Destiny 2’s first major expansion has officially been announced and it’s taking players back to The Reef. Initially teased by developer Bungie on May 31, a short clip of the player and Cayde-6 landing in The Reef was shown on June 4. A full reveal took place that both laid out the plans for Destiny 2’s Year 2 and the new Forsaken DLC. Unlike Warmind and Curse of Osiris, this expansion appears to be on the scale of Destiny’s The Taken King.
Here is everything we know about Destiny 2’s Year 2 plan and the Forsaken DLC. We will update this post as more information and rumors are released
Release Date
Destiny 2’s Forsaken expansion will be releasing on September 4, 2018.
Story
Forsaken was designed to have a “western theme” and will take place in The Reef. The game starts will the player attempting to stop a prison break with Cayde-6. This leads Guardians on a journey to take down a variety of different Fallen leaders called Barons. Each one has a different theme such as a sniper or melee fighter. For veteran players, this appears to be a more in-depth version of the bounty hunts players went on in the House of Wolves DLC. They will be in charge of The Scourn, which are a completely new type of Fallen. These are described as much more aggressive and will be always trying to apply pressure.
Players will get to visit a place called the Dreaming City, which will act as one of the main areas players can explore. Bungie explained that this location will be full of puzzle and actually changes after players raid. This main area is also where the raid will take place, which is a first for the franchise. Another location users can visit is the Tangled Shore, which is a collection of asteroids strung together by cables and bridges.
Gambit
Gambit is a brand new PvPvE mode coming to Destiny 2 via the Forsaken expansion. Two teams of four will start the game across from each before being ushered to an arena. From here, players need to slay waves of enemies while collecting motes and depositing them into a bank. Each team can actually lock the other team’s bank, forcing a powerful enemy to spawn. Players cannot progress until they kill the enemy blocking their bank. Whichever teams kills their boss at the end of the round first, wins.
Where things get interesting is Gambit allows one player from each team to invade their opponent’s arena. This presents a tactical choice where you can stay and help your team or risk it in the hope of killing your foes.
Weapons and Armor
While Bungie hasn’t outright confirmed it, the new Light level cap appears to be 600. This is a massive increase from what players have right now which is 385. However, Bungie did mention that the numbers in the stream are most likely wrong, so there’s a high chance this isn’t right. We also got a glimpse at a variety of different weapons and armor pieces, but Bungie only showcased a new bow and arrow. This will be a first for Destiny and it appears to fire energy arrows at foes. There will be a bow for short, medium, and long range, which gives it more versatility. During the trailer players also got to see a rather ornate sword that resembled a cutlass.
Additionally, random rolls will make a return to Destiny 2, however, it’s currently still in testing. Armor pieces will now have perks, allowing further customization of your character. Also, the weapon slots themselves are getting a complete overhaul. Now players can place weapons such as a sniper rifle and shotgun in their Kinetic, Energy, and Power weapon slot. Bungie assured that they will address balance and it doesn’t appear that rockets can be equipped in every slot.
The mod system is also getting an overhaul, allowing players to customize their firearm to fit their playstyle. There will be a new Masterwork system that lets players level them up as they use them.
Class Changes
Destiny 2’s sub-classes are also getting some new Supers and skill trees. Here’s a quick breakdown of what we know about each sub-class so far. Keep in mind these are still in development and could change before the expansion drops in September. We also don’t know much about some of the sub-classes or if there are any new ones coming.
Warlock
- Voidwalker: One new change showcased for Voidwalker is the ability to teleport while on the ground. This appears to be different than Blink, as the cooldown appears to be insanely short. You can then release a massive shockwave of Void energy around your Warlock.
- Stormtrance: The new Super for Stormtrance is taking a page from Destiny 2’s main villain Ghaul. When activated, players can fire a massive beam of arc energy that can decimate their foes. This beam passes through enemies, allowing you to hit multiple targets.
Titan
- Sunbreaker: When you trigger this Super your Titan will summon a giant flame hammer that he can bash people with. Users will also be able to summon a giant fire tornado to deal AoE (Area of Effect) damage.
Hunter
- Arcstrider: This sub-class did not receive a spotlight, but we did get to see a new ability where the Hunter spins their staff in front of them, reflecting all projectiles back at their foes.
- Nightstalker: There is very little information about the Nightstalker, but it appears they will now be able to use two Void knives when their Super activates.
Raid
To no one’s surprise, Bungie was very quiet about the raid and what it would offer. However, we do know that this raid will have the most bosses of any Destiny raid. While we don’t know who the enemies are, we guess it will be Fallen given this entire expansion is focused on them. The raid takes place in the Dreaming City and after the location will change after a raid is finished.
Inventory and Collections
Finally, Bungie has overhauled the inventory system allowing players to view their collection of items. This book details every item that users have obtained, allowing them to keep track of what they have and what’s missing. You can also see how to get specific items you don’t own such as the Iron Banner gear or certain Exotics.
Moments of Triumph are also back, which is a collection of challenges that players will want to complete. Previously this ranged from killing enemies to completing certain endgame activities. It was a fun item to grind for and it usually offered some loot for those willing to finish everything.