Bungie may be independent now, but it still showed up at gamescom 2019 in Germany in a big way. New Destiny 2 content was revealed at Inside Xbox, Stadia Connect, and gamescom Opening Night Live, each going into a different part of the upcoming release of Shadowkeep, New Light, and the Season of the Undying.
Destiny 2 Shadowkeep Finishing Moves
For the first time in years, Bungie appeared on the Xbox stage, but fret not PlayStation fans. There are no console exclusives. Game Director Ben Wommack and Community Manager David “DeeJ” Dague were there to show off the brand new finishing moves coming with Shadowkeep and New Light on October 1.
We’ve got @Bungie’s Game Director Ben Wommack and Commnity Manager @DeeJ_BNG on stage giving us a final look at the new finisher system in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. #InsideXbox pic.twitter.com/mVMHu3XPbj
— Xbox gamescom 2019 (@Xbox) August 19, 2019
When enemies take enough damage, a prompt will allow Guardians to use a unique finisher, taking out the agents of darkness with a visual flair. You can also use the new Seasonal Artifact to earn special mods that add effects to finishers. One example given was finishers dropping a heavy ammo brick for you and all of your teammates, but it costs half of your Super meter to use. The gameplay effects and cosmetic of your finisher are completely separate from each other, with new aesthetics able to be purchased from the Eververse store. Players will be given one class-specific finisher aesthetic per character when Shadowkeep launches.
Finishing moves may have been the primary subject of the conversation, but the gameplay shown hinted a numerous other new features coming with Destiny 2’s eighth Season. We got a look at a new Strike on the Moon called The Scarlet Keep (as well as the Moon map screen), a new Hunter Exotic helmet, and a new activity called “Nightmare Hunt” that featured three different difficulty levels. There are also now tiers of Powerful rewards, referencing back to Luke Smith’s Director’s Cut articles talking about a rework to this system. Take a look at the quick reveal in the tweet above.
Destiny 2 Shadowkeep Story
We already know that Shadowkeep is sending Guardians back to the Moon and will feature the return of Eris Morn for the first time in Destiny 2. But much of the story has been wrapped in mystery, with plenty of fan speculation and “leaks” (fake or real still to be determined) out there. During the Stadia Connect live stream, Bungie showed off a brand new trailer that gives a a new look at the Moon, these “Nightmare” versions of old enemies (Crota, Ghaul, and Phogoth), and more of the finishers that were shown off during the Xbox stream. Take a look at the new story trailer below:
There’s still plenty of mystery left to discover in Shadowkeep though. Where the nightmares come from and how they relate to the Vex invasion are all still secrets that we won’t discover for another few weeks, if not more. Speaking of Vex invasions…
Destiny 2 Season of the Undying
Finally, during gamescom Opening Night Live, Bungie had one last surprise for Guardians tuning in around the world. A cinematic CG trailer showed Vex being created, with Radiolarian fluid running into each of their robot bodies as they emerged from liquid and pressed forward into the Black Garden. The end of the trailer doesn’t come with the usual Destiny 2 Shadowkeep stinger, but one for Destiny 2 Season of the Undying, showing a clear separation between the events that will be coming with the new Season and content on the way with the new expansion. Get a look at that trailer below:
Season of the Undying is the first season of content in the Shadowkeep Annual Pass. While Shadowkeep relates to the Moon, Hive, and Nightmares that are lying beneath the surface, Season of the Undying seems to focus on the Vex and the Black Garden, which is where Season eight’s Raid will take place. How these two narrative threads weave together remain unknown at this point, but it’s great to see that there is going to be some variety coming next Season.
What was your favorite announcement from Bungie at gamescom 2019? You can get your hands on Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, the free-to-play New Light, and Season of the Undying on October 1.
