Destiny 2: The Final Shape officially delayed—but a content update will fill the void

As was first reported alongside news of the layoffs that hit Bungie on Oct. 30, the Destiny 2 The Final Shape expansion’s release date has now been delayed to June 4, 2024. It was originally scheduled to come out on Feb. 27.

“The Final Shape is the culmination of the first ten years of Destiny storytelling and, for Guardians everywhere, countless hours spent together,” reads the official announcement, which was posted today. “We want to honor that journey, so we’re taking the time we need to deliver an even bigger and bolder vision, one that we hope will be remembered and treasured for years to come.”

With Season of the Wish—the final season of the Lightfall expansion—releasing tomorrow, Nov. 28, what was originally scheduled to be a three-month season will now extend out to over half a year. Bungie is keenly aware of how big a blow this delay could be toward its goal of retaining players heading into The Final Shape, and so with the delay confirmation came a simultaneous announcement that a new content update called “Destiny 2: Into The Light” will be dropping in April. The post offers very scant information on what this update will include but says it will “prepare players” for their journey into the Traveler.

“We know you’re eager to get your hands on The Final Shape,” Bungie said. “In that sense, delays aren’t fun. For our part, we are excited to have the extra time needed to bring our vision for The Final Shape to life for all of you.”

While Season of the Wish’s content will only run up to the end of February as planned, players won’t be entirely hung out to dry for the remaining three months before The Final Shape will now launch. In February, Moments of Triumph will return alongside new weekly quests that Bungie is calling Wishes. In March, Guardian Games will start—an event that’s been traditionally hosted in May. April brings the aforementioned Into The Light content update, which is followed up by the release of three new PvP maps in May.

Still, with Destiny 2 struggling to maintain a healthy player count even now, recently dropping to a new low in the closing stages of Season of the Witch, it’s difficult to be optimistic that these pieces of filler content will do much to satiate a community that is already losing interest in the title.