History of Destiny 2 in Timeline

Destiny 2 is a free-to-play online first-person shooter developed by Bungie, initially released in 2017 as a pay-to-play game for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. It transitioned to a free-to-play model under the 'New Light' title in 2019 and was subsequently released on Stadia, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Bungie acquired publishing rights from Activision in 2018. It's a sequel to Destiny (2014) and its expansions.

September 2014: Original Destiny release

In September 2014, the original Destiny launched, introducing elemental abilities to the series.

November 2014: Sequel Mentioned by Activision CEO

In November 2014, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg mentioned a sequel to Destiny was in development.

2014: Release of Destiny

In 2014, Destiny was released, preceding the events of Destiny 2.

February 11, 2016: Sequel Confirmed for 2017

On February 11, 2016, Bungie confirmed that a full sequel to Destiny would release in 2017.

September 2016: Original Planned Release Date

September 2016 was the originally planned release date for Destiny 2, based on initial release schedules.

December 2016: Vicarious Visions Joins Development

In December 2016, Bungie announced that Vicarious Visions would be joining the development team along with Activision.

2016: Crimson Days featured in original Destiny

In 2016, the original Destiny featured the Valentine's Day-themed event, Crimson Days.

2016: Sequel on Track for Fall 2017

In Activision's earnings report for 2016, Hirshberg said that Destiny's sequel was still "on track for release this fall [2017]" and would broaden the franchise's global reach.

March 23, 2017: Promotional Poster Leak

On March 23, 2017, a promotional poster for Destiny 2 was leaked, revealing the game's name and a release date of September 8, 2017, along with a mention of a public beta and PlayStation exclusive content.

March 27, 2017: Bungie Teaser and Tower Under Attack

On March 27, 2017, Bungie tweeted an image of Destiny 2 showing The Last City in smoke and flames, followed by a teaser trailer showing the Tower under attack by the Cabal.

March 30, 2017: Windows Release Confirmed

On March 30, 2017, it was confirmed that Destiny 2 would also release on Microsoft Windows.

May 19, 2017: No Nintendo Switch Version Planned

On May 19, 2017, Mark Noseworthy of Destiny 2 told IGN that there were no plans for a Nintendo Switch version of the game.

September 6, 2017: Destiny 2 Release Date Moved Up

On September 6, 2017, the release date for Destiny 2 was moved up, and the Windows version was confirmed for an October 24 release.

September 8, 2017: Leaked Release Date

September 8, 2017, was the leaked release date for Destiny 2 based on a promotional poster.

November 2017: Release of Xbox One X

In November 2017, the Xbox One X was released after Destiny 2's launch, featuring updated hardware.

December 5, 2017: 4K and HDR Support Added for Consoles

On December 5, 2017, Bungie added 4K support for the Xbox One X, as well as HDR support for both updated consoles.

December 2017: Curse of Osiris Release

In December 2017, the Curse of Osiris expansion was released for Destiny 2, adding new story content.

2017: Sequel Expected to Broaden Reach

In 2017, Activision aimed to broaden the Destiny franchise's global reach with the release of the sequel.

2017: Destiny 2 sales and chart performance

In 2017, Destiny 2 achieved number one in Japan (PlayStation 4) and UK sales charts, and was the second highest-grossing console game in North America. It also became Activision's biggest PC release by units sold.

2017: Destiny 2 nominations and awards

In 2017, Destiny 2 received nominations for "Best PC Game" and "Game of the Year" from Destructoid and IGN, won "Best Co-op Game" from PC Gamer, and was a runner-up in multiple categories from Giant Bomb.

2017: Awards and recognition for Destiny 2

In 2017, Destiny 2 was awarded Best PC Game at the Game Critics Awards and received six nominations at The Game Awards. It was also recognized in various 'Best Games of 2017' lists by Entertainment Weekly, GamesRadar+, Eurogamer, Polygon, and The Verge, and won awards for weaponry and gunplay from Game Informer.

2017: Original Release

In 2017, Destiny 2 was originally released as a pay-to-play game for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.

