Destiny 2 Offers Free-To-Play Option In September, Includes Year 1 Content

Destiny 2 will be implementing a free-to-play option later this year. That was announced today via a livestream by Bungie titled "The Next Chapter For Destiny 2," which revealed not only the change in payment model but also the next expansion, Shadowkeep, and a multi-part mission statement for the game going forward.

It was "way too confusing" to figure out which version of the game to buy and trying to match up with friends' levels of experience, said General Manager Mark Noseworth. Shadowkeep will be a standalone expansion, not requiring access to any other parts of the game, and a newly rebranded title for the game, New Light, means you'll be into the game and playing with friends "in 10 to 15 minutes."

The base game and all Year 1 content will be included in New Light and available for free, though Forsaken content will need to be purchased. Shadowkeep will also carry a price when it launches and season passes will continue to be offered.

There are three main aspects the Destiny team wants to promote going forward:

Being an awesome action MMO. "We've been worried about that term for a long time," said Noseworth, but now they can "accept the fact." The team wants more RPG-like customization, with more stats, as well as improved social activity.

A single, evolving world. "We've been close to the mark in some ways and far off in others," said Game Director Luke Smith. There will be no more exclusive activity content and weapons, to help players play together.

Play it anywhere. It will be available on Google Stadia this year, and cross-save is also coming to Destiny 2, which lets you play your Guardians on all platforms that Destiny 2 can be played on, including PlayStation 4 when Shadowkeep launches.

Destiny 2: New Light and Shadowkeep arrive Sept. 17, with PC players needing a "seamless transition" to Steam from Battle.net, Noseworth said. Learn more on the new site for the game.