At the time of this writing, Destiny 2 and all of its expansions so far are available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers to play, including the latest release, Beyond Light. The addition of Destiny 2 to the Xbox Game Pass lineup has no doubt given Bungie's MMO/FPS hybrid a boost, and there have been many Game Pass subscribers happy to get the whole D2 experience without having to buy all of the expansions. Unfortunately for Xbox Game Pass subscribers looking to continue their Destiny 2 journey, though, there's some bad news to share.
Destiny 2 and its current expansions will remain available on Xbox Game Pass for the time being, but the upcoming Witch Queen expansion will not be part of the package. This means anyone that's been playing Destiny 2 through Xbox Game Pass and has so far avoided paying for the game or its expansions will need to buy Witch Queen when it comes out on February 22, 2022 if they want to see what happens next and remain up to date with all of the new content.
This is likely disappointing news to Xbox Game Pass subscribers that have been using the service to play Destiny 2, but on the bright side, no removal date has been announced for the base game or its existing expansions just yet. In the meantime, those who want to see what The Witch Queen has to offer will now need to purchase it outright, and they will have a few different ways of doing so come launch early next year.
There are multiple versions of Destiny 2's Witch Queen expansion available for pre-order. The standard edition costs a $39.99, but there's also the $249.99 Witch Queen Collector's Edition that includes the entire Destiny 2 experience plus some other goodies, like a real-life Hive Ghost replica. Those who want the Hive Ghost replica but don't actually need the Destiny 2 game can get a cheaper version of the Collector's Edition for $149.99.
Regardless of which version they decide to buy, Destiny 2 players who have been playing on Xbox Game Pass will have to buy it in some capacity to keep playing the game. It does sound like Bungie is going all-out with the Destiny 2 Witch Queen expansion, adding weapon crafting and hyping up the campaign as being similar to games like Doom and Halo in terms of quality. Whether or not the final product lives up to expectaitons remains to be seen, but fans will find out when the Witch Queen expansion launches for Destiny 2 in February.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen launches February 22, 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.