 2018. The information emerged during an Activision Blizzard investor call (Via Polygon), but no further details on what the expansion would actually contain were revealed.
Presumably the expansion will be on the scale of, if not bigger than, The Curse of Osiris and will suitably top off the extensive updates and improvements Bungie has said it will be working on over the course of the year.
During the call Activision's Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said that sentiment towards Destiny 2 is “already starting to shift," adding that the team has "a great expansion coming in May, and a major expansion coming at the end of the year, and those events have always been opportunities to re-engage our communities and win back people who have churned out."
Expansion I: The Curse Of Osiris
The first DLC expansion for Destiny 2 is due to launched on December 5 2017.
This expansion will take the player to the planet Mercury where they'll be tasked with getting Osiris' help to defeat a Vex plot and according to a listing they'll continue their "Guardian's journey with all-new story missions and adventures."
In the game they'll ”Journey through time and space to learn the secrets of Osiris, avert a dark future, and rebuild the ties between the legendary Warlock and his greatest student—Ikora Rey.“
According to this listing there's also going to be new story missions, themes weapons, armor and gear, new cooperative activities, new competitive multiplayer arenas and more besides.
This DLC will mark the first appearance of the legendary Warlock via a brand new storyline.
It's also been announced there'll be new raid content, a new Mercury patrol area and the return of Destiny 1's lighthouse as a third social space.
PlayStation owners will have exclusive access to a Crucible map, set in Titan's New Pacific Arcology.
You can watch the trailer below:
Alexa skill
Good news for Destiny 2 fans who own an Amazon Alexa-enabled device - you have a new skill to try out! Announced by Amazon and Activision at the recent AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas, the Ghost Skill will allow players to control their in-game guide and companion through their Alexa device.
For example, when playing the game it'll be possible to say "Alexa, ask Ghost to" and request anything from information on which of your friends are online, what you should pursue next in the game, or find out more about the in-game world. Conveniently, this takes away the need to click through menus for certain actions and has the potential to streamline gameplay.
This is the first time this kind of skill has been created for a voice assistant and according to Activision, the aim is to bring a part of the game into the player's real world and make it more immersive as a result.
Voiced by Nolan North the skill is available to download for free from the Alexa app now.
For anyone that would like even more of Destiny 2 in their home, Amazon also announced a limited edition Destiny 2 Ghost speaker. This WiFi enabled speaker looks like in-game Ghost and even uses Nolan North's voice to respond to your enquiries. However, it's worth noting it does still require an Alexa-enabled device such as an Echo Dot in your home so it doesn't work on its own.
The speaker is available for pre-order now from Amazon for £79.99/ $89.99 and it'll be available from December 19.
Pre-release information
Destiny 2 trailers and screenshots
At Gamescom 2017 in Cologne we were treated to a launch trailer. With a mix of CGI and in-game footage this trailer sets up the high-octane excitement we've come to expect from Destiny very well. You can watch it for yourself below:
Destiny 2 got a brand-new trailer at Sony's E3 2017 Keynote on Monday, June 12 that shows the three new classes in action and re-affirming the game's September 6, 2017 release date.
We also learned that gamers that buy the game on Sony systems will receive an exclusive strike, ship, weapon and PVP maps.
That's a compelling reason for guardians to go for PS4 over the other systems, although PC gamers will be the only platform with 4K.
Is that enough to persuade gamers to Sony's systems? Check out the trailer and decide for yourself.
Destiny 2 PC
Bungie confirmed a PC release on the day it released the game's debut trailer and now there's no looking back. Only forward to its October 24 release. Bungie has said, however, it won't be available on Steam.
This is a very good thing considering that PC gamers are clamoring for Destiny 2 – and it's a perfect fit for the platform, which has long been the spiritual home of the MMO. It will also give Bungie access to a huge new audience.
And if that news wasn't good enough, Bungie is going to reward to the PC faithful by making the PC version of the game 4K compatible. Yep, your favorite shooter is now going to have a 3840 × 2160 resolution.
Here's images of the game in 4K to whet your appetite.
But its resolution isn't the only unique thing about the game's PC launch.
We've also learned recently that the game is going to be exclusive to Battle.net when it does come to PC ... which, as it turns out, might be a few weeks after the console version is released. Destiny will be the first non-Blizzard game to be made available on Battle.net, however, so that's quite an honor.
In terms of additional features, Activision has confirmed that the game will support text-chat on PC and will feature HDR graphics; plus Nvidia announced at Gamescom 2017 that it will support SLI, if you are a fan of using more than one video card, and 21:9 aspect ratio for if you like using more than one monitor.
PC hands on preview impressions
As Destiny 2 is the franchise’s debut on PC, I was excited to get hands on with the game at this year’s E3 to get even a small sense of how the massive multiplayer first-person online so popular on consoles would feel with a mouse and keyboard.
I got the chance to try out the very first mission of Destiny 2’s single-player campaign mode. Called Homecoming, the mission throws players right into the action of the invasion of The Last City lead by Cabal Red Legion commander Dominus Ghaul.
I might as well make it clear right now, I am absolutely not a PC gamer. Though I had played the original Destiny on console, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the game on PC as keyboard and mouse controls are utterly unfamiliar to me.
