History of Destiny 2 in Timeline
Destiny 2 is a free-to-play online first-person shooter developed by Bungie. Originally released in 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows as a pay-to-play game, it transitioned to a free-to-play model under the 'New Light' title in 2019 and was later released on Stadia, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Bungie acquired the publishing rights from Activision in 2018. It is the sequel to the original Destiny.
November 2014: Sequel Mentioned
In November 2014, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg first mentioned a sequel to Destiny.
2014: Release of Destiny
In 2014, Destiny was released, with Destiny 2 following as a sequel.
February 11, 2016: Bungie Confirms Sequel Releasing in 2017
On February 11, 2016, Bungie confirmed that a full sequel to Destiny would be released in 2017.
September 2016: Original Planned Release
September 2016 was the original planned release for Destiny 2, based on original documents.
December 2016: Vicarious Visions Joins Development Team
In December 2016, Bungie announced that Vicarious Visions would be joining the development team along with Activision.
2016: Introduction of Crimson Days
In 2016, Crimson Days, the Valentine's Day-themed event from Year 2 of the original Destiny, featured a 2-versus-2 Crucible mode that encouraged teammates to stay close to improve their winning chances.
2016: Hirshberg Comments on Destiny Sequel
In Activision's earnings report for 2016, Hirshberg said that Destiny's sequel was still "on track for release this fall [2017]."
March 23, 2017: Destiny 2 Promotional Poster Leaked
On March 23, 2017, a promotional poster for the sequel was leaked by Lega Network, revealing the game's name as Destiny 2 and a release date of September 8, 2017.
March 27, 2017: Bungie Teases Destiny 2
On March 27, 2017, although not directly responding to the leaked information, Bungie tweeted an image of Destiny 2 showing The Last City in smoke and flames.
March 30, 2017: Destiny 2 Confirmed for Windows Release
On March 30, 2017, it was confirmed that Destiny 2 would also be released on Microsoft Windows.
May 19, 2017: No Nintendo Switch Version Planned
On May 19, 2017, Destiny 2 project lead Mark Noseworthy stated that there were no plans for a Nintendo Switch version of the game.
September 6, 2017: Destiny 2 Release Date Moved Up
At E3 2017, it was revealed that Destiny 2's release date was moved up to September 6, 2017.
September 8, 2017: Leaked Release Date
September 8, 2017, was the release date for Destiny 2, according to the promotional poster leaked.
November 2017: Release of Xbox One X
In November 2017, the updated version of the Xbox One, the Xbox One X, was released after Destiny 2's launch.
December 5, 2017: 4K Support Added for Xbox One X and PS4 Pro
On December 5, 2017, Bungie added 4K support for the Xbox One X and HDR support for both updated consoles, the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro.
December 2017: Curse of Osiris Expansion Release
In December 2017, the Curse of Osiris, a small expansion pack, was released for Destiny 2 as part of Year One content.
2017: Sequel Release Planned
In 2017, Activision aimed to release the Destiny sequel to broaden the franchise's global reach.
2017: Sales Success and Chart-Topping Performance
In 2017, Destiny 2 achieved significant sales success. It sold 50,263 copies on PlayStation 4 in its first week in Japan, topped the UK sales chart on September 23, and became the second highest-grossing console game in North America.
2017: Game Critics Award for Best PC Game
In 2017, Destiny 2 was awarded Best PC Game at the Game Critics Awards for E3 2017.
2017: Nomination for Best PC Game
In 2017, Destiny 2 was nominated for "Best PC Game" in both Destructoid's Game of the Year Awards and IGN's Best of 2017 Awards.
2017: Destiny 2 Original Release
In 2017, Destiny 2 was originally released as a pay-to-play game for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.
2017: Destiny 2 Receives Favorable Reviews and Awards
In 2017, upon release, Destiny 2 received generally favorable reviews from critics and was nominated for and won various awards, including recognition at The Game Awards and Game Critics Awards.
May 8, 2018: Warmind Expansion Release
On May 8, 2018, the Warmind expansion was released, focusing on the Warmind Rasputin, taking players to Mars, and introducing the "Escalation Protocol" mode.