2017: Positive Reviews and Awards

In 2017, Upon release, Destiny 2 received generally favorable reviews from critics. Praise focused on its improvements, particularly with regards to its initial story, as well as its gameplay, visuals, exploration focus, multiplayer, and public occasions. Destiny 2 was nominated for and won various awards, such as at The Game Awards 2017 and Game Critics Awards.

May 8, 2018: Warmind Expansion Release

The Warmind expansion for Destiny 2, focusing on the Warmind Rasputin, was released on May 8, 2018, introducing a new Mars area, Escalation Protocol mode, and character Ana Bray.

May 2018: Warmind Release

In May 2018, the Warmind expansion was released for Destiny 2, adding new story content.

September 4, 2018: Forsaken Expansion Release

On September 4, 2018, the Forsaken expansion was released for Destiny 2, featuring a large overhaul on gameplay, a "western revenge" themed story, the Tangled Shore and Dreaming City areas, Gambit mode, and the death of Cayde-6.

September 2018: Forsaken Release

In September 2018, the Forsaken expansion was released for Destiny 2, overhauling gameplay and introducing a seasonal model.

2018: Timed-Exclusive Content for PS4

In 2018 the PlayStation 4 version of Destiny 2 featured timed-exclusive content due to an exclusivity agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment.

2018: Solstice of Heroes introduced

In 2018, "Solstice of Heroes" was originally introduced to celebrate the end of the Red War campaign but has since played out as a mid-year event.

2018: PlayStation Exclusive Content

In 2018, Destiny 2 was confirmed to have timed exclusive content for PlayStation 4 that would last until at least fall.

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: New Light Release

On October 1, 2019, Destiny 2 transitioned to a free-to-play model under the title New Light, utilizing the games as a service model.

October 2019: Shadowkeep and New Light Release

In October 2019, the Shadowkeep expansion and the free-to-play version, New Light, were released for Destiny 2.

October 2019: Shadowkeep Release and Monetization Changes

In October 2019, with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion, Bungie made changes to Destiny 2's monetization model, 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: PS4 Exclusive Content Ended with Shadowkeep Release

In October 2019, with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion, the PlayStation 4 version of Destiny 2 no longer featured timed-exclusive content.

October 2019: Destiny 2 Transitions to Steam

In October 2019, with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion, the Windows version of Destiny 2 transitioned to Steam from Battle.net.

October 2019: New Light Changes Opening Mission

In October 2019, with the release of the free-to-play New Light version of Destiny 2, Bungie changed the beginning of the game for new players, reintroducing the first mission from the original Destiny as the introductory mission.

2019: End of Planned Sequel Releases

According to original documents, 2019 marked the end of Bungie and Activision's planned every-other-year disc-based sequel releases for Destiny.

2019: The Revelry event

In 2019, "The Revelry" was a one-time event that celebrated the start of spring, later replaced by Guardian Games in 2020.

2019: Activision ends publishing deal

In 2019, Activision ended its publishing deal with Bungie due to Destiny 2 failing to generate desired recurring revenue.

2019: PlayStation 4 timed-exclusive content was made available on other platforms

In 2019, PlayStation 4 timed-exclusive content was made available on other platforms.

2019: New Light opening

In 2019, the New Light version of Destiny 2 was launched, featuring a new player opening.

May 2020: Next-Gen Console Release Plans Announced

In May 2020, Bungie announced that Destiny 2 would be released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, supporting native 4K resolution at 60fps.

June 2020: Destiny Content Vault (DCV) Announced

In June 2020, Bungie announced the Destiny Content Vault (DCV) for Destiny 2, where less-played content would be retired to manage the game's size.

November 10, 2020: Beyond Light Expansion Launch

On November 10, 2020, the Beyond Light expansion for Destiny 2 was launched, marking the beginning of the fourth year of content for the game.

November 2020: Beyond Light Release and Content Vault

In November 2020, the Beyond Light expansion was released for Destiny 2, introducing the power of Darkness to players. Alongside this, a significant amount of older content was removed and placed into the Destiny Content Vault.

November 2020: Content Removal and New Player Experience

In November 2020, with the release of the Beyond Light expansion, Destiny 2's original base campaign (The Red War) and all of the content from Curse of Osiris and Warmind were removed from the game and placed into the Destiny Content Vault. Bungie introduced a new player experience to introduce new players to the world of Destiny, giving new players' Guardians a more fleshed out origin story.

