Destiny 2 has had a rocky journey since it’s launch last year. With a lackluster endgame, puzzling choices, and the underwhelming Curse of Osiris, many wondered if this title could recover. Thankfully, Bungie has been focusing on improving and refining their FPS/RPG hybrid. After a series of content roadmaps, developer Bungie has implemented a host of changes including movement alterations, strike specific loot, and 6v6 Iron Banner. Now with the Destiny 2 Warmind expansion on the horizon, many of us wonder what to expect with this title.
Below is all of the confirmed information we have about the Destiny 2 Warmind DLC, including its release date, and changes going into the next season. We will update this post as more news and content is released.
Warmind’s Release Date
On April 11, WWE wrestler and Destiny 2 fan The Big Show revealed the release date for the Warmind. Players can expect the second expansion for Destiny 2 to release on May 8 along with the third clan season. Following this announcement, Bungie released a second tweet stating that a special Warmind reveal would take place on April 24 at 10PM PT.
Season 3 Changes
While the specific content revolving around Warmind is currently unavailable, we do have some details for the upcoming Season 3. Scheduled to drop the same day as Warmind, it’s clear that Bungie is aiming to adjust or outright change portions of the core game. Here’s a quick summary of the content scheduled to release for Season 3:
- Seasonal Crucible Rankings
- Private Matches
- Vault Space Increase
- Multi-Emote
- Exotic Weapon Masterworks
- Seasonal Vendor Progression
- Exotic Weapon Sandbox Changes
- Heroic Strike Modifiers
- Nightfall Challenge Cards
The biggest additions are obviously the alterations to the various Exotic weapons (see below) and PvE content. Heroic Strike Modifiers have been desperately needed since this mode launched with Curse of Osiris. A skilled Fireteam can easily go through Heroic Strikes with little issue and the addition of modifiers would certainly shake things up. It would also include a nice amount of replayability for those who have run the same Strikes dozens of times.
As for the Crucible, the addition of private matches is a big boon for Destiny 2. A feature that has been requested since the game’s release last year, this may give this community the competitive scene it has wanted. Finally, the increased vault space and multi-emote system are good quality of life additions. However, we hope the Vault is considerably expanded since many players like to collect every new weapon and armor piece.
Exotic Weapon Changes
One of the most surprising, but best changes coming with the Warmind DLC revolves around Destiny 2’s Exotic weapons. Previously, many of Destiny 2’s Exotic weapons felt underwhelming in both their design and performance. Bungie has clearly listened to the community’s feedback and has begun teasing some of the changes made to different guns. Keep in mind not every Exotic will receive an overhaul like the ones shown below. Here are the weapons that will not be changed with the upcoming DLC and season.
- Merciless
- Telesto
- Wardcliff Coil
- MIDA Multi-Tool
- Colony
- Legend of Acrius
- Vigilance Wing
Here’s a quick breakdown of each exotic weapon change we know about so far.
Graviton Lance
Previously, the Graviton Lance’s primary abilities were causing enemies to explode on death and doing additional damage on the third burst shot. While the weapon was fun to use, it didn’t hit hard enough and was difficult to control. The new version – shown above – now releases Axion Bolts upon an enemy’s death. This not only gives the Graviton Lance more flexibility but compensates for the low damage output.
Skyburner’s Oath
This scout rifle is interesting on paper, but underwhelming in reality. Outside of strictly fighting the Cabal, the Skyburner’s Oath never felt like a weapon worthy of an Exotic slot. However, Bungie has altered the dual firing design to give it more power and versatility. The updated version will be more precise when aiming down the sights and launch explosive rounds when fired from the hip. Not only will this give players the option to cause a lot of splash damage, but potentially stun lock specific enemies.
Rat King
The Rat King was a weapon that seemed to exist solely for players to make jokes about or make raids more challenging. Making the gun stronger with every player using it was a cute concept that really wasn’t dramatic enough. Bungie has changed this so you only need to have the weapon equipped for the ability to trigger and the effects are more drastic. Being able to absolutely shred through enemies during the raid could finally make this sidearm popular.
