We’ve known for a while now that Destiny 2 developer Bungie has been bringing players closer and closer to the end of the War of Light and Darkness. Now, the studio has formally unveiled The Final Shape, the expansion concluding this decade-long story arc, and it launches on February 27, 2024.
Bungie says in The Final Shape, Guardians will confront their ultimate adversary, The Witness, alongside companions from their years of adventures in Destiny 2, like Ikora Rey, Commander Zavala, and Cayde-6, who has somehow returned after dying in the game’s Forsaken expansion. The Final Shape will take players right into the heart of the Traveler to end the War of Light and Darkness with the Vanguard.
You can check out the reveal trailer for The Final Shape for yourself below:
Bungie says a new raid will launch in March 2024, shortly after the release of The Final Shape. A new World First Race will accompany this raid, beginning on launch day.
“During the campaign of The Final Shape, Guardians will explore a mysterious new destination – The Pale Heart, located inside the Traveler,” a press release read. “Shaped by The Witness but also influenced by the history and journey of the Guardians themselves, the Pale Heart destination will feature nostalgic callbacks from throughout the history of the Light and Darkness Saga, including a version of the original Tower from Destiny.”
Bungie says with The Pale Heart being the first “linear destination” in Destiny history, it will also gradually evolve.
This expansion includes three new Super abilities and Aspects forms – Void for Titans, Solar for Warlocks, and Arc for Hunter – each developed with teamplay in mind, Bungie says. Other additions to Destiny 2 include a new weapon subfamily called the Rocket Pistol Sidearm and a new Support Frame Auto Rifle that can deal damage while healing allies. Classic weapons from the original Destiny and a new Exotic Fusion Rifle will go live with The Final Shape.
This expansion will include a new enemy type called Subjugators. They can use Stasis and Strand powers, making them a threat to all Guardians.
Bungie also detailed some things coming to Destiny 2 over the next year, including Episodes, which is the studio’s new approach to seasonal content. The first Episode is called Echoes, and it will begin in March 2024. The second is called Revenant, and the third is called Heresy, and together, these three episodes will detail the aftermath of the events of The Final Shape. They will also include more content and rewards than previous Destiny 2 seasons, according to Bungie.
There are three editions of The Final Shape up for preorder: a standard edition, a more premium version that includes the annual pass, and a third Collector’s Edition that includes everything in the first two as well as a replica model of the original Tower and more.
Season of the Witch
Alongside today’s reveal of The Final Shape, Bungie also detailed what Guardians can expect in Destiny 2: Lightfall’s Season of the Witch, which launches today.
“In Season of the Witch, Guardians will continue their ongoing pursuit of The Witness and will confront old allies and enemies along the way,” a press release reads. “Savathûn’s ghost Immaru proposes a deal: aid in the resurrection of The Witch Queen and help defeat her sister, Xivu Arath. In exchange, Savathûn will reveal the key to the portal through the Traveler, where The Witness is preparing to enact The Final Shape.”
Guardians will be able to harness arcane Hive magic to help ally Eris Morn transform into a Hive god to fight against the Hive God of War.
One key feature of the Season of the Witch is the Deck of Whispers, which Bungie describes as a new method of player progression that allows Guardians to customize their loadouts and powers in new ways. “By completing Seasonal activities, players earn cards that can be used to build a customized deck full of buffs and perks for certain activities,” Bungie says. “Players in fireteams have the option to carefully strategize which cards they bring along to maximize their battle effectiveness on each run.”
Season of the Witch includes several quality-of-life features, including Timeline Reflections. Bungie says these short playable missions are accessible through the Timeline feature in the Director and offer brief narrative introductions and summaries of key narrative events in Destiny 2. The goal of Timeline Reflections is to catch new players up with the ongoing story and allow experienced players to relive moments from the game’s past.
Three Timeline Reflections are available with the launch of this season: Cayde-6’s final showdown with the Scorn from the Forsaken expansion, the debut of Stasis from Destiny 2’s Beyond Light expansion, and the introduction of the Lucent Hive from The Witch Queen expansion. These missions will be available to all players for free.
Beginning September 1, Crota’s End will go live as part of the Season of the Witch with a new World’s First Raid for it as well.
You can hop into the Witch Queen expansion for free this upcoming weekend, from August 24 to August 27. It will also be on sale for purchase from August 22 to September 5. The Witch Queen is also available right now for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members.
Destiny 2: Lightfall – Season of the Witch is now live. The game’s next expansion, The Final Shape, launches on February 27, 2024, everywhere Destiny 2 is available.
In the meantime, read Game Informer’s review of The Witch Queen.
Are you excited about The Final Shape? Let us know in the comments below!
