When Exactly Did Destiny 2 Go Free-to-Play?

Destiny 2 first became a free-to-play game on October 1st, 2019 with the launch of the aptly named "New Light" expansion. This accompanied the migration of Destiny 2 from the Battle.net platform to Steam. So as of October 2019, the core Destiny 2 experience has been 100% free for all players, while various expansions and seasonal content require purchase.

Why Destiny 2 Dropped the Upfront Cost

Let‘s analyze Bungie‘s incentives behind transitioning their flagship franchise to a free-to-play model.

Bungie Splits from Activision

The events leading to Destiny 2‘s free-to-play shift began in January 2019, when Bungie announced an amicable split from long-time publisher Activision to become an independent studio again. The two companies had worked together for over 8 years since forming the original deal to launch Destiny 1 in 2010.

According to Bungie, the split was "so we can publish on our own terms." This hinted even early on that a major change like going free-to-play could follow.

Lowering the Barrier to Entry

As an indie studio now fully self-publishing Destiny 2, Bungie likely moved to a free-to-play model to lower the barrier of entry for new players. Free games inherently attract larger player bases by removing the mandatory upfront purchase.

We can see evidence this paid off based on engagement statistics:

Sources: Bungie 2019 Plans, February 2023 Data

These figures indicate the free-to-play approach massively grew Destiny 2‘s player base both immediately in late 2019 and continuing years later leading up to the Lightfall expansion.

Sales & Profits After Split

The split from Activision along with the free-to-play change also do not appear to have negatively impacted Destiny 2‘s sales or Bungie‘s bottom line:

• The Witch Queen expansion in early 2022 sold 25% more copies than 2021‘s Beyond Light, based on NPD Group data
• Bungie raised $100 million from NetEase to fund indie publishing shortly after leaving Activision
• Industry analysts predict Bungie‘s current annual revenue is around ~$200 million largely driven by Destiny 2‘s monetization

So while going free-to-play could have been seen as a risk, it instead appears to have kickstarted greater success for both Destiny 2‘s reach and financial performance.

Concerns Around Content Vaulting

While overall positive, Bungie removing upfront costs has not been without controversy. Some players argue the "Content Vault" takes too much away.

Paid Content Gets Removed

As part of managing Destiny 2‘s swelling file size, older expansions get removed from the game – called being placed in the "Destiny Content Vault." For example, the Warmind and Curse of Osiris DLCs from Year 1 were vaulted in November 2020.

Most recently, the acclaimed Forsaken expansion was removed in February 2023. So new light players or those who paid for that content can no longer access it.

Veteran vs. New Player Experience

Content vaulting creates a debate around new vs. existing players:

• Veterans: Feel cheated paying for now-removed content and unsupported if can‘t experience entire backstory
• New lights: May hit walls in progression systems or have story gaps from missing context

There are reasonable arguments on both sides here with no perfect solution. But ultimately vaulting is crucial for Bungie from a development standpoint.

Can New Players Keep Up in Destiny 2?

Let‘s shift gears to discussing the new light player experience itself – can someone just jumping in now reasonably keep up with the sheer breadth of Destiny 2 in 2023?

It Takes Time to Catch Up

The short answer is yes new players can catch up – but expect it to be daunting requiring several months of regular play. I wouldn‘t recommend trying to gear a new character for end-game PvE activities before the Lightfall power cap increase.

Focus on Understanding Core Loops

Instead, new players should focus on the core activities like:

• Strikes
• Crucible
• Early raid content (Leviathan, Last Wish)

Learning the grind and spending time with various loot systems is more valuable upfront than rushing to max power for the latest raid.

Lean on Guidance from Veterans

Finding veterans to provide tips can also ease the early new light experience. I‘d advise new players to:

• Use /r/DestinyTheGame, the main fan subreddit
• Join an active clan with experience sherpas
• Watch guides from Destiny content creators on YouTube

While condensing down 8 years of systems in Destiny 2 into something simple is impossible – the community provides plenty of help to smooth the on-ramp!

Conclusion: Destiny 2‘s Future Looks Bright

Given the outstanding engagement and financial success seen since going free-to-play in 2019, Destiny 2 is clearly following an effective model that allows invested veterans and new lights alike to enjoy the experience.

And with recent revelations that:

• Destiny 2 will extend through at least 2024 with the Lightfall and Final Shape expansions
• There are no plans for a Destiny 3 release currently

It‘s clear Bungie intends to keep building out the Destiny universe for the foreseeable future.

For now the developer seems laser focused on perfecting the existing formula. While no game is perfect, the Destiny franchise has never felt healthier – with the free-to-play shift deserving significant credit for opening the game up to a wider audience than ever before.

So if you‘re a new or lapsed Guardian considering jumping into Destiny 2, there is no better time than now to explore your own legend across the stars!