It's been a busy couple of months for Bungie after launching the Beyond Light expansion back in November. The world of Destiny 2 changed significantly, vaulting a huge list of destinations, activities, and events while also sunsetting tons of gear and weapons. In it's place, the frozen moon of Europa arrived along with new exotics, gear, and the first Darkness-based subclass known as Stasis. Alongside the expansion, Season of the Hunt also saw the return of the former Uldren Sov, a newly resurrected guardian now going by the name of Crow.
With the Season of the Hunt wrapping up in a week, Bungie has been preparing fans for the arrival of Season 13, sharing a number of updates through its weekly blog posts. Weapon balancing aims to reduce the effectiveness of swords, Umbral engrams are making a comeback, while a more flexible challenge system replaces the long standing tradition of weekly bounties. For all of the gameplay changes, Bungie has yet to disclose any aspects of the story, only hinting at the presence of the Cabal.
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Thankfully, the speculation can end as Bungie confirms the Season of the Chosen with a brand new trailer revealing more of the story as well as new modes coming to Destiny 2. As many assumed thanks to a leaked image of Zavala, the Cabal are back as Calus' daughter Empress Caiatl seeks an alliance with the Vanguard due to the solar system being destabilized by the pyramids and the Hive god, Xivu Arath. However, her demands prove to be too much for Zavala and the alliance falls apart before it can begin.
As a result of these failed negotiations, season 13 introduces a new mode called Battlegrounds, a 3 person matchmade activity pitting fireteams against Cabal warriors. Based on the trailer, it looks like familiar locations will be transformed as the Asterion Abyss area on Europa was outfitted with Cabal style munitions, lighting, and structures while battling the guardian fireteam.
In addition to Battlegrounds, Season 13 brings back the classic Devil's Lair and Fallen S.A.B.E.R. strikes from the original Destiny along with a new strike that unlocks later in the season known as Proving Grounds. Bungie hints that this strike will pit players against the Cabal's best to determine the fate of the Last City. A new Cabal-themed seasonal armor set called Praefectus can be earned as well as the exotic solar bow, Ticuu's Divination, which charges and fires multiple tracking arrows.
The new season kicks off on February 9 running through May 11 and brings with it over 25 exotic, legendary, and ritual weapons for players to hunt down and earn. With so many players upset with how much content was removed from the game by sunsetting, having a new influx of content in Season 13 should go a long way towards pacifying fans.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.