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The next 'Destiny 2' season will revamp swordplay
While Bungie has mostly been coy about what the next season of Destiny 2 will entail, it just dropped a big clue. The studio has revealed that the season starting March 10th will dramatically rework swords. For one, they'll have their own pool of recharging energy used to power both ground-based heavy attacks and guarding -- the more energy you have, the more options and effectiveness you'll have. While you'll still need ammo to guard, this should encourage you to mix up your swordplay with different attacks and more guarding.
'Destiny 2' is offline as Bungie tries to fix a data-erasing bug (updated)
You might not want to look at your Destiny 2 inventory right now if you're an avid player -- you could be in for a rude shock. Bungie has taken the game offline for "emergency maintenance" after discovering that the latest update appears to have erased players' Glimmer currency, infusion materials (like ascendant shards) and possibly cosmetics currency like Bright Dust. Given that some of these items are particularly hard to get, that's a huge problem -- many hours of gameplay may have been wiped out.
The next season of 'Destiny 2' returns to Mercury and Osiris
Now that the first season of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is over, what's next? A trip down memory lane, in more ways than one. Bungie has teased what to expect when the Season of Dawn starts on December 10th, and the focus this time is on a return to Mercury. You not only have to help Osiris manipulate time to stop the Cabal from undoing your victory against them, but use time travel to save the legendary Saint-14 (who you've discovered in a past quest) from meeting an untimely end. Cooperative multiplayer fans might also like a new Sundial activity that has six players defending Osiris' prized machine against a horde of Cabal.
Bungie finally has a fix for today's 'Destiny' server problems
Over the last twelve hours or so, people trying to play Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 have had trouble connecting to the game, but at last Bungie support says it has found a resolution. However, fixing the issue in Destiny's "core services" required restarting the servers and kicking everyone out again. So if you'd finally managed to log in and are now looking at a loading screen again, just give it a minute and keep an eye on the Bungie Help Twitter account for updates -- you'll get to those daily bounties soon. Update: In a subsequent tweet, Bungie said the downtime is expected to last until about 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET. Update 2: Now the repair period has been extended through 11 PM ET, we'll see how much longer it takes. Update 3: It took past midnight, but both Destiny and Destiny 2 services are restored.
The latest 'Destiny 2' Halloween event starts October 29th
Bungie is about to kick off Destiny 2's customary Halloween event, and it's borrowing from the past even as it throws in some new twists. This year's Festival of the Lost will run from October 29th through November 19th, and it'll bring back both Eva Levante and the candy system. Earn enough sweets and you can buy "grab bags" as well as a Masterworked version of the Werewolf auto rifle. The Haunted Forest is also making its return and challenges you to venture as far into the spooky maze as possible in 15 minutes.
Bungie pulls popular gun from 'Destiny 2' after discovering exploit
Believe it or not, Bungie is grappling with another wildly overpowered Destiny 2 weapon. The developer has pulled the Telesto fusion rifle from all activities after players discovered an exploit that lets them rapidly charge their character's Super ability. All you had to do was shoot at the floor while using an Ashes to Assets armor perk and toss a grenade at the resulting projectiles (destroying them counted as kills) to make them recharge your Super. If you had the time to shoot a few spare rounds, you could launch extremely powerful attacks mere seconds into a competitive match instead of the usual minutes.
Both 'Destiny' games went down for 'emergency maintenance' (updated)
Destiny 2 fans hoping to dive into the game's latest expansion Shadowkeep will have to wait a bit longer, as Bungie announced both Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 are undergoing "emergency maintenance." It's not clear exactly what the issue is, but it comes just as the company launched some big changes for the second game. Destiny 2 has added its new expansion for players that sees the return of Eris Morn, support for PC gamers using Steam and the ability to transfer saves between platforms, so you can take characters to wherever your friends are without replaying the same level grinds over and over again. The now free-to-play game should have a better experience overall, once it's actually working. Update (8:15PM ET): According to Bungie Help, they are "making progress" in restoring services, so you can feel free to jump back in the queues and hope. Update (10 PM ET): Bungie reported maintenance is complete, you may continue your FPS-related duties.
'Destiny 2' will include season passes as part of its free-to-play move
Now that the base Destiny 2 is free-to-play, how will Bungie give you a reason to keep paying beyond major expansions? By borrowing a page from Fortnite. Bungie has outlined its revamped approach to seasons in year three of Destiny 2, and the focus is on $10 Season Passes that introduce a seasonal matchmaking activity (with chances at fancier loot), easier access to special gear and perks like Exotic ships and ornaments. You may also have special events like the Exotic weapon quest in the first phase of year three, Season of the Undying (included if you buy Shadowkeep).
Fall 'Destiny 2' update makes it easier to spend money in-game
Destiny 2 developer Bungie is doubling down on microtransactions as a way to fund the continued development of its popular online shooter. In a recent blog post, Destiny franchise director Luke Smith detailed how microtransactions (or MTX) will play a more prominent part in the Destiny 2 experience.