December 8, 2020: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S Release

On December 8, 2020, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Destiny 2 were released with free updates for existing players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

December 2020: Release on Next-Gen Consoles

In December 2020, Destiny 2 was released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S platforms.

2020: Guardian Games replaces The Revelry; Crimson Days retired

In 2020, Guardian Games replaced The Revelry, and Crimson Days, the Valentine's Day-themed event, was also retired.

March 2021: Destiny Universe Division Leadership Changes

In March 2021, Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy were appointed as executive creative director and vice president, respectively, of Bungie's new Destiny Universe division, with Justin Truman becoming the general manager for Destiny 2.

August 24, 2021: Crossplay functionality added

On August 24, 2021, crossplay functionality was added to Destiny 2 with the Season of the Lost, enabling players across all supported platforms to play together.

November 2021: The Witch Queen Expansion Delay

Originally planned for November 2021, The Witch Queen expansion was delayed to early 2022 for Destiny 2.

2021: Cross-Play Support Confirmed

In 2021, it was 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.

February 2022: The Witch Queen Release

In February 2022, The Witch Queen expansion was released for Destiny 2, continuing the Light and Darkness saga.

February 22, 2022: The Witch Queen expansion release

On February 22, 2022, Destiny 2's fifth year began with the release of The Witch Queen expansion, which focused on Savathûn and introduced Savathûn's Throne World, Lucent Hive, the glaive weapon type, and weapon crafting.

August 2022: Bungie Stops Vaulting Expansion Content

By August 2022, Bungie announced improvements to Destiny 2's backend technology, which eliminated the need to 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 expansion to new platforms.

2022: The Witch Queen Expansion Delayed to 2022

In 2022 The Witch Queen expansion was released.

February 2023: Lightfall Release and Story Developments

In February 2023, Lightfall was released, featuring the return of Emperor Calus and establishing a new player destination on Neptune. Calus aids the Witness in accessing the Veil, allowing the Witness to enter the Traveler.

February 2023: Lightfall Release

In February 2023, the Lightfall expansion was released for Destiny 2, featuring Emperor Calus and a new destination on Neptune.

February 28, 2023: Lightfall release

On February 28, 2023, Lightfall was released, focusing on the Guardian's race with 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

As of August 2023, Keith David took over the performance role of Commander Zavala, following the death of Lance Reddick.

October 2023: Michael Salvatori and Michael Sechrist Layoffs

In October 2023, Michael Salvatori and Michael Sechrist were laid off from Bungie amid staff cutbacks, causing disappointment within the Destiny 2 community.

October 2023: Delay of The Final Shape

In October 2023, the release of The Final Shape was pushed back due to quality concerns.

2023: Lightfall Expansion Delay

In 2023 the lightfall expansion was released.

2023: Bungie staff cuts

In 2023, Bungie cut 8% of their staff because of a projected revenue miss of 45%.

January 2024: Skye Lewin Leaves Bungie

In January 2024, Skye Lewin left Bungie as well. The news of these layoffs among many other veteran employees was received poorly by the Destiny 2 community with disappointment expressed on large platforms such as X and Reddit.

February 2024: Original Release Date of The Final Shape

In February 2024, The Final Shape was originally expected to release, but was delayed due to quality concerns.

April 2024: Release of Into the Light Update

In April 2024, Bungie released a free update called Into the Light, adding new activities and weapons to prepare for The Final Shape, to cover for the delay period of The Final Shape.

June 4, 2024: The Final Shape launch

On June 4, 2024, The Final Shape was launched, concluding the Light and Darkness saga for Destiny. Bungie switched to an episodic model for content delivery.

June 2024: The Final Shape Release

In June 2024, The Final Shape was released, concluding the Light and Darkness saga, alongside which the seasonal model changed from four seasons to three larger episodes.

June 2024: Release of The Final Shape

In June 2024, The Final Shape was released, taking place in the Pale Heart within the Traveler and marking the culmination of the Light and Darkness Saga, featuring the return of Cayde-6.