Keyboard is key
It’s to Destiny 2 on PC’s credit, then, that I found the keyboard controls very intuitive and clearly laid out. Nothing is lost by using keyboard and mouse, and gunplay felt as sharp smooth and satisfying as it does on console.
In fact, with the game running in 4K at a speedy 60 frames per second it might have been even better.
Something that was enjoyable about the game’s first mission was that despite it being a single-player mode in a game that’s more focused on multiplayer experiences, I didn’t feel abandoned and lonely when playing.
The planets are alive with the sound of NPCs
This is because Bungie has integrated its NPC characters into the campaign; characters like Ikora and Cayde-6 are there fighting alongside you and being an active and vocal part of the action. Not to mention the cutscenes.
In the short mission I played, the game’s environments were rich and detailed with an exciting sense of scale and life. The foreground of the action puts you in a crumbling almost completely destroyed city that feels like it’s coming down on top of you. Look past this though and you’ll see an expansive horizon filled with enemy ships.
Basically, this was a much more cinematic experience than anything the original Destiny offered and it made playing alone more exciting as a result.
Cinematic campaign
It’s worth going back to the fact that we noted the mission was short, though. I’m not sure if it was for demo purposes but I was surprised by how quickly I managed to make my way through it so we hope other sections of the campaign run slightly longer if only just to allow us to savor the experience.
Though we’ve only experienced a small part of it, we feel like it’s safe to say Destiny 2 is going to feel as fun and at home on PC as it does on console, if not more so with the extra effort Bungie has put in with its tailored PC version.
If the rest of the campaign looks and feels as good as the part we played, and the multiplayer is up to shape we don’t doubt fans will love it and newcomers will flock to it.
The PC version may be coming later but from what we can see, it'll be worth the wait.
Destiny 2 features
Clans
Improving on Groups from the original Destiny, Clans will be an important feature in Destiny 2 that will allow players to team up and organize games for online multiplayer.
The structure of Clans in Destiny 2 will be similar to that of Groups: they'll be capped at 100 members and those with Destiny 2 accounts will be able to be a member of one Clan per platform. The way they'll differ, however, is in their new abilities and features. The biggest change is Guided Games, a new matchmaking system for Raids and Nightfall Strikes. With this system existing Clans that perhaps don't have enough members for a higher-level missions will be able to seek another player outside their Clan in order to have a full party. This benefits high-level players who aren't members of Clans as well as the Clans themselves.
Clan members can also invite other players to join their Clan from within the game and all members of a Clan will receive rewards for each others' successes. What these rewards are is still unclear.
Bungie is making it possible for players to transfer their Groups from Destiny into Clans in Destiny 2 before the game's release which should mean a thriving online multiplayer community as soon as the game is released.
Clan leaders are now able to visit Bungie.net and decide whether or not they want to move their Group over to Destiny 2. They'll be able to transfer their title and permissions to another member if they feel they'll need a better and more committed leader for the new game.
According to Bungie, this migration period will last for one month, after which the Clan creation service will go live on Bungie.net.
A cinematic story
Gamers will be glad to hear that the developers are placing more emphasis on the story and characters this time around. "The cornerstone...is a great cinematic story," Activision exec Eric Hirshberg said earlier this year. "That's been a real focus with a great cast of memorable, relatable characters.”
In our short hands on with game's first campaign mission we definitely think Bungie have been successful here. We got a much greater sense of scale, spectacle and life here than we did in the original Destiny.
Goodbye Grimoire
As part of putting more emphasis on story and characters, Destiny 2 will drop Grimoire cards. Those who played the original Destiny game will know that Grimoire cards were cards unlocked for completing tasks in the game.
Unfortunately, they were only accessibly on the web, not in the actual game itself, which basically meant much of the game's core lore and story was inaccessible while playing.
World design lead, Steve Cotton told Forbes that this time around there will be no Grimoire cards as the team want to keep most of the lore in the game itself and tell the story through the missions, characters and scannables.
Lots of expansions
This is hardly unexpected given the success of Destiny’s myriad updates and add-ons, but Activision has confirmed that it has “follow-on content plans” for Destiny 2. That likely means the team will be listening to players and tailoring the future experience – expect fresh content, gameplay changes, and cosmetic add-ons.
More accessible for “casual players”
‘Casual’ has become a bit of a dirty word in some gaming circles, but Activision and Bungie are clear about their intention to make their game more open to all. "We've made it more accessible to someone who just wants to have a great more casual first-person action experience... without losing anything that our core players love,” Hirschberg said. What that means in practice is not clear, but we hope it means a game with less grinding and more varied gameplay.
Character continuity with the first game (to some extent)
We don’t know how Destiny 2 will handle player’s Guardians from the first game (more on that in the rumours section below), but we know there will be some continuity. “That idea is that the Guardian you have created is something you can bring along with you on that adventure,” Community Manager David Dague told IGN in 2014. “If you take a look at the way people have played other games for a long period of time, they’ve had a relationship with the same character for a very long time.” Intriguing.
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/news/destiny-2-release-date-news-and-rumors
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