May 2018: Warmind Expansion Release
In May 2018, the Warmind expansion was released for Destiny 2, further expanding the story and adding new content as part of Year One.
September 4, 2018: Forsaken Expansion Release
On September 4, 2018, the Forsaken expansion was released, beginning Year 2 of Destiny 2, featuring a "western revenge" theme, the Tangled Shore, the "Last Wish" raid, and the Gambit mode.
September 2018: Forsaken Expansion Release and Seasonal Model Introduction
In September 2018, the large Forsaken expansion was released, marking the beginning of Year Two and introducing an overhaul on gameplay along with a seasonal content model.
2018: PlayStation Exclusive Content
In 2018, a poster showed that Destiny 2 would have PlayStation exclusive content that would last until at least fall 2018.
2018: Solstice of Heroes Introduction
In 2018, the Solstice of Heroes event was introduced to celebrate the end of the Red War campaign. Since then, it has played out as a mid-year event where players improve special armor by completing various challenges.
December 31, 2018: Bungie Acquires Publishing Rights
On December 31, 2018, Bungie acquired the publishing rights to the Destiny franchise from Activision.
January 2019: Bungie and Activision Break Publishing Agreement
In January 2019, Bungie and Activision amicably ended their publishing agreement, making Bungie the publisher for the PC version of Destiny 2.
October 1, 2019: Destiny 2 Goes Free-to-Play with New Light
On October 1, 2019, Destiny 2 transitioned to a free-to-play model under the title "New Light," adopting a games-as-a-service approach.
October 2019: End of PS4 Exclusive Content
In October 2019, the PS4 exclusive content for Destiny 2 ended with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion.
October 2019: Shadowkeep Expansion and New Light Release
In October 2019, the Shadowkeep expansion was released, beginning Year Three, alongside the free-to-play New Light version of Destiny 2.
October 2019: Shadowkeep Expansion Release and Monetization Changes
In October 2019, with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion, Bungie made changes to the monetization model of Destiny 2, implemented cross-saving, partnered with Google to offer Destiny 2 on Stadia, and made Destiny 2 free to play in its "New Light" version.
October 2019: Destiny 2 Transitions to Steam
In October 2019, with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion, the Windows version of Destiny 2 transitioned from Blizzard Battle.net to Steam.
October 2019: New Beginning for New Light Players
In October 2019, with the release of the free-to-play New Light version, Bungie changed the beginning of the game for new players, reintroducing the first mission from the original Destiny.
2019: The Revelry Event
In 2019, "The Revelry" was offered, an event to celebrate the start of spring.
2019: New Light Opening
In 2019, the New Light campaign introduced a new opening to the Destiny 2 experience, familiar to new and returning players.
2019: End of Bi-Annual Release Schedule
In 2019, the original bi-annual sequel release schedule from Activision and Bungie was intended to end.
2019: Timed Exclusive Content Available for other Platforms
In 2019, the timed-exclusive content for the PlayStation 4 platform for Warmind Expansion, became available for other platforms.
May 2020: Next-Gen Console Release Plans
In May 2020, Bungie confirmed plans to release Destiny 2 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, supporting native 4K resolution at 60fps.
June 2020: Destiny Content Vault Announcement
In June 2020, Bungie announced the "Destiny Content Vault" (DCV), where less played content would be retired, starting with the Beyond Light expansion.
November 10, 2020: Beyond Light Expansion Launch
On November 10, 2020, the Beyond Light expansion launched for Destiny 2.
November 2020: Beyond Light Expansion Release and Content Vault Introduction
In November 2020, the Beyond Light expansion was released, starting Year Four, which included the introduction of the Destiny Content Vault, removing a significant portion of older content.
November 2020: Content Vault and New Player Experience with Beyond Light
In November 2020, with the release of the Beyond Light expansion, Destiny 2's original base campaign and some year 1 expansions were placed in the Destiny Content Vault. A new player experience was introduced to better onboard new players.
December 8, 2020: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S Versions Released
On December 8, 2020, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Destiny 2 were released, offering free updates for existing players within the same console family.