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo agree to disclose loot box odds
Loot boxes have been a source of controversy in recent years. They offer gamers a way to snag virtual items, but because the rewards are typically randomized and players can buy them with real money, they've been called as a form of gambling. Some jurisdictions have banned them completely, and others have looked into them. The games industry is attempting to soothe those concerns. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have agreed to disclose the odds of obtaining highly-sought-after gear inside loot boxes.
'Halo' TV series has its Cortana ahead of early 2021 premiere
While Showtime took forever to start filling in details for its Halo TV series, it's clearly eager to make up for lost time. The broadcaster has announced that Natascha McElhone (of Ronin and Californication fame) will portray both the legendary Cortana AI as well as Dr. Catherine Halsey, the creator of Spartan supersoldiers like Master Chief. The producers have filled out considerably more of the cast beyond these prominent roles, too.
'Destiny 2' year two winds down with Moments of Triumph starting July 9th
The second year of Destiny 2 is ramping down with Shadowkeep around the corner, and that can only mean one thing in Bungie's world: it's achievement-hunting season. The developer is kicking off 2019's Moments of Triumph on July 9th, giving you a chance to earn rewards for key character milestones. There are only teasers as to what the achievements involve, although names like "Bedazzled" and "O Murderer Mine" suggest you may have to get creative.
'Destiny 2’ is now free-to-play, including its year-one expansion
Big changes are coming to Destiny 2. With today's announcement of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, developer Bungie has a new way to deliver content to its players. When the major expansion lands on on September 17th, the core game will go free-to-play, shifting to "expansion-level, standalone content" for Destiny veterans.
Bungie is making 'Destiny 2' raid races more competitive
Destiny 2's World First raid races are supposed to provide glory and rewards to anyone with a sufficiently committed fireteam, but that's not how it works in practice -- and Bungie wants to level the playing field. When the shared-world shooter's Season of Opulence kicks off June 4th, it'll introduce a Contest mode that should give more players a shot at finishing the matching Crown of Sorrow raid before others. Bungie will effectively minimize the advantages of those hardcore players who can afford to spend many hours building their characters up before the assault even begins.
The 'Halo' TV series has found its Master Chief
The years-in-the-making Halo TV series finally appears to be taking shape. Showtime has chosen American Gods' Pablo Schrieber to play the series' version of Master Chief. It's not certain if he'll ever remove the iconic helmet, but Showtime has promised to tell "deeply drawn personal stories" -- it's hard to imagine the Chief hiding his face forever.
The first 'Destiny 2' spring event begins April 16th
Bungie hinted at its first spring-themed Destiny 2 event in its year two roadmap, and now you'll know exactly what that entails. The Revelry kicks off April 16th with a slew of activities that not so subtly remind you that the weather is warming up. The extravaganza revives the Haunted Forest from the fall's Festival of the Lost, but this time with a decidedly more cheery landscape (it's called the Verdant Forest for a reason) and "new twists." And instead of masks or The Dawning's recipes, you'll get a Reveler's Tonic that provides buffs when you fill it with an "essence" earned by killing Verdant Forest bosses or completing other tasks.
The next season of 'Destiny 2' kicks off March 5th with a Gambit focus
Bungie is ready to debut the first season of Destiny 2 since the studio announced its split with Activision, and it's not a major break with convention -- though it might give you a reason to come back, even if you haven't played for a while. The Season of the Drifter is beginning March 5th with a focus on both the mysterious figure's signature Gambit mode as well as his background, particularly his connection to the enigmatic Nine that have persisted since the original Destiny.
Bungie will self-publish 'Destiny' in split with Activision
Bungie is about to take greater control of Destiny's... well, destiny. The studio has reached a deal with Activision that will hand over the publishing rights to the shared-world shooter franchise. According to the company, it's "ready" to publish on its own after getting Activision's help over the past eight years. The handover is still in the "early stages," Bungie said, but the aim is to make it "as seamless as possible."
The next year of 'Destiny 2' starts with Black Armory on December 4th
When Bungie first talked about the future of Destiny 2 after Forsaken, it didn't say much beyond acknowledging that you'd get three big doses of content through the annual pass. Now, the studio is ready to say more... a lot more. Bungie has posted an update calendar for the next year of its shared-world shooter, and there will be plenty to do whether or not you've paid extra.
'Destiny 2' for PC is free until November 18th
Bungie and Activision aren't going to stop at handing out free copies of Destiny 2 to console gamers. Right in time for the launch of BlizzCon, they're making the base PC version of the shared-world shooter available for free from now through November 18th. You'll need to enable SMS-based two-factor authentication if you're brand new to Battle.net, but you're otherwise good to go. Just remember that this is the base game, not Forsaken -- you'll still need to pay to stay current, which is no doubt what Bungie is hoping for.
