It's been some time since Bungie split from Activision, and the team has spread their wings in terms of what Destiny 2 has to offer. So what's next? With Beyond Light, the team tried something completely new and despite PvP concerns, the overall reception of how the story has evolved since the Forsaken DLC has been incredibly positive with the community thriving once more. That being said, the work is far from over when taking back the Destiny name since its launch and with two more confirmed expansions on the horizon, it looks like Bungie is almost ready to share what's next following immense player feedback. 

The launch of Destiny 2 wasn't the most stellar of launches. Bungie received a seemingly endless wave of backlash due to predatory monetary practices, a perceived lazy endgame design, and a general feeling of disconnection from the community as a whole. At the time of launch, Activision was the publisher for Destiny 2, creating a more complicated relationship of the game's vision and meeting certain profitable expectations. The team, as a whole, knew this and a plethora of reasons ultimately ended with Activision and Bungie splitting up in a public breakup and since then, the studio has worked tirelessly to make good on their promise to the community for an amazing Destiny 2 experience. For the most part, they've done just that, though there are always areas of improvement and feedback that can either be ignored or implemented; this is largely evident in the current ongoing conversation about the state of PvP, especially following the introduction of the Stasis subclass. That being said, this is only the tip of the iceberg for what's to come and according to game director Joe Blackburn, the best has yet to come. 

Last year, I said Destiny's Best Days are ahead. Seeing what's coming, I believe this more than ever. But we have work to do to get there. 2021 is going to be a little different for Destiny. Taking some time to validate our plans, but expect a state of Destiny 2021 next season.

— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 19, 2021

In the above tweet, Blackburn reflects back on Destiny's past saying, "last year, I said Destiny's Best Days are ahead. Seeing what's coming, I believe this more than ever. But we have work to do to get there. 2021 is going to be a little different for Destiny. Taking some time to validate our plans, but expect a state of Destiny 2021 next season." 

Bungie already confirmed that there will be two more expansions following Beyond Light, but more than just story expansion is on the way. One Bungie dev mentioned to me previously during a raid that he is excited to share with the community what's next, especially since so many feel like PvP concerns are falling on deaf ears. He says that this is very much not the case but much of that context is still locked behind closed doors. Blackburn's "taking some time to validate our plans" likely includes that revamp, ensuring that everything the team wants to do is viable to ensure a smooth transition into the future of the space franchise. 

The current season is coming to a close with Season of the Hunt ending next month on the 9th. Season 13 will come bearing many of its own changes, including how tokens work, with future seasons bringing about even more change such as transmog, how in-game rewards work, crossplay, and so much more. 

The future has so much potential for where the Destiny franchise can go, whether it be an ongoing continuation of the sequel or a new game altogether. From previous announcements from Bungie, it looks like the team wants a chance to really see Destiny 2's full potential, and with a firm direction in place and a vision in the process of seeing fruition, it will be interesting to see where the shooter goes next (even if we're still crying over that future not including Cayde-6). 

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny is coming exclusively to Switch this summer (in the west at least), and NIS released a new trailer running down the absurd cast of characters players can expect to meet. If for some reason you had any doubts Disgaea 6 would be any less silly than its predecessors, the game's colorful band of heroes should quickly dispel any reservations. 

We’ve already been acquainted with Zed, our attitudinal zombie hero(?) who can die and resurrect repeatedly, which actually raises his strength. Now players can meet Bieko, Zed’s decidedly friendlier sister, their companion Cerberus, the self-centered Princess Melodia, among others. My favorite is Piyori Nijino who is a Prism Ranger. That’s pretty much all you need to know because Prism Rangers rock, so this makes Piyori the best character by default. 

Disgaea 6 retains the fun and strategic gameplay fans have come to expect, but throws in a few new wrinkles. The most noticeable is the switch to fully 3D models replacing the signature sprites of past games. The Super Reincarnation system grants Zed karma points every time he dies, which are used to dramatically increase his strength and abilities. The level cap has been raised to an absurd 99,999,999, and the often lengthy battles can now fly by thanks to a new 32x speed mode. 