December 2020: Destiny 2 Released on Next-Gen Consoles
In December 2020, Destiny 2 was released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S platforms, expanding its availability.
2020: Last Offering of The Revelry and Crimson Days
In 2020, the Revelry event and Crimson Days event were offered for the last time.
March 2021: New Destiny Universe Division Leadership
In March 2021, Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy were named as executive creative director and vice president, respectively, of Bungie's new Destiny Universe division, while Justin Truman was named to general manager for Destiny 2.
August 24, 2021: Crossplay Functionality Added
On August 24, 2021, Crossplay functionality was added with Season of the Lost, allows players from all supported platforms to play together.
November 2021: The Witch Queen Expansion Delay
In November 2021, The Witch Queen expansion was originally planned, but was delayed to early 2022.
2021: Cross-Play Support Confirmed
In 2021, Bungie confirmed that cross-play would be supported within the same family of consoles (e.g., PlayStation 4 and 5) at launch, and between all platforms starting with Season 15 later in 2021.
February 2022: The Witch Queen Expansion Release
In February 2022, Bungie released The Witch Queen expansion, continuing the "Light and Darkness" saga.
February 22, 2022: The Witch Queen Expansion Release
On February 22, 2022, the Witch Queen expansion was released, marking the beginning of Destiny 2's fifth year. The expansion introduced Savathûn's Throne World, the Lucent Hive, and weapon crafting, while also focusing on Savathûn's influence within the Last City.
August 2022: Improved Backend Technology Announced
By August 2022, Bungie stated that they had improved the backend technology behind Destiny 2 and will no longer vault expansion content.
August 2022: Destiny 2 Added to Epic Games Store
In August 2022, Destiny 2 was added to the Epic Games Store as part of Bungie's plans to expand the game to new platforms after being acquired by Sony.
2022: The Witch Queen Expansion Delay
In 2022, The Witch Queen expansion was released after being delayed from November 2021.
February 2023: Lightfall Expansion Release
In February 2023, Bungie released the Lightfall expansion, furthering the ongoing story of Destiny 2.
February 2023: Lightfall Release and The Witness's Actions
In February 2023, with the release of Lightfall, Emperor Calus returned and helped the Witness gain access to the Veil, allowing the Witness to pierce the Traveler's shell.
February 28, 2023: Lightfall Expansion Release
On February 28, 2023, Destiny 2: Lightfall was released, following the events of Season of the Seraph. The expansion focused on the Guardian's race against Calus to find the Veil on Neomuna and master Strand.
March 2023: Death of Lance Reddick
In March 2023, Lance Reddick, the voice actor for Commander Zavala, passed away.
August 2023: Keith David Recast as Commander Zavala
In August 2023, following the death of Lance Reddick, the role of Commander Zavala was recast with Keith David taking over.
October 2023: Delay of The Final Shape Announced
In October 2023, due to quality concerns, the release of The Final Shape was pushed to June 2024.
2023: Lightfall Expansion Delay
In 2023, Lightfall expansion was released after being delayed from November 2021.
February 2024: The Final Shape Delayed
In February 2024, the initial expected release date for The Final Shape.
April 2024: Into the Light Update Released
In April 2024, to bridge the gap caused by the delay of The Final Shape, Bungie released a free update called Into the Light, which added new activities and weapons.
June 4, 2024: The Final Shape Expansion Launch
On June 4, 2024, The Final Shape launched, concluding the Light and Darkness saga. It featured the Coalition entering the Pale Heart to confront the Witness and introduced the Prismatic subclass.
June 2024: The Final Shape Expansion Release
In June 2024, Bungie released The Final Shape expansion, marking the end of the first saga in Destiny and also saw a change to the seasonal model.
2025: Codename: Frontiers
In 2025, Destiny 2 will launch the year referred to as Codename: Frontiers. It will change the delivery model of content, featuring two medium-sized expansions, Codename: Apollo and Codename: Behemoth.
2026: Codename: Behemoth Expected Release
In early 2026, one of the two medium-sized expansions from the year referred to as Codename: Frontiers, called Codename: Behemoth, is expected to be released.
