‘Destiny’ April Update and New DLC Release Date; Will ‘Destiny 2’ Have a 2017 Release Date?

Mar 22, 2016 11:38 AM EDT

If you are Bungie, then you have a video game franchise known as Destiny which has millions of players.  The way to keep them happy is to keep producing downloadable content (DLC), at least until Destiny 2 or whatever the sequel will be called.  This is the latest news about the Destiny update set for April, the new DLC to arrive later this year, and the release date for Destiny 2

According to Engadget, Bungie has revealed that Destiny will have an update that will launch on April 12, and it will have some new features.  There will be some player-versus-environment challenges, as well as a new quest involving the mysterious Blighted Chalice strike.  There is also some new and updated gear, not to mention Crucible updates and an increased maximum Light level with rewards to match. 

This April 12 update is free provided you have the expansion pack of "The Taken King". As for any more new content, like a new expansion kit, that probably isn't going to happen anytime soon.  Last year marked the release of "The Dark Below", and this year has seen "House of Wolves" and "The Taken King".  It this time, it doesn't look like the update is a complete expansion pack, but over the next three Wednesdays, Bungie is going to provide more details about the April update on Twitch.  It will reveal the artists and designers who will reveal what is expected for this update, according to Ubergizmo.    

It looks like Bungie is giving enough content to Destiny players to keep them occupied until the release of Destiny 2, which probably won't happen until 2017, according to Ecumenical News.  In the meantime, there is a report that Bungie will be "delivering a large expansion later this year". 

As far as any word of what Destiny 2 (or Beyond Destiny or Destiny 2: The Shattered Suns) will be about, news has been pretty scarce on that front.  Even the actual name of the game is elusive.  There is speculation that it will focus on Osiris, a character constantly mentioned in the first game and yet never seen.  It is possible that he will be the main quest giver in this game. 

According to the Lawyer Herald, there is also news that Destiny 2 could be coming to the Nintendo NX, the Nintendo's next generation console system after the Wii U.  There have been reports that Destiny 2 would allow players to use their original version of their character from the first Destiny, which is similar to a feature in the Mass Effect series. 

So it looks like the expansion DLC for Destiny will arrive before the holiday season of 2016 while Destiny 2 is set for a 2017 release, possibly late in the year.