Gamers who have signed up for Xbox Game Pass and exhausted all of Destiny 2's initial offerings are in luck: two of the game's paid expansions have hit the service and are available to all subscribers. With the Beyond Light expansion fast approaching, now is an excellent time for Guardians new and old to dive into Destiny 2.
It has been a wild ride for Bungie's popular space-shooter since launching three years ago, but the game is in a great place thanks to a steady stream of expansions, patches, and a split from Activision-Blizzard that gave Bungie full control of the franchise. Xbox Game Pass players have been able to enjoy the base game—including the original Curse of Osiris and Warmind expansions—for some time, but now the full Destiny 2 experience to-date is available for the service.
Xbox Game Pass subscribers can enjoy 2018's Forsaken and 2019's Shadowkeep expansions before the game launches its latest major update in November. Both of the expansions feature important plot points that will set the stage for what to come, making the Game Pass release a smart promotional move. By making all existing content available, Bungie is essentially putting its best foot forward by exposing more players to the freshest content before the title evolves again with Beyond Light. This may address Destiny 2's greatest challenge of drawing in new users to ensure its radical evolution is a success.
The thing that makes Beyond Light so distinctive is that the game will be shedding several regions from the game's early release and a great deal of gear to make room for a new player experience. Completion-compulsive gamers may want to review all the items leaving Destiny 2 before Beyond Light hits to make sure they cover all their bases before the content is vaulted or erased.
The timing of the Game Pass release is auspicious for another reason as well. Bungie recently celebrated the Destiny franchise's sixth anniversary by observing some of the title's major milestones, including a staggering 8.6 billion hours played, and a grand total of 167 million Guardians who have played the title. For many players, that kind of continuity and ongoing community represents the game's greatest appeal and value.
PC and PlayStation players who are hungry for more content are also in luck. Today's Destiny 2 patch also includes another significant update with a quest that pays a heartfelt tribute to an important Destiny franchise artist who passed last year. While long-time Guardians may not know Matt Helsom by name, his art has undoubtedly impacted their journey through Destiny and it is touching to see a developer pay respects to an important contributor.
Destiny 2 is now available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with Stadia and next-gen releases on the way.