Destiny 2 Is Going Free-to-Play

Today, Bungie announced that Destiny 2 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC is going free-to-play. More specifically, the base game of Destiny 2 and all the content from its first year of expansions are going free-to-play, and will be renamed Destiny 2: New Light. But this is all that will be free-to-play. Future expansions, such as the upcoming Shadowkeep, will cost the usual expansion price.

In addition to featuring base Destiny 2 and its first year of content, Destiny 2: New Light will also allow players to experience the original Destiny and its story, starting players at the Cosmodrome.

At the moment of publishing, Bungie hasn't announced Destiny 3, so it's unclear if this new free-to-play structure will carry over to the third installment, but presumably it will. Once you go free-to-play, you rarely go back.

Free-to-play obviously has its benefits, for example you attract a much larger swath of players. However, if there isn't a steady stream of content that base is even more likely to leave because of the lack of financial investment up front. Further, free-to-play is only effective if you have an effective monetization model in place. Expansion helps keep players re-engage players, but nailing the more granular monetization is going to be much more important for Bungie.

Destiny 2 is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Bungie is also currently working on bringing the game to Google Stadia. For more news, media, and information on the grindy looter shooter, be sure to take a quick gander at all of our previous coverage of the game by clicking right here. Here's what we thought of the Bungie sequel when it released back in 2017:

"Destiny 2 is a case study in how to make a shared world game," reads a snippet from our review. "While our earlier impressions made us believers, our time spent with it since has only cemented our adoration. Destiny 2 is the best cooperative experience you can have on current-gen consoles.

"From its easy-to-follow story, to its well-acted characters and balanced skill classes, there's no reason for players to get bored anytime soon. And with multiple expansions, Raids, and more on the way, we're sure to be playing this until rumbles of a Destiny 3 start to surface."