Same story with the free-to-play version
Bungie is coming up on the release ofDestiny 2‘s first major expansion since itssplit with Activision. However, that milestone has suffered a minor setback and will release just a bit later than expected.
Destiny 2‘sShadowkeepexpansion has been delayed from September 17 to October 1. In anannouncement post, Bungie says the add-on “would benefit from a bit more time in the oven,” while praising thatDestiny‘s independence means “[the developer is] agile enough to choose to do what’s best for the game and [the] players, even if it’s the hard choice.”
New Lightis affected the same asShadowkeep. WhereasShadowkeepis the standard annual $35 expansion,New Lightis the upcomingfree-to-playDestinythat essentially includes everything before Year Two content. It’s also set for October 1 now, and will release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
This delay alters the timeline of some other events. For instance,Shadowkeep‘s raid,Garden of Salvation, is now set to go live on Saturday, October 5. Additionally, because the new year ofDestinyis starting later than planned, Bungie’s giving players some extra time to finish up last year; the Moments of Triumph challenges and rewards have been extended through September 17. Also, there will be an additional Iron Banner during the week of September 17. Lastly, Bungie still plans to implement cross-save functionality beforeShadowkeeplaunches.
A little delay never hurt anyone, and it’s seemingly in the best interest of everyone thatShadowkeepbe pushed back a few weeks. But, this is the first good reminder that Bungie alone is now shouldering the responsibility forDestiny. It doesn’t have publisher resources to lean on (like access to support developer High Moon Studios). This won’t be the only bump in the road.Destiny‘s indie now — and that comes with a lot of pros and a lot of cons.
