Destiny 2 has been riding on top of the world for several years now, and with the game going from stride to stride, aligned with each subsequent update that comes the game’s way. Smaller scale updates and even large expansion content additions have littered each year of release for Destiny 2 ensuring that fans stay engaged with both their time and their wallets as the days, months, and years pass by. Now the game seems to have a new engagement model in mind, one that could possibly divide the audience a bit.
Destiny 2 developer Bungie might well be exploring a monthly subscription model, something akin to what players of Final Fantasy XIV, as well as other MMOs of yesteryear, might be accustomed to, and it seems as though they might have been testing it with the game’s Lightfall expansion and Season 20 of content.
Discord user Elliot dropped some handy details that he uncovered in the D2 Datamines Discord Server, which said,
- \season_20\data\subscription_upsell_month1_ad_banner_000_004.v2.tif
- \season_20\data\subscription_upsell_month3_ad_banner_000_005.v2.tif
- \season_20\data\subscription_upsell_month6_ad_banner_000_006.v2.tif
- \season_20\data\subscription_upsell_month12_ad_banner_000_007.v2.tif
There was further details as well, with a description uncovered that reads, “Lightfall, two new dungeons and raids, 1 month of premium content in Destiny 2 Year 6, a new Exotic Sparrow, Quicksilver Storm catalyst and ornament, and Rahool’s Secret Stash: four Exotic accessories and premium materials pack delivered throughout Year 6″
“Enhance your journey as a New Light with a premium subscription to Destiny 2. Try out the first missions and destinations from Destiny 2: Lightfall, The Witch Queen, Beyond Light and Shadowkeep for free.”
“Prevent the apocalypse by racing Emperor Calus to the edge of the solar system. Brave a new campaign and master Strand, a new subclass. Pre-order now to instantly unlock Quicksilver Storm Exotic weapon and exclusive bonuses.”
Lightfall doesn’t come to Destiny 2 until February 28, 2023, giving Bungie plentiful time to announce this news to players and find ways to win them over, should this still be part of their current planning, which, based upon the code, it absolutely is.
Bungie was recently acquired by PlayStation, and their expertise in live-service titles and the monetisation of those is one of the most important reasons behind Sony’s plan to acquire them, so to see the studio experimenting in such a way is interesting as it may be representative of a push from PlayStation Studios as their titles begin to roll out in 2023, including, seemingly, The Last Of Us Factions.
