Destiny 2 Lightfall release date, new weapons, and everything we know

20 February 2023 , 16:55

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Destiny 2 Lightfall – Everything we know including release date, loadouts and new location (Image: Bungie)

Lightfall is the penultimate expansion of Destiny 2’s ongoing Light and Darkness saga, launching alongside Season of Defiance to keep players engaged with fresh content and several quality-of-life changes.

Destiny 2 simply refuses to stand still, treating players to expansions and seasons since its 2017 launch that help give all-new meaning to shooting aliens in the head. Lightfall is an upcoming expansion that aims to start the year off with a bang. It introduces various changes and gameplay tweaks that could see it rival the biggest shift since the original Destiny’s Taken King, or even Destiny 2’s much beloved Witch Queen expansion.

Bungie detailed much of what to expect from Destiny 2 Lightfall via an extensive blog post on its own site. Players can look forward to a new location, new class, new exotics and so much more. Whether you’re interested to learn where the story has been heading, what the top weapons will be or are wondering how to jump back in after a long time away, many of these details were broken down ahead of launch. Here’s everything we know so far about Destiny 2 Lightfall.

Destiny 2 Lightfall release date

Destiny 2 Lightfall releases on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, alongside the Season of Defiance content update. Season of Defiance will be free to jump in for everyone, keeping the Lightfall expansion story moving and providing lots more activities, items and cosmetics to make engaging in Destiny 2 even more enjoyable.

Bungie has revealed the specific times for when Destiny 2 will be down while it completes the maintenance needed to launch Lightfall. Destiny 2 will be temporarily offline the day before at 2pm GMT / 9am ET / 6am PT, but this is when Lightfall can be pre-downloaded on all platforms including PS5, Xbox Series X|S. Then, Destiny 2 will be brought back online and Lightfall will be available at 2pm GMT / 9am ET / 6am PT on launch day.

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There are perks for players who want to pre-order Lightfall ahead of its release, namely instant access to a new exotic Ghost and Legendary Emblem. Those who want to pony up for the Annual Pass, meanwhile, also get given access to an exclusive exotic emote but more importantly the Quicksilver Storm exotic Auto Rifle.

Destiny 2 Lightfall collector’s edition

Bungie is celebrating the launch of Destiny 2 Lightfall in style with the release of a collector’s edition on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. It doesn’t include a disc because the game is technically downloadable for free on all platforms. People who purchase it, though, will receive both the Annual Pass and Lightfall expansion, as well as a bunch of physical treats. Here’s what is included in the Destiny 2 Lightfall collector’s edition:

Destiny 2: Lightfall + Annual Pass Game Code
Destiny 2: Lightfall Digital Soundtrack
8” Pouka Replica Figure with LED Lights and Stand
Vanguard Lore Books
Letter from Zavala
Mini-Lithograph
Vinyl Sticker
Plus Exclusive Collector’s Edition Emblem

Destiny 2 Lightfall raid details

The Destiny 2 Lightfall raid is expected to go live shortly after the launch of the expansion itself. Providing all goes to plan and nothing is delayed, Bungie has confirmed that March 10, 2023 will be the date it goes live for all territories at 5pm GMT / 12pm ET / 9am PT. This will give new and returning players a bit of time to refamiliarize themselves with what’s new and complete the accompanying Lightfall campaign.

Destiny raids are famously well-kept secrets by Bungie, so it’s not surprising to learn that details as to how the one for Lightfall will work and function is mostly unknown. Part of the charm to a Destiny raid is not having any clue what’s going on and working with a tight team to try and complete it through communication and puzzle-solving.

One thing we do know is that Destiny 2 raids are usually themed around the corresponding expansion or season. As such, we expect to gain a better idea of what to expect from the Lightfall raid upon completion of the story campaign.

Destiny 2 Lightfall weapons and new location

There are numerous fresh weapons coming to Destiny 2 Lightfall when the expansion releases, with most showcased in the appropriately titled Weapons and Gear trailer. The Qucksilver Storm catalyst and Stasis glaive are on full display, as are a slew of other standard and exotic weapons that look perfectly in keeping with Lightfall’s new neon-drenched, cyberpunk city of Neomuna. Neomuna itself was showcased in a tease video by Bungie.

Rarely before has there been so much synergy between an environment and weapons than in what Lightfall looks to bring. We won’t know how each is unlocked until launch day, but here’s the list of every weapon and gear piece shown off in the Destiny 2 Lightfall trailer, which also detailed the effects they dish out on the battlefield.

Final Warning (exotic Strand Sidearm) – charged tracking rounds.
Deterministic Chaos (exotic Void machine gun) – rhythmic debuffs, fourth shot weakens enemies.
Cyrtarachne’s Facade (exotic Hunter helmet) – grapple gives Woven Mail with flinch resistance.
Abeyant Leap Titan (exotic leg armour) – barricade spawns additional lashes.
Quicksilver Storm (exotic auto rifle) – grenades create tangles on kills.
Swarmers (exotic Warlock leg armour) – destroying tangles spawns threadlings.
Winterbite (exotic Stasis glaive) – freeze enemies with frost orbs.

Destiny 2 Lightfall new features

Not everything in Destiny 2 Lightfall will be new, because what’s already in the game was already pretty good. Even then, however, a hands-on breakdown over at Forbes details how Bungie has seen fit to overhaul some familiar institutions and mechanics to ensure the shooter plays better than ever. From the simplicity of finally being able to change loadouts on the fly rather than dipping into menus (even from your vault) to entirely overhauled combat mods, a lot of existing systems have been reworked.

Perhaps the biggest new feature is the introduction of a new subclass, Strand, which brings a fresh set of abilities based around darkness whether you play as a Hunter, Warlock or Titan. It joins the likes of Solar, Void, Arc and Stasis that were either available right away or introduced in a previous expansion, bringing all new powers in which to dish out death.

With Lightfall there’s also the promise of refreshed Strikes, changes to how crafting works and so much more. A lot of these changes to existing systems are slight, but when taken as a whole should make the overall Destiny 2 experience smoother and far less cumbersome.