Destiny 2 switching to more frequent, shorter expansions—starting with ‘nonlinear’ adventure

Destiny 2 is changing its upcoming seasonal model to include two smaller-sized expansions per year, Bungie confirmed today. The shift kicks off with “Codename: Apollo,” the name of its next major release, which the studio promised to be “a web, not a line.”

The new Destiny 2 annual model will “deliver two medium-sized Expansions, one every six months,” game director Tyson Green shared in a blog post today. This will also change the seasonal model, undoing the overhaul from just a few months ago with The Final Shape.

After flirting with the episodic model, Bungie is bringing four “Major Updates” every year, with one every three months. “Each update will be a substantial refresh of the core game, bringing new activities and reward content,” according to the blog post.

Another major change is that the Major Updates will be free to all players—unlike seasons and episodes, which cost the game’s premium currency.

The next expansion, only called “Codename: Apollo,” is a “a nonlinear character-driven adventure,” narrative director Alison Lührs wrote in the post. Instead of following a set path through missions, players can choose to explore different areas or activities—and even come back to try what they missed.

“Codename: Apollo in a way the story always makes sense and flows from beginning to middle to end,” Lührs said. “There’s no time gating, no waiting for the next drop, Codename: Apollo’s story unfolds based on player progression.”

In addition to Codename: Apollo, Bungie also teased an avalanche of upgrades coming to the game, including changes to core activities and their rewards.

The expansion model has been a core part of the franchise, but Bungie is touching on it to innovate and make new adventures after the franchise’s 10th anniversary today. This is a necessary step for the game, which has struggled with heavy burnout, a dwindling player base, an overall negative sentiment, and another wave of brutal layoffs since the game’s standout expansion, The Final Shape, released in June.

Bungie has shown its commitment to maintaining and growing Destiny 2, calling it a “next saga”—harking back to the 10-year-long Light and Dark saga, which encompassed the franchise’s past 10 years. This is still a decisive time for the studio, however: Multiple projects were canceled and its upcoming shooter, Marathon, is still some time away.