Bungie has confirmed that Destiny 2 will be made available as a free-to-play game later this year. After parting ways with Activision, Bungie has set out to make the Destiny franchise its own. Many were unsure of how the studio planned to do that outside of additional expansions, which were promised by the company as things that were en route. It's clear now that that's not all Bungie had planned for Destiny 2, though, as several other major announcements have landed since the divorce.
First and foremost, the ability to have cross-saves for Destiny 2 was a major win for players. This means that jumping between Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC will allow players to bring all of their progress with them. Additionally, Destiny 2 is coming to Google Stadia and is even included as a freebie in the Founder's Edition of the game streaming service. Now, gamers have been told that that's not all that awaits them from Destiny.
Alongside the official unveiling of Destiny 2's Shadowkeep expansion, Polygon reports that a free-to-play offering for new players called Destiny 2: New Light will also be arriving on September 17, 2019. This version of the title will be a vanilla option for newcomers eager to get a taste of Destiny 2. New Light will feature the base version of the game and “all of its foundational modes, activities, and rewards.” Players will be able to purchase further expansion separately, and this includes the newly announced Shadowkeep DLC.
Additionally, Destiny 2: New Light players will have access to Leviathan raid (as well as its corresponding raid lairs) and a few competitive multiplayer modes. It's not a grandiose offering, but it's a good start for the developer as it hopes to continue growing the user base of Destiny 2. It should go without saying, but this move by Bungie appears to be a direct result of it leaving Activision.
Pursuing a free-to-play model through Destiny 2: New Light may end up being a brilliant play, as the model has proven successful across a wide range of titles. Fortnite and Apex Legends have notoriously achieved the most success with it, and even World of Warcraft dabbles in offering some limited free-to-play capabilities. As a result, it's likely that Bungie is expecting big things from the "light" version of the game when Destiny 2: New Light launches in September.
Source: Polygon