The hype surrounding the release of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep continues to grow as the launch date of October 1 nears. Unlike previous expansions, players have a number of things to consider. Whether you are a veteran that cannot wait to jump into the content, or a new or long-time absent player, there is something for everyone. Below is everything one needs to start or return to the exciting universe of Destiny 2.

Start Your Journey For Free With New Light

Via: 9to5toys.com

Beginning with new players, now is a great time to get into Destiny 2 as New Light releases alongside Shadowkeep. New Light will be a free-to-play version of the game that allows players to go to any of the main planetary locations, including locations in the Forsaken expansion such as the Tangled Shore, and the Moon from Shadowkeep. Wherever a player chooses to go, they can participate in patrol groups with friends.

New Light players will also have full access to the range of activity playlists, including the Player-vs-Player (PvP) Crucible, and Strikes, which are Player-vs-Environment (PvE) content of teams working towards an objective and usually towards defeating a boss. Other similar content will also be available, while newer versions of some PvE will require purchase of the expansions. In total, Free Light will provide access to the base game and all the first year’s worth of DLC, which is a great launching point for any new player.

New Content Must Be Purchased

Via: bungie.net

To earn some of the rarest armor and weapons in the game, known as Exotics, players will need to open their wallets. These weapons often have unique perks that make them stand out against any similar types of weapons, and often require legwork to acquire. They are often tied to character lore or representative of weapons from the first Destiny.

To earn new Exotics, players will need to purchase the expansion or season that contains the quest chain, and the same is true for accessing certain quests. Put simply, players will need to purchase the Forsaken expansion to play its campaign. During year two, there was an Annual Pass released that provides seasons worth of content, which appears to be the primary way of spacing out the story going forward.

The most straight forward purchase for players who are ready to dive into everything the game has to offer is to buy the collection for $40 USD, which provides both Forsaken and the Annual Pass, which includes the Season of the Forge, Season of the Drifter, and Season of Opulence. Following a recent change in the pricing structure, players who already own Forsaken will have access to all the Year 2 DLC for free as of this past September 19.

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Editions & Pricing For Shadowkeep

Three editions are available for purchase, each with progressing levels of items included. The main differences between most relate to upcoming season passes, cosmetic items, and for the collector’s edition, a soundtrack and physical loot. Each edition is as follows:

Shadowkeep Standard Edition - $34.99

  • PSN/XBOX/Steam
  • Copy of the game
  • 1 Season Pass for Season of the Undying (Season 8)
  • Pre-order bonus is Twin-Tailed Fox guaranteed drop & a hive themed ornament (presumably for TTF)

Shadowkeep Digital Deluxe Edition - $59.99

  • PSN/XBOX/Steam/Stadia
  • Copy of the game
  • 4 Season Passes
  • Same pre-order bonus
  • Eris Morn-themed Emblem, Ghost Shell & Exotic Emote

Collector's Edition - $149.99 with Game Code, $89.99 without

  • PSN/XBOX/Steam
  • Everything in the Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Digital Soundtrack
  • Exclusive Emblem
  • Physical loot - Hive Cryptoglyph, Luna Mission Container, Luna Mission Handbook, Luna Journal, Artifacts from the Golden Age

Transfer Your Account To Steam Before October 1

This falls under housekeeping, and is a necessary step following the split between Bungie and Activision earlier this year. To migrate from Battle.net to Steam, players can click here to begin the process at Bungie’s website.

Clicking on transfer will then prompt you to log into battle.net, after which one can move onto the final step, which looks almost identical but now is logging into Steam. After accepting the terms and conditions, everything will be ready to go.

All users should then setup Steam Guard on their mobile devices to enable two-factor authentication and make their accounts secure. This final step is not necessary to transfer an account, but it is good practice.

RELATED: Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Launch Trailer Promises This Is Just The Beginning

Preparing For Shadowkeep

via youtube.com

The Eververse is undergoing several changes once Shadowkeep goes live. Everything from the Eververse collection that is not a collectible item should be broken down into Bright Dust, including certain shaders, sparrows, ghosts, and ships. After October 1, these items will cannot be broken down in the same way.

The highly anticipated Armor 2.0 update is approaching, which will provide new sets of armor with additional slots for customization. This means that most armor will be all but useless. The best choice here is to dismantle extra armor. Players can choose to retain certain PvE, PvP, Gambit, and PvE gear, though most of it will be outclassed shortly after starting the expansion.

Along with Armor 2.0, weapon mods will become permanent unlocks, but only if you have them already. This means that players should acquire the sixteen different mods if they want access to everything from the moment the expansion launches. The weapon mods are:

  • Icarus Grip – Sold by Banshee
  • Radar Tuner - Sold by Banshee
  • Counterbalance Stock - Sold by Banshee
  • Backup Mag - Sold by Banshee
  • Targeting Adjuster - Sold by Banshee
  • Freehand Grip - Sold by Banshee
  • Minor Spec - Sold by Banshee
  • Major Spec - Sold by Banshee
  • Boss Spec - Sold by Banshee
  • Rampage Spec - Random Ada Mod Purchase
  • Sprint Grip - Random Ada Mod Purchase
  • Dragonfly Spec - Random Ada Mod Purchase
  • Quick Access Sling - Random Ada Mod Purchase
  • Surrounded Spec - Random Ada Mod Purchase
  • Radar Booster - Random Ada Mod Purchase
  • Taken Spec - Last Wish Raid Chests

It is important to do all of this soon, because although Shadowkeep launches on October 1, the servers will go offline for 24 hours on September 30 to prepare for the expansion release. This is also when consoles will pre-load the content to be ready for the formal launch.

You Get 750 Power! And You Get 750 Power!

When Shadowkeep launches, all players will be raised to 750 Power, which means there is no need to grind for a few more additional levels right now. All things considered, the launch of Shadowkeep looks to offer old and new players a great experience, and now is an excellent time to be playing Destiny 2!

Source: Bungie.net

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