Bungie followed up on yesterday's Destiny 2: Season of Dawn reveal today with a livestream showcasing some of what's coming when Saint-14 returns to action next week.
One of the more interesting changes coming in Season of Dawn is an update to Armor 2.0 that adds a new "Charge With Light" mechanic. New seasonal mods can either add charges of Light or consume them, granting special powers or abilities in the process. One such mod seen during the stream grants "significant damage resistance against combatants when your shields are destroyed." The effect consumes all Charged With Light stacks when it activates; the more stacks you have, the longer it lasts.
Another fun-sounding change is the addition of a "playlist" of finishers, which will deliver one randomly-selected finisher, from a list of up to nine, every time a killing blow is landed. Another nice (and long overdue) touch is that Sparrows, the little space-bikes that Guardians ride around on, will finally be usable on Mercury—previously they were disabled on the planet, presumably because it was so small.
The new Sundial activity is basically a horde mode, but it should at least look interesting, as it will blend different elements of Destiny 2 together in hypothetical past and future timelines, with new champions and bosses each week. The underlying idea sounds a bit like the Infinite Forest, with randomized elements intended to keep players interested and engaged, but hopefully the execution will be a little better this time around. The Sundial will be a matchmade activity, but a "hard mode" that will arrive later in the season will require a premade team.
Behold the Season of Dawn calendar:
One thing that's notably absent is the Trials of Osiris Elimination mode, which apparently will not be making a comeback in Season of Dawn. Players have been hoping for its return, and an Osiris-themed season would seem like a natural time to make it happen, but Bungie community manager dmg04 made no mention of it in his rundown of Crucible changes coming in the new season.
We'll also have a few maps returning to rotation that went on hiatus during the last season, and four maps being removed to undergo some QoL improvements this season.Patch notes coming next Tuesday, with a small preview in the TWAB this week.December 4, 2019
There are some nice touches here and the new armor looks sweet, but on the whole it seems a little thin. Given how quickly serious Destineers devour content, the big question is whether one new horde mode-style activity, a new PvP map, and a couple of exotic quests will be enough to keep players happy until the next season rolls around in March.
One thing that will keep a certain subset of Destiny players happy is an incoming blast of lore that will dig deeper into the story of Saint-14. New chapters will be released daily until Season of Dawn goes live on December 10—the first one is available now.
