Everything New in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep

Released in October 2019, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is the new expansion from Bungie that attempts to right many of the perceived wrongs with the game. Now that the studio has split with publisher Activision, this is Bungie’s opportunity to show players they can be trusted. The future of Destiny is now firmly in their hands and they have a lot of work to do win back the trust of players.

The way they have tried to do this is with a wide variety of gameplay changes and improvements. Almost every aspect of Destiny 2 has been altered with the introduction of Shadowkeep. Some of these are very significant and switch up the way you can play the game in a big way. Here is everything new that has been introduced in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep.

New Light Is a Free-To-Play Version of the Game

With the launch of Shadowkeep, Bungie also unveiled a brand new way to play Destiny 2. Previously, players would have to buy a version of the game to get access to any content. That all changed with the introduction of New Light. This free-to-play edition of Destiny 2 allows anyone to download and play through the game without making a purchase.

Essentially, you can access the main campaign alongside all the standard multiplayer offerings. This includes Strikes and all Crucible activities for competitive matches. The only pieces of content excluded are raids, expansions, and DLC that released outside of the first year.

The Moon Has Been Added as a Location

One of the best locations in the original Destiny was the Moon. It was not only the player’s first glimpse of space but a familiar connection that players felt they already knew. The Moon has returned in Destiny 2 with Shadowkeep.

Although things are different this time with the ghosts of dead Guardians. They perished during a failed attempt to win back the land. Players have to fight bosses defeated during the first game in nightmare-like events.

A New Content Roadmap

As part of the release of Shadowkeep, Bungie unveiled a roadmap of all upcoming content. This introduced the new Season of the Undying, a three-month campaign of content focused on the Vex. Players can get access to Hero Nightmare Hunts, with Legend and Master versions becoming available in the future. There are also several new challenges and a fresh dungeon for players to tackle.

Finally, the culmination of the season will come with the Vex Offensive: Final Assault on November 19. Of course, Shadowkeep also brought a raid in the form of the Garden of Salvation. It sees players face off against the Consecrated Mind and the Sanctified Mind in the Black Garden.

Cross-Save Is Now Possible

Destiny 2 now supports a cross-save feature. While it is not a true cross-play experience that is available in several other games, it is still useful. Players can now sync up their Guardians across multiple platforms. By setting up a Destiny 2 account, anyone can load up their created characters and any progress they have made. This includes story missions and multiplayer.

Unfortunately, DLC and expansions don’t sync up as well. If you switch to another platform you will have to pay to access the Shadowkeep and Forsaken content. Cross-save currently works with PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It will also be available on Google Stadia once the title launches on the service on November 19.

Armor Has More Customization Options

The Shadowkeep expansion introduces a new system for armor. Known as Armor 2.0, it allows players to customize their outfit to a far greater degree. The Universal Ornament transmog system essentially allows you to use any cosmetic items you have unlocked to change the appearance of any individual armor piece.

Players can upgrade armor through newly introduced mods. These can provide perks that grant special abilities or otherwise improve the base stats of the equipment.

A Selection of New Weapons Are Available

As is usual with expansion for this game, Shadowkeep has introduced a wide array of new weapons to Destiny 2. Among them are a group of Legendary and Exotic weapons. These should add plenty of firepower to most people’s armory. Eriana’s Vow, Randy’s Throwing Knife, Love And Death, and Arc Logic are just some of the fresh guns available.

Additionally, there are a number of exotic quests that unlock extra powerful weapons. For example, the Make Bows, Not War quest rewards players with Leviathan’s Breath. Meanwhile, other exotic weapons you can find in these quests include Divinity, Xenophage, and Deathbringer.

No More Platform-Exclusive Content

Most players are accustomed to Destiny 2 having exclusive content on some platforms. In the past, PlayStation 4 users have been able to get access to certain weapons, missions, and other content first. However, this will no longer be the case moving forward. All new content will launch across all platforms at the same time.

“We’ve had exclusive activities, exclusive weapons, things like that, and those things violate the single evolving world,” said Destiny director Luke Smith. “We want to remove those barriers, so beginning this fall and going forward, there’s no more exclusive activities, exclusive Exotic weapons — we’re not doing any of that stuff going forward.”

Character Boosts Are Available

Destiny 2 supports the use of multiple Guardians. In total, there are three different classes and each has its own set of unique abilities and powers. Most users concentrate on just one Guardian, meaning that their other two options are usually not as powerful.

To address this issue, Bungie has introduced a character boost with Shadowkeep. By paying 2,000 silver, the equivalent of $20, players can automatically push any of their Guardians to light level 900.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam, and is launching with Google Stadia on November 19.

What do you think of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep? Let us know in the comments below!