At long last, Bungie is speaking publicly about the sequel, and the first details answer a big question for players of the existing game.
In a dedicated blog post this morning, Bungie has begun to publicly discuss Destiny 2 for the first time. Though confirmed through Activision investor calls prior to today, this is the first time Bungie is directly discussing plans for the new game, and the developer is wasting no time in declaring one major piece of information about the upcoming game: Guardian race, gender, and appearance have the potential to carry over from the first Destiny game to Destiny 2, suggesting an ongoing storyline that features the same hero in the starring role. However, your weapons, armor, items purchased through microtransactions, and power will not carry over into the sequel. In that regard, this game will be a fresh start for both veteran players and newcomers.
"Specifically, the class, race, gender, face, hair, and marking selections for all characters that have achieved Level 20 and completed the Black Garden story mission will carry forward," reads the blog post. "We also plan to award those veteran accounts with honors that reflect your Destiny 1 accomplishments."
All gear collected over the course of Destiny’s lifespan will remain accessible and playable in the old game; it simply won’t transfer to the next game.
Bungie has kept many details close to the chest regarding development for Destiny 2, but hopefully today’s announcement indicates that we may be able to learn more in the coming months, in advance of a planned launch later in 2017.
[Source: Bungie]
Our Take
This announcement is a big deal for players of Bungie’s open world shooter. The franchise has always billed itself as an ongoing decade-long adventure, and this first public announcement about Destiny 2 strongly suggests that players can expect some big changes with the first numbered sequel.
Regular readers know that I’m a consistent and enthusiastic Destiny player, and I expect that like a lot of players, I have mixed feelings about Bungie’s announcement today. I have spent thousands of hours building up my guardians and gathering loot across the Destiny universe, and it’s sad to think about leaving all those virtual treasures behind when I jump to the next game. For some players, I’m confident that loss will lead to significant frustration and upset.
At the same time, from a game design perspective, I understand Bungie’s desire to offer a clean slate to both new and returning players. For me, the magic of getting a new weapon or armor piece is dramatically diminished these days, because I have almost every possible piece of equipment already sitting in my vault. I am excited about the chance to feel excited about growing and developing my guardian again in a dramatic way. And while it’s mostly a cosmetic thing, I’m pleased that Bungie is suggesting a fiction in which my same hero carries over within the confines of the storytelling. I’m also eager to learn about what Bungie plans when they mention the idea of conferring veteran status on returning Guardians.
Doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss my Gjallarhorn.