Destiny 2: Shadowkeep revealed, releasing this fall

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is the next major expansion for Bungie's RPG shooter, and it's coming out this fall. Revealed during today's Google Stadia livestream and detailed in Bungie's followup stream, Shadowkeep is return to the moon and a reunion with Eris Morn, a character with a close connection to the Hive that's been MIA for some time.

Shadowkeep will release September 17. Apparently the new zone will be twice as big as the Destiny 1 version. It's also a standalone expansion, meaning you won't need any other expansions to play it. Skip it entirely, if you like. It's optional, and that's the way Bungie is going to do things from now on.

But you probably won't want to skip it, because if previous expansions are anything to go on, it'll be a beefy add-on. A new raid is part of the deal, and a glimpse at it during the vidoc makes it look like we'll be returning to The Black Garden, a classic Destiny 2 location.

According to the Bungie.net store listing, the Shadowkeep digital deluxe edition will feature new missions and quests, new destinations and dungeons, the aforementioned raid, and a season pass for the upcoming "Season of the Undying, which I just read as Season of the Undrying, a laundromat nightmare. And hey, it's on Steam now, too. Wild times.

The standard edition of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep will go for $35, while all previously released Destiny 2 content—the base game, the expansions, Forsaken, and the annual pass—are being bundled together at a reduced price of $40. Future expansions will be offered on an a la carte basis, meaning you can buy what like rather than having to commit to an Annual Pass.

"We want the seasons to be a la carte because, there are a lot of things that I liked personally about the Annual Pass, but asking people to pre-purchase $35 up front for a year of content when we didn't even announce what the name of some of the seasons were, I think it's not as cool as it could be," production director Justin Truman explained in today's "Next Chapter" livestream.

"It's better to just wait and once you watch the trailer, once you hop in and see some of the content yourself, then decide if you want to buy in. So each of the seasons will be available. But we also want to make sure that if you jump into Shadowkeep, we're not immediately putting our hand back out asking for more money. So Shadowkeep is gonna give you season A, or whatever season it is, for free as part of that."

For the rest of the details on the future of Destiny 2, including cross-saves, the F2P Destiny 2: New Light, and more, we've got you covered.

James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles.