Destiny 2 Release Date; Will It Launch This Year? Or Wait Until Next-Gen Systems?

Jan 25, 2016 05:14 PM EST

Bungie and Activision's hit game Destiny has millions of players, a rich story-driven universe, and even huge events like Crimson Days.  So what more could fans possibly want in this game?  A sequel.   At this point, it is a matter of "when" and not "if".  This is what is known about the possible Destiny 2 Release Date, and why there could be a delay or arrival for this year.

According to Ubergizmo, both developer and publisher haven't confirmed anything as far as when Destiny 2 will have its release date. There were (note use of the past tense) rumors that Destiny 2 would be coming out on September 2016, but a new report could show that there will be a delay. 

Much of the reports of the Destiny sequel stem from Kotaku, a video game site who are referring to the last few months as "the Destiny malaise".  Ever since the September expansion of The Taken King, there has been no new strikes, raids, or explorable areas added to the big first-person shooter space game.   It has had events like the Halloween-themed Festival of the Lost and December's Sparrow Racing League, but players want something bigger.   

It should not be too surprising that nothing majorly new has come out for Destiny, assuming that Bungie and Activision are busy working on a direct sequel.  There have been reports from the company that they have a 10-year-plan for this franchise, so it really is just a matter of time before a sequel comes out.

There hasn't been much revealed about Destiny 2, but as we previously reported, David Dague has also stated several months ago that players have a relationship with their characters, and there will be a "carry-over" feature in Destiny 2 that will help nurture that.  Dague has also seen the concept art for the sequel and the new exotic weapons, and is pretty optimistic of the sequel.  Not only will this sequel offer some new and exotic weapons, but the player will be able to take their Guardian character with all his or her equipment, and carry it over to Destiny 2

It is possible that Destiny could just be periodically updated with DLC, expansion packs, and the like until a need for a sequel would arise.  By then, it would have to be when the next gen systems of the Sony PS5 and the Xbox Two (or whatever Microsoft will call their next gen gaming console).  Considering that most consoles have a five-year-gap in between versions, Destiny 2 could be postponed until then, and the new version of the game would take full advantage of whatever new features the next-gen systems will offer. 

If Destiny 2 is planned for a release date this year, then the silence from Bungie and Activision is the bane of its fans.  It would make sense for Bungie and Activision to announce it at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), a huge video game event that takes place in Los Angeles in the summertime.  From there, they could use the announcement to create buzz for a holiday release of the game.