Bungie has unveiled a bold new direction for its long-running multiplayer shooter, aiming to revitalize the game after hitting concerning low player counts in recent months. The developer's livestream event showcased an ambitious roadmap that promises to reshape how content is delivered to players over the next two years.
The Fate Saga Begins
Bungie has announced the beginning of a new multi-year narrative called the Fate Saga for Destiny 2, kicking off with the expansion The Edge of Fate on July 15, 2025. This marks a significant shift in the game's content delivery model, moving away from the episodic seasonal structure that has dominated the past year. The Edge of Fate will take players to a new location called Kepler, where they'll encounter mysterious entities known as The Nine—dark matter beings representing celestial bodies in our solar system. Bungie has emphasized their intention to bring mystery back to the Destiny universe through this storyline.
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| Guardians prepare for the upcoming adventure in The Fate Saga, featuring the mysterious entities known as The Nine |
New Release Structure
Perhaps the most significant change is Bungie's new approach to content releases. Instead of the annual major expansion followed by seasons, Destiny 2 will now receive two expansions per year, with each being comparable in size to Destiny 1's Rise of Iron expansion—smaller than typical annual Destiny 2 releases but more substantial than seasonal content. Between these expansions, players will receive free major updates that replace the previous seasonal model. The first such update, called Ash and Iron, will arrive in September and will add Destiny 1's Plaguelands location to the sequel.
Four Expansions Revealed
During the livestream, Bungie outlined an ambitious two-year roadmap featuring four expansions:
- July 15, 2025: The Edge of Fate
- December 2, 2025: Renegades
- Summer 2026: Shattered Cycle
- Winter 2026: The Alchemist
The second expansion, Renegades, has already generated significant buzz for its unmistakable Star Wars inspiration. The teaser trailer shows clear aesthetic parallels to the iconic sci-fi franchise, with Bungie even offering a Darth Vader-inspired cosmetic as part of its Ultimate Edition. While Bungie has been careful to frame this as taking the space western vibe and aesthetic that is Star Wars and putting it through that Destiny lens, the similarities are striking enough that the developers felt compelled to clarify that it remains a definitively Destiny expansion.
Addressing Player Concerns
This dramatic shift in content strategy comes at a critical time for Destiny 2. The game hit an all-time low concurrent player count of under 34,000 toward the end of last year, with numbers struggling to recover significantly since then. The episodic structure that followed The Final Shape expansion was poorly received, with community sentiment reaching particularly low points during the second episode. Even though the third episode was better received, it had become clear that the seasonal model had run its course.
Streamlined Experience
Beyond the new content, Bungie is implementing significant changes to make Destiny 2 more accessible. The developer plans to overhaul various design elements to make it easier for players to jump directly into activities. They're also working to improve the loot chase through a new tier system and streamline the new player experience. These changes seem aimed at addressing long-standing criticisms about the game's complexity and barriers to entry.
What's Next
With Bungie also working on its upcoming remake of Marathon, questions remain about how the studio will balance resources between its projects. However, this announcement makes it clear that Destiny 2 remains a priority. The Edge of Fate expansion appears to promise a metroidvania-style exploration experience, while the Star Wars-inspired Renegades expansion will test whether Bungie can incorporate such obvious influences while maintaining Destiny's unique identity.
As one journalist aptly put it, Destiny 2 is a game forever bouncing between It's so over and We're so back. With this ambitious new roadmap, Bungie is clearly betting on the latter.