In its first month, Destiny sold 6.3 million copies -- an impressive feat for any game, but especially for a brand new property. Yet, some would say it was all downhill from there, as the game was plagued with a string of problems; namely, a thin story and a daft leveling system. Still, Destiny retained a base of dedicated players (reportedly 23 million strong) and with its most recent expansion, last fall's The Taken King, developers improved on many of these issues.

As Year Two continued, Destiny began offering new material to players desperate for content in the form of seasonal events, like December's Sparrow Racing League and the current Valentine's Day event, Crimson Days. However, these haven't necessarily been the sort of robust content most players have come to expect, especially after Destiny set a precedent by dropping two expansions during Year One. But Activision and Bungie have a message for those players -- don't worry, the best is yet come.

The sudden departure of Bungie CEO Harold Ryan created worry and put Destiny's future in question, and after rumors surfaced that Destiny's sequel -- initially expected this year -- had been delayed, there was even more cause for concern. Then today, in a press release to investors, Activision confirmed the sequel's delay, stating they and their partners at Bungie now plan "to release a full game sequel in 2017."

At first, the need to push Destiny 2 out another year might seem like another stumble in a long string of missteps from Destiny's developers, but it may be the series' saving grace. As has already been noted, Destiny has been operating on a learning curve, and with each update its developers have done their best to address concerns of the players. The Taken King was by far the most significant tweak, reworking many of the kinks and sources of irritation for the players, but Destiny is still far from perfect. When its sequel releases it needs to not only improve on Destiny's failings, but be a vast improvement overall, and that kind of reworking needs time.

Thankfully, current Destiny players won't be stuck waiting for 2017 for new content. Activision also shared plans for a "larger update" to come this spring, with today's This Week At Bungie update adding:

"That content release will feature a significant Light increase, a bunch of new gear to earn and equip, and new challenges for PvE players seeking some more fun experiences and replayability."

The Taken King not only retooled how a guardian's Light was calculated but increased the Light level cap to 320. To achieve that level, players have to complete the King's Fall raid and score its coveted gear. But with a Light increase and new gear ahead, that raid gear could soon be obsolete. As for the new PvE challenges, that could be just about anything -- new story levels, strikes, or even unique bounties. Being that this update is qualified as "larger," a continuation of Destiny's sprawling saga in the form of new levels would fit the bill, though that may be asking for too much, too soon. That's been the whole point of their recent timed events, slowing down story progression while offering players new things to do. And theses events have certainly added to Destiny's replayability, but already players are clamoring for more -- this spring update could be just what they're looking for.

Destiny is available to purchase from all participating retailers for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.

Sources: Activision, Bungie