When it comes to the gaming industry, December is known to be one of the slowest months every year, but December 2022 may be an exception to the rule, mainly because of December 6. Out of all the days in December, December 6 seems like it will be one of the absolute-busiest for the gaming industry, with new content released for existing games and subscription services enjoying major new additions to their lineups.
Here is why December 6 is set to be one of the biggest days for the gaming industry in the entire month of December.
New Seasons in Big Multiplayer Games
- Destiny 2 Season 19
- Overwatch 2 Season 2
December 6 may not have much in the way of brand-new video game releases, but it will have new content for some of the hottest multiplayer games on the market right now. On that day, Destiny 2 will bring the Season of Plunder to an end and launch Season 19. Bungie has yet to officially announce the name of Destiny 2 Season 19, despite its start date being so soon, and it has kept a lot of what it will have in store in terms of its story a secret, but details have come out as to what it will mean for the looter-shooter gameplay-wise.
Destiny 2 Season 19 will bring with it changes to Crucible playlists, balance tweaks for Exotic weapons and subclasses, and changes to the Iron Banner. It's also been recently confirmed that Season 19 will see Destiny 2 crossover with Ubisoft to add cosmetics to the game based on some of that company's biggest franchises. More details on that should come to light once Destiny 2 Season 19 kicks off on December 6.
Destiny 2 Season 19 may be especially exciting for fans because it is the last season of the game before the launch of the Lightfall expansion, currently scheduled to launch on February 28, barring any unforeseen delays. Destiny 2's Lightfall expansion will help push the narrative to its endgame, with the 2024 expansion The Final Shape bringing an end to the game's current storyline. Whether that is followed by Destiny 3 or even more Destiny 2 content remains to be seen.
The Season 19 content in Destiny 2 should keep shooter fans plenty busy on December 6, but they also have a new season of Blizzard's hero-shooter Overwatch 2 to look forward to as well. Overwatch 2 Season 2 is going to be a considerable update for the game as it will see the addition of new Tank hero Ramattra as well as a brand-new Escort map. A new Battle Pass will be coming as well, with players having the opportunity to unlock a Zeus-themed Mythic skin for Junker Queen along with a variety of other cosmetics.
Overwatch 2 Season 2 is not addressing some of the biggest monetization concerns that fans have had about the game since its launch in early access, but it will at least be addressing concerns fans have about some of the heroes. Blizzard has said that Overwatch 2 Season 2 will nerf Sojourn, and it will also see some changes to Doomfist to make him more viable in the game's current climate. More specific details on character balance changes coming to Overwatch 2 in Season 2 have not been revealed at the time of this writing, but fans will be able to jump in and see for themselves come December 6.
New Updates and DLC
- Disney Dreamlight Valley: Missions in Uncharted Space
- Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds
Many other games are receiving new content come December 6, but not in the form of live service seasons. For example, the life simulation game Disney Dreamlight Valley is getting a big update on December 6 that will add Toy Story content to the game. Stitch from Lilo and Stitch has also been teased for Disney Dreamlight Valley in the December 6 update, so it seems fans of the game will be able to look forward to interacting with plenty more Disney characters come next week.
Another game getting a notable update on December 6 is Far Cry 6, the open world FPS from Ubisoft that originally released last year. On that day, fans can look forward to checking out the Lost Between Worlds DLC, a paid expansion that leans heavy into sci-fi elements and really takes the game's story in bizarre directions. Far Cry 6 is no stranger to thinking outside of the box when it comes to its stranger content, and it seems Lost Between Worlds will certainly fit the bill.
It's worth pointing out that another Ubisoft-published game, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, was originally going to have new DLC release on December 6 as well. The Last Chapter update for Assassin's Creed Valhalla was surprise-launched a week ahead of schedule, helping to set the stage for the upcoming Assassin's Creed Mirage game that is expected to launch next year.
New Xbox Game Pass Games
- Hello Neighbor 2 (Cloud/Consoles/PC)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Cloud/Consoles/PC)
December 6 is going to be a big day for gaming because of the substantial new content coming to games, but it will also be a notable day because of the games that are being added to some of the industry's biggest streaming services. This includes Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, which is set to have a pretty notable December 6 so far. On that day, Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have two new games to check out, including a day one release.
Stealth horror game Hello Neighbor 2 joins the Xbox Game Pass lineup on December 6 as a day one release. In this sequel, players once again find themselves trying to discover their dangerous neighbor's secret. However, the neighbor AI becomes smarter the more players play the game as it learns how they play and adjusts accordingly. Tensions should run plenty high for Xbox Game Pass subscribers when Hello Neighbor 2 hits the service on day one come December 6.
Another notable game joining Xbox Game Pass on December 6 is LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. While not a day one release, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga should still prove to be a popular addition for Xbox Game Pass subscribers that have yet to try out the new game. It tells the entire Star Wars film story so far, giving fans the chance to play levels based on the prequel trilogy, original trilogy, and sequel trilogy, while featuring a massive roster of playable characters. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga reviews were mostly positive at the time of its release, and while it certainly has some technical issues, it's still been mostly well-received by fans of the franchise.
New Free PS Plus Games
- Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (PS4)
- Biomutant (PS5/PS4)
- Divine Knockout (PS5/PS4)
PlayStation Plus subscribers have an especially exciting month of free games to claim in December 2022. The headlining addition to the free PS Plus games for December 2022 lineup is Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, a remastered collection of the original Mass Effect trilogy. Its inclusion means that PS Plus subscribers are technically being treated to five free games for the month of December, not the usual three.
Joining Mass Effect: Legendary Edition are Biomutant and Divine Knockout. Biomutant is an open world action-RPG that earned somewhat mixed reviews, whereas Divine Knockout is notable for being a brand-new, day one release. It's a multiplayer action game that has taken some inspiration from the Super Smash Bros. series, but while using a third-person perspective instead of the side-view that Smash uses. The jury is still out on whether this will be a winning formula or not, but PS Plus subscribers can find out for themselves when the new free games are made available on December 6.