Bungie is taking a bold step in Destiny 2 expansion, Beyond Light — when Year 4 of the long-running space fantasy series finally begins, the devs are aiming to bring the “feeling of Destiny 1” back, all while keeping the franchise fresh.
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Destiny is one of gaming’s longest-running modern franchises. The original title launched in 2014, before an Activision-backed sequel dropped in 2017. Bungie’s series has had a rugged run, however, with plenty of missteps along the way.
According to the fanbase — and, in parts, Bungie developers too — the biggest misstep came in the sequel switchover. Destiny 2 had too many cooks in the kitchen, and that led the series off the beaten track that had sold the franchise to millions in the first place.
That’s a mistake Bungie wants to fix in Destiny 2’s new expansion, Beyond Light.
Beyond Light, releasing on Nov.10 after delays, should go some distance to right the wrongs Destiny made back in 2017, director Luke Smith has promised: “We’re trying to get back a little bit of that feeling of Destiny 1, but in an updated way.”
The way they’re doing that? Well, they want to give players “more freedom” in creating their characters, as well as designing their abilities, guns, and Destiny builds.
“What we’re trying to do with Stasis [the new element coming in Beyond Light] and wielding the Darkness is to show you, as a player, more freedom,” Smith explained while speaking to EDGE magazine about Destiny’s fourth year.
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“There’s also a meta-statement that we’re making about the difference in power between light and dark, but there’s this other part, which is the fantasy of ‘This is my Guardian, there are many like it, but this one is mine’.
“I think we’re trying to get back to the feeling of Destiny 1… but we want to stick with how we think about the game now, and keep those systems that we’re using today in Destiny 2.”
Then there are the stories Bungie is finally digging up. The next season, confirmed as “Season of the Hunt” will reportedly bring Uldren Sov back into the narrative nearly two years after his shock Guardian resurrection back in 2018.
Destiny will put him by your side in Beyond Light, where players will be tracking down Oryx’s sister, Xivu Arath. The 24-month wait to see where his story goes has been pretty long so far, and that’s finally getting chopped down in Year 4.
And lastly, there’s the new Year 4 leaks uncovered the other day; leaked PlayStation 4 artwork has seemingly confirmed the old Destiny Tower might even be back in Beyond Light — just another way to get that “Destiny 1 feeling” back.
All in all, it’s an exciting time to be a long-term veteran of the franchise, or a newcomer. Year 4 expansion is set to turn Destiny 2 on its head all over again, if Bungie’s promises hold true, and act as a soft reset for the popular series.
Beyond Light is set to drop on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The new expansion will kick-start “Season of the Hunt” and Year 4. Stick with Dexerto for all Destiny news.
