Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, free-to-play and cross-saves

Ahead of today’s livestream, details regarding Destiny 2’s shift to free-to-play, it’s upcoming Shadowkeep expansion and cross-save functionality have been leaked.

Editor’s Note: Bungie’s Destiny 2 livestream has concluded, confirming the previously leaked details.

Prior to today’s livestream, Bungie promised a “new era” for Destiny 2. The developer was supposed to give us our first look at the next chapter of Destiny 2 today, but it seems details have leaked prematurely.

Courtesy of Engadget, which prematurely posted today’s big news and then removed the article (but not before it was captured), we now know what this new era will consist of. While we don’t have all of the details yet, we have a general idea for what is coming next for the multiplayer sci-fi shooter.

For starters, a new expansion titled Shadowkeep is launching on September 17. Previously discovered in data-mined files, the expansion will indeed take Guardians to the moon on a “journey deep into a mysterious enemy citadel” where players will “become a slayer of nightmares.” Bungie also apparently teased the return of an old ally. Could Cayde-6 actually return from the dead somehow?

The arrival of Shadowkeep later this year will mark a major shift for Destiny 2, as it moves to a free-to-play model. The new core game reportedly will be called Destiny 2: New Light and will feature all content from the first year, including “foundational modes, activities and rewards.”

Previously, players had paid full price for Destiny 2 and then pay for individual expansions either individually or as part of an annual pass to gain access to new content like raids, missions and exclusive items. However, Destiny 2 was recently made free on PC and was part of Sony’s PlayStation Plus lineup.

The new business model will remove that initial barrier to entry which is great if you’re completely new to the game. If you’ve already paid for Destiny 2 and/or the previous expansions, well, then sadly not much has changed. Future additional content, like the upcoming Shadowkeep, will be available for purchase a la carte.

While the move to free-to-play is exciting for newcomers, it’s not completely unexpected. Destiny 2‘s drop in the player base from launch has been well-documented and going free-to-play could draw some players away from the likes of Fortnite and other competitors.

Another big announcement spoiled in the article is the addition of cross-platform support, particularly a cross-save feature that’ll allow you to access your Guardian characters on different platforms. Right now, it seems that only Xbox One and PC will support this feature. Additionally, Bungie is doing away with platform-exclusive weapons, armor, maps and activities.

As is typically the case, PS4 will be left out of the cross-play party, likely due to Sony’s draconian stance on the feature. While Sony has shown some willingness to embrace cross-play with other games in the past, it usually requires some sort of public outcry for them to enable it; maybe the same will be true of Destiny 2.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, free-to-play, cross-saves and Stadia support

By Matthew Liebl | Jun 6, 2019

Ahead of today’s livestream, details regarding Destiny 2’s shift to free-to-play, it’s upcoming Shadowkeep expansion and cross-save functionality have been leaked.