Bungie's Destiny 2 will be one of 30 launch games on the next generation of Xbox, and the developer has gone into great detail on what players can expect from the new version coming December 8. Destiny 2's status as an Xbox Series X launch window title is one of the first moves Bungie has made all on its own following the split from Activision in early 2019. With content planned far in advance, Bungie has promised a new paradigm with Beyond Light, and part of that is swapping from Sony to Microsoft when it comes to marketing and home platform. There aren't any exclusive missions for Xbox gamers, and PlayStation owners still get a free upgrade, but Bungie's focus is on Xbox Series X.
The next-gen Destiny 2 upgrade corresponds with Destiny 2: Beyond Light, the next large expansion for Destiny 2. As expected, Beyond Light will feature new exotic weapons to collect, the opportunity to visit Jupiter's frozen moon Europa, and a new type of power that stems from The Darkness to wield against the various alien races trying to eliminate the Guardians. There are also significant changes to the game's Gambit multiplayer mode and the introduction of a content vault that will take away five of the game's current locales.
In a post on Bungie.net, the developers at Bungie laid out exactly what players can expect when loading into Destiny 2: Beyond Light with a new console when the optimized version hits on December 8. While players will be able to enjoy faster load times and play cross-gen on new consoles on November 10, the true upgrades will hit in the next month.
The main benefit will be playing the game in full 4K while maintaining 60 frames per second. This will appear on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, while the Xbox Series S promises a smooth 60 frames at 1080p. Bungie is also adding a field of view slider to the game for the first time on consoles, letting players adjust what they see. It's a preference that is more for the hardcore shooter players, but it's much appreciated nonetheless. Owners on Xbox One will get an immediate upgrade via Smart Delivery, while PlayStation owners can digitally download the new version on launch day. Bungie also specified that its implementation of cross-gen multiplayer would only work across consoles of the same type, so a PlayStation 5 player can't raid with a friend on Xbox One.
For players of Destiny 2, there's both excitement and caution in the upcoming Beyond Light update. Players really want to see what Bungie has to offer as a studio without the influence of Activision when it comes to Destiny. However, the idea of vaulting content is still slightly concerning, especially when a player looks at how much content is headed to digital purgatory. Perhaps it will make for a better experience in the long run, but the necessity to take away missions leaves the impression that Bungie still hasn't quite grasped how they want their console MMO to operate in the long run.
The next-gen upgrade for Destiny 2: Beyond Light launches on December 8 across Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
Source: Bungie.net