Destiny has changed pretty dramatically from its original release in 2014, with The Taken King putting a greater emphasis on story and mission variety, in particular, but new reports suggest that the game’s full-fledged sequel will have very little in common with the first game at all.
Kotaku has learned that Destiny 2 will be a “completely different game” from the original, with executives at developer Bungie pushing for significant changes, “even if that means leaving old planets, characters, and activities behind.” Sources told Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier that a comparison can be made between Destiny 2 and Diablo 2, in that the latter used some of the same ideas from its predecessor but didn’t allow character progress to transfer.
This would appear to directly contradict statements Bungie has made in the past regarding a potential sequel. In 2014, the studio told IGN that a sequel would allow characters to transfer from the original, as players “had a relationship with the same character for a long time.”
The report also says that “play-in destinations” — areas populated by townspeople and outposts that are also used for missions — will be heavily featured in the game. And unlike the original game, Destiny 2 will be available on PC in addition to consoles.
The game’s availability on PC was corroborated by industry insider “shinobi602,” who previous revealed the existence of a Guerrilla Games-developed RPG (Horizon: Zero Dawn), and the new God of War, to name a few.
Shinobi602 adds that the game will feature significant narrative changes, affecting “plot direction, pacing, and structure,” and that the focus in the sequel will largely be on the Cabal. Saturn will be a featured planet, which he says will be larger than everything previously seen in Destiny combined. Content released between expansions is also expected to be more substantial than what we’ve seen over the last few years.
Be sure to check out our Destiny 2 news round-up, where we outline plans for potentially free DLC, new playable areas, and narrative rumors.