Destiny 2 is fast approaching its sixth year of content with the upcoming Lightfall expansion, which is set to hit the shelves on February 28. Lightfall is the penultimate step to completing the Light and Darkness saga according to Bungie, which will end with The Final Shape, and it's time that more story cards are played, delving more into the biggest enemies of the Guardians - Xivu Arath and The Witness. Among them is also Destiny 2's Emperor Calus, an old acquaintance of the players that will seemingly conclude his character arc in Lightfall, finally facing Guardians after his inception as a Disciple of the Witness.
With dozens of story threads and an ever-evolving gameplay loop, Destiny 2 will likely continue to burst with life throughout 2023, something it can keep on doing for a long time if that's what Bungie wants for the game. The company's approach to the game has changed over time, and Destiny 2's changes and overhauls in Lightfall bode well for its future because they show Bungie is listening to the community's feedback. As such, Lightfall is but the beginning of the game's 2023, and there will be more to look forward to in the coming months.
Lightfall's Launch, Legendary Campaign, and New Destiny 2 Seasons
Lightfall is just around the corner, and given that the highly anticipated expansion didn't suffer delays it's safe to assume that everything is right on track for Destiny 2's imminent future. This also means that fans can expect Year 6 to come with the usual four Seasons, which will provide constant support to the Lightfall expansion as well as bridge the gap to The Final Shape expansion in 2024. Lightfall will launch alongside Season 20, which could adopt the same structure as Season of the Risen - the accompanying Season for The Witch Queen.
This would entail a seasonal story that's tied to the events of the expansion and doesn't add too much content so as to not overwhelm players, especially seeing how Destiny 2's Power Level will increase in Lightfall, possibly by another 200 levels or more. Seasons 21 through 23 will likely pack more punch thanks to possible secrets, exclusive seasonal activities and rewards, and side additions in the form of events and Exotic quests.
On top of that, it's worth noting that Lightfall will come with a Legendary Campaign option that is allegedly packed with action and very combat-heavy. The Witch Queen's Legendary Campaign was widely praised for its increased difficulty and rewards, and Lightfall taking the same path is promising, to say the least. As such, Destiny 2 players can expect a large campaign with new enemies in the form of the Shadow Legion, the Tormentors, and even Calus himself, all while reaping rewards from Lightfall's new pool.
New Dungeons and Raids in Destiny 2's Lightfall
Destiny 2's continued support for the Lightfall expansion will also come with new endgame content, namely two entirely new Dungeons, a brand-new Raid, and a reprised Raid. The first piece of content to release will be the new Dungeon associated with the Lightfall expansion, in typical fashion for the game. As it stands, the Lightfall Raid is slated to launch on March 10, the second Friday since Lightfall's release. This was also the case for the King's Fall Raid, as it allows Bungie to immediately take action in case bugs and issues arise.
Alongside Season 21 will launch the first of the new Dungeons, although there are no clues about what either of them might entail at this time. Players have been hoping for a Dungeon on Europa, given how little activity is left on the planet for those who have finished the Beyond Light campaign and its side content, and it could be a great location for new activities. Another endgame piece of content is coming with Season 22, this time a reprised Raid that follows the same pattern of King's Fall from The Witch Queen era.
Destiny 2's next Raid, reprised from a selection of old ones, could very well be Wrath of the Machine, which was the second most popular pick from the game's predecessor. Yet, Bungie also recently stated that SIVA is likely not coming back to the game, which poses the question of whether it's worth rebuilding SIVA assets just for the Raid. The other option would be to reprise Crota's End, but it's much shorter and less popular, making it a potentially controversial choice. The alternative would be to reintroduce a vaulted Destiny 2 Raid, but that too could come with its own set of issues.
A First Look at Destiny 2's The Final Shape
Given that Bungie has been holding livestreams dedicated to the following year's expansions for a while now, it's plausible to think that the same will hold true for The Final Shape. Lightfall will most likely start the path that leads to "the end," as foretold by Calus and The Witness in The Witch Queen and associated Seasons, but currently, nothing is officially known about The Final Shape outside of it ending the Light and Darkness saga. Still, these Destiny 2 livestreams are typically held in August, which would give fans plenty of time to dig into the stories of Lightfall and its first two Seasons.
What follows is that fans can expect news about The Final Shape as early as August 22 or August 29, with Bungie usually holding livestreams on the same day that the third Season of the yearly expansion drops. This always happens on Tuesdays, as that's the weekly reset day for the game. In fact, The Witch Queen was revealed on August 24 of 2021, and Lightfall was showcased on August 23 last year. Destiny 2's secret missions also typically offer insight into new expansions or Seasons to come, and Year 6 might follow suit when it comes to The Final Shape.
More Destiny 2 Quality-of-Life Changes and Crossovers
Lightfall is bringing many changes to Destiny 2, with some of them drastically improving the overall quality of the experience for players. This includes announced changes like the Loadouts system or Guardian Ranks, but it's likely that Bungie will keep on making tweaks to the game based on the community's feedback even post-Lightfall, such as the recent change to Destiny 2's blue rarity items' drop rates. Ultimately, players can also expect more crossovers like the one Bungie did with Fortnite and Assassin's Creed, which don't actually provide more content but do follow the trend of Destiny 2 opening up more customization options - this time with renowned franchises.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
