Bungie is ready to start talking about Destiny 2's Season of the Drifter, including the forthcoming wares of what was previously dubbed the Joker's Wild expansion. These plans include what's coming both as a free seasonal update to Destiny 2 and new content like Gambit Prime, and The Reckoning exclusive to Annual Pass purchasers.

Premium content starts with Gambit Prime, which ramps up the difficulty of Gambit mode, but in a shorter 1-round experience with unique new features. Annual Pass players will bounce between Gambit Prime as it changes week to week and the new Reckoning PvE mode, located inside the Drifter's mysterious ship and "ball." The Reckoning tiers of difficulty will reward increasingly powerful pieces of gear, which Guardians can then take back into Gambit Prime. Also new lore and story tied to the Drifter and The Nine will be littered throughout.

Destiny 2 players without the Annual Pass will have plenty to look forward to in the Season of the Drifter as well. Bungie will be releasing a ton of new content between March and May, including new Gambit maps, new vanity rewards, new Triumphs and lore books, and more. Progression will be a focus, too, with increased power levels and new events to rank up in. Bungie also plans to offer a new Exotic Quest open to all players, so rewards shouldn't be in short supply.

As part of its Season of the Drifter introduction, Bungie has also updated its Destiny 2: Forsaken roadmap infographic, with the Season of Opulence, which will run from June through August, having been fleshed out further. A new raid and a 6-player matchmade activity are both in the works for the Season of Opulence, and Bungie has listed two mysterious entries labelled as "[Redacted]" to intrigue players curious as to what Destiny's future will be like following Activision and Bungie's split.

For now, however, attention remains on Destiny 2's Season of the Drifter and how it will play out. In Bungie's Season of the Drifter Calendar, the launch of the Season of the Drifter will occur on March 5 with the opening of Gambit Prime and the first tier of Reckoning. Gambit Prime maps will then rotate week to week - March 12, March 19, March 26, and April 2. Of special note on the calendar are the Thorn Allegiance Quest on March 12, the "Invitations of the Nine" story unlocking on March 15, and then the start of The Revelry event on April 16.

For those curious about the prevalence of the term Season of the Drifter and the near absence of Joker's Wild, Bungie seems to be avoiding using the latter term. Perhaps it's related to trademark issues in regards to the studio's lapsed partnership with Activision, or perhaps it's just Bungie wanting to shift focus away from individual premium expansions. Either way, Joker's Wild is now being referred to as the Annual Pass content of the Season of the Drifter.

Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: Bungie