Warmind, Destiny 2's next expansion, launches next month
And DLC Crucible maps will go free for all.
Destiny 2's second DLC will launch on 8th May, Bungie announced last night. It's named Warmind, and will "send you to new places to meet new heroes and battle new enemies".
Imagery and leaked details suggest we'll be headed to a frozen ice cap of Mars, and under it, into another Warmind vault. Fans expect details on the Warminds - the network of planet defense AIs, of which Destiny 1's Rasputin was a member.
The big news is that, with the launch of Warmind, all DLC maps for Destiny 2's player-versus-player Crucible mode will go free. That includes maps added for Destiny 2's first DLC, Curse of Osiris, as well. This will help avoid splitting the game's matchmaking further, Bungie said.
One exception, however, is for Private Matches, which launch alongside Warmind's release. You will need the appropriate DLC if you want to play a DLC map privately with friends.
Warmind marks the start of Destiny 2's third season. As well as Private Matches, this brings a multi-emote system, exotic weapon masterworks and sandbox changes, heroic strike modifiers, Nightfall challenge cards and a vault space increase, as Bungie continues to try and turn the game around.
"It's all hands on deck to make sure we deliver on our promise to restore Destiny 2 to the hobby we all love," game director Christopher Barrett noted.
Later in the season there will be a new seasonal event, plus the addition of a bounty system and PC clan chat.
Destiny 2 launched last September to a mixed response from its hardcore fanbase. Recent months have seen Bungie attempt to repair that relationship, dial back on the intrusive Eververse microtransaction store and deliver fan-requested features. The above changes are positive, although right now the game feels like it needs a big, The Taken King-style expansion to really shake it up and properly turn things around.