Highlights
- Bungie has confirmed that there will be no open betas for Destiny 2: The Final Shape, as it wants to deliver a "vacuum-sealed experience" for its launch on February 27, 2024.
- The Final Shape will be the last expansion in Destiny 2's Light and Darkness saga, and Bungie is taking risks by reworking post-launch content and the long-term progression system.
- The decision to not have an open beta is considered a risk, but Bungie believes that keeping everything about The Final Shape unknown until launch is an enticing proposition for fans. The expansion will involve delving into The Traveler to pursue The Witness.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape will have no open betas, Bungie has officially confirmed as part of Tuesday's Destiny 2 Showcase 2023 livestream. Open betas have been a tool Bungie's used to test server strength and market each release since the original launch of Destiny in 2014. Upcoming Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape is not like previous Bungie releases, however. Bungie wants The Final Shape to deliver a "vacuum-sealed experience" when it launches on February 27, 2024.
The Final Shape is planned to be the last expansion released for Destiny 2's Light and Darkness saga, wrapping up a story a decade in the making. While it would be sensible for Bungie to not make any substantial changes to Destiny 2 with its last expansion, Bungie appears to have other priorities. It's completely reworking its post-launch seasonal content schedule. Destiny 2's long-term progression system is also being reinvented, and a Fireteam Finder matchmaking system is being implemented as a result. Bungie clearly isn't afraid of risk with The Final Shape's launch.
One of the biggest confirmations that Bungie made as part of its Destiny 2 Showcase 2023 event came at the very start of the presentation. Bungie said straight away that Destiny 2 players will not be receiving an open beta for The Final Shape. The Final Shape expansion will officially launch on February 27, 2024, and it will be the first time that players step into the world. Whether players have been with Destiny 2 from the beginning or they're trying it for the first time, Bungie says they'll be "greeted with the same uncharted world."
Bungie describes this decision as, "an invitation to go forth and adventure," but doesn't go into the reasoning behind the decision. As mentioned, betas have been used by Bungie to test a variety of aspects of each expansion and release since the original Destiny's launch. While Bungie will very likely still use NDA'd closed betas for testing, The Final Shape will be launching without the more thorough testing that accessible betas historically offer.
It's a risk, to say the least, but one Bungie seems happy to offer. Fans may very well be in agreement, too. The pitch of nothing in The Final Shape being known prior to launch is a strong one. Games like Elden Ring make it a core promise of what the game offers and fans love it. It still depends on Bungie ensuring that the secrets within The Final Shape are worth discovering, though.
The Final Shape expansion revolves around Destiny 2 players delving into a portal within The Traveler in pursuit of the villain named The Witness. Bungie has confirmed a new explorable area named The Pale Heart lies beyond the portal. It's described as a "linear destination" that will evolve over time. Players will be able to discover what lies at the heart of The Final Shape starting February 27, 2024.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
