Speculation and rumors that Bungie was delaying their climatic Destiny 2: The Final Shape expansion has been running wild, and today the studio confirmed it. The expansion has officially been pushed from its original February release to June.
“The Final Shape is the culmination of the first ten years of Destiny storytelling and, for Guardians everywhere, countless hours spent together. We want to honor that journey, so we’re taking the time we need to deliver an even bigger and bolder vision, one that we hope will be remembered and treasured for years to come. Naturally, this change brings up questions about our upcoming release calendar. Season of the Wish begins tomorrow and will extend until the launch of The Final Shape in June.”
The delay of The Final Shape felt like an inevitability after it became public that Destiny 2 had missed revenue projections by 45 percent last year, leading to layoffs for over 100 Bungie employees. This revenue shortfall was directly blamed on the unenthusiastic reception to Destiny 2: Lightfall, an expansion that was supposed to deliver the penultimate chapter in the storyline that’s been running since Destiny began, but was ultimately criticized for a lack of meaningful story developments and content.
Needless to say, Bungie has to stick the landing with Destiny 2: The Final Shape. They need to simultaneously deliver a satisfying end to the story they’ve been telling for years and transition Destiny 2 into a new phase of its lifespan. Will an extra four months of development time ensure The Final Shape is received the way it should be? We shall see.
Of course, pushing back The Final Shape means there’s now a bit of a gap in the usual flow of Destiny 2 content. Bungie has accounted for this, and will release a variety of additional content from February to June, including a smaller content update entitled “Into the Light,” some new PvP maps, and more.
“The team is adding new content available for all players to jump into until the launch of The Final Shape. In February, this will include new weekly progression-based quests called Wishes, and the launch of Moments of Triumph with unique rewards. Next, we’re moving Guardian Games up to March with a refreshed focus on class vs. class competition. Then, beginning in April, we’re delivering a two-month content update available to everyone called Destiny 2: Into the Light, which will prepare players for their Guardian’s journey into the Traveler. All of this is in addition to the ongoing efforts from our PvP Strike Team, including three new PvP maps dropping in May.”
Destiny 2 can be played on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5. The Final Shape expansion now launches on June 4, 2024.
