Destiny players who have been grinding the same content again and again since September can breathe a sigh of relief, though, as a full expansion for the online shooter is on the way. The Dark Below downloadable content will release on Dec. 9, and add both new story and gameplay elements.
The Dark Below ($20 by itself, or as part of the $35 season pass) is the first of two planned major expansions for Destiny, which is currently available on Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. The setup sounds simple enough: A new character named Eris warns players that a dark god name Crota is on his way, and the Earth is in for a rough time once he arrives.
Working alongside Eris, players will take on new quests and gather new gear to stop Crota and save the world, at least until the second expansion arrives. To help players cope with the new challenges, the expansion will raise the level cap to 32 and allow five new Bounty slots.
For players who prefer to team up, there will be one new Strike, The Will of Crota, and one new Raid, Crota’s End. Activision has not revealed many details about them yet, but based on the titles, doing battle with Crota and his forces seems like a solid bet.
The Dark Below will also add three new competitive maps: the verdant Pantheon, the vehicle-friendly Skyshock and the up-close-and-personal Cauldron. PlayStation gamers will also have access to some timed exclusive content: a Strike called The Undying Mind.
“Bestselling multiplayer gets expansion” is perhaps not the most mind-blowing news you’ll read all day, but for Destiny players hankering for something new, The Dark Below looks like it should hit the spot.