Tractor Cannon
Another rework has just been shown off and it’s for all the Void lovers out there. This shotgun was primarily used to knock back enemies or push them off cliffs. However, this modified version appears to amplify any void damage dealt with an afflicted target. Using this during elemental base activities like the Nightfall could give your team a critical edge against a boss.
Warmind Power Level
Thanks to a blog post from Bungie we have some details regarding the upcoming Light Level increase. After listening to the community, Bungie has taken their feedback and will be giving players a “sense of progression.” The soft cap for Warmind is going to be 340 and the hard cap stops at 380 without any mods. Raids, Trials of the Nine and any clan engrams will be the best way to reach the hard cap.
Bungie explains that the jump from 370 to 380 will take a significant amount of time. Players can also participate in endgame content at 370 Light without any severe penalties.
Warmind Raid Lair Details and Release Date
Just like the Curse of Osiris DLC, Warmind will have new raid content for players. This will not be a completely new raid, but instead another Raid Lair that takes place in the Leviathan ship. For the unfamiliar, Raid Lairs are shorter than typical raids but offer the same complexity and challenge that players expect. We expect details to be scarce leading up to Warmind’s release outside of where the newest raid lair takes place.
Additionally, users should expect the new raid lair to go live one week after Warmind releases. Bungie has never released any raid content the same day as expansions and we don’t expect this trend to change. This is mainly because a lot of teams enjoy racing to be World’s First, so everyone starting on the same day evens the playing field.
Warmind Story
Currently, there is no confirmation or details regarding Warmind’s story, however, there have been some rumors. One of the most intriguing came in the form of an alleged screengrab from Gamestop. Keep in mind, this could be completely fake so take any of the information listed below with a grain of salt. We were not able to confirm any of the contents listed below, but after the stream tomorrow we will know if the leak was correct.
Destiny 2 Expansion II: Warmind deploys your Guardian on an urgent mission to Mars, with an all-new story camaign, destination, and new adventures. Following the events of Expansion I: Curse of Osiris, Charlemagne has been mysteriously reactivated on Io and is assimilating Exo across the system into a new army of war machines. Trapped in a physical body by Charlemagne, Rasputin has been rescued by Ana Bray, the last of the Bray family. Work with the duo to breach into the Exo network, and stop Charlemagne before he marches upon the Tower.
There’s a lot to unpack there, but the most intriguing aspect is we will finally get to physically interact with Rasputin. While this Warmind has always been in the background of Destiny’s lore, this would mark the first time he has any real presence during a story.
Ana Bray is another character we haven’t heard much about outside of offhand comments. This Hunter has been prevalent in both the Battle of the Twilight Gap and the Red War. Her being in this DLC is quite plausible given the Warmind’s vault was actually cleaned of all data by someone named Bray. Also, this summary mentions an “army of war machines”, which might signal new enemies for us to face.
However, it does appear that there’s some credibility to the leak above. A teaser video released by Bungie confirms that we are returning to Mars. The new location in question is called the Hellas Basin and it appears to be infested by the Hive. Warmind’s teaser showcases both the large base and a briefly displays an underground section of the map.
Warmind New Game Modes
Setting aside the rumored Deep Stone Crypt activity listed in the alleged leak above, we do know that a new game mode is on the way. During a special summit held for Destiny 2 content creators, Youtuber Mesa Sean revealed that a new game mode was on the way. Sean is currently under a nondisclosure agreement and only revealed his thoughts on the mode, not what it actually was. He stated that “You’ve never played a game mode like this in any Destiny franchise and probably not in any other franchises.” What this could be is still up in the air, but we will certainly learn more about it tomorrow.
Hive Escalation Protocol
Another section teased in the newest teaser video for Destiny 2 involves a game mode called the Hive Escalation Protocol. This appears to be a PvE game mode, but information is pretty scarce right now. We can see in the teaser that there are levels (rounds) tied to this mode along with players trying to clear out the Hive before a timer expires. Perhaps this will act as a successor to the Archon’s Forge or Prison of Elder activities from the original Destiny.