Although Disgaea 6 is also coming to PlayStation 4 in Japan, us westerners will only get to play it on Switch for the time being (importing not withstanding, of course). Look for it this summer alongside a special Unrelenting Edition that includes a mini art book and digital soundtrack. Be sure to also check out our review of the previous game, Disgaea 5. 

Among Us is a charmingly simple "whodunnit" game that came out in 2018, then had a much-deserved second lease on life in the second half of 2020. Since its re-emergence, Among Us has escalated to become one of the biggest games out there, even nabbing a major Video Game Awards spotlight back in December. With a new map and plans of expansion on the way, many are wondering what's next for Among us in 2021? Luckily, the tean over at InnerSloth has some answers! 

In a recent developer update, the studio addressed a commonly asked question: What's next and why is it taking so long? While that seems a little sus and like something only a murderer would say, the studio answered regardless. While a detailed roadmap wasn't offered at this time, InnerSloth did mention that the team is back in full force following the holidays and that as a more concrete plan comes together, they will release a solid roadmap in an effort to continue being transparent with players. 

Another topic the update addresses is accounts. "We wanted to launch this earlier, and we're close, but we want to make sure it isn’t half-baked before implementing. (Trust me - you do not want a bad reporting system with no accountability behind it)," reads the blog post. "The first update for this is primarily focused on moderation - as stated in the previous dev log - and we’re hoping to get this out ASAP. This is a small step towards ensuring everyone playing the game has a safe and welcoming experience! Don’t worry, we’ve heard all your requests for things like a friend system, saved stats, and so on, but for now, this will be the first thing available."

As for the "why is it taking so long?" question, the blog post explains that InnerSloth wasn't really prepared for the popularity en masse that was experienced in the latter half of 2020. In fact, the team was planning on an Among Us 2 since the first one fell under the radar, but then the popularity made them want to focus on making the first game even better so that fans can experience more joy out of the hit indie. 

The post continues, saying "Not to dive into too much organizational stuff, but not only did we need to switch back to working on Among Us after thinking it was done, but we also needed to set ourselves up to more sustainably to work on the game. We had to spend 2 months just restructuring, figuring out new processes, and getting external partners to help us manage on board. Originally it was just 3 friends working together (and now I'm here to make 4, hi), but if we wanted this to work long term and hire up, we needed to streamline things."

InnerSloth added, "It’s all behind the scenes work, and while it meant time away from the game, it’ll make it easier for current and future us to develop the game better. Not to mention additional platforms (like Nintendo Switch and Xbox) means more support, certifications to go through, and whatnot. We have help from our porting partners for that, but it still means we need to make sure future things we do are supported on those platforms. There’s a ton of other things out of our control (legal issues, meetings, planning), so sometimes these things take longer as well."

Regardless of what's on the way, I'm personally delighted to see the game's success. So many indies fly under the radar and stay there, so to see one – especially one that was developed by a small team – is incredible to see. To learn more about the murder-happy adventure, you can also check out our full review here! 

Jackie Welles voice actor Jason Hightower wants to return for future Cyberpunk 2077 DLC and thinks it can happen if fans want it enough.

This article contains spoilers concerning Jackie's character. Plot-specific points are covered in a thin black stripe to avoid accidental spoiling. To read what is under the black lines, simply click on them to show the text below. 

In the first act of Cyberpunk 2077, Jackie Welles and V become close, no matter the life path chosen. While the pair's intro may change, the end result is the same: they're close friends, almost family. Unfortunately, those close ties weren't enough to save the character because an infiltration mission at the Konpeki Plaza goes awry with the same conclusion no matter the choice: Jackie will die. 

The actor says there is a way for his character to return in an epic way. "Listen, I don't want to be the one to say it. We could [make a] DLC upload of Jackie if you wanted," the actor told ExBee. "This is not everyone but, you know, for those who might want a little bit of Jackie in their ear while they're doing missions, there you go."

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that upcoming free DLC is the plan and will drop later this year, but the main concern right now is to fix lingering bugs that were part of the reason the game has been delisted from the PlayStation Store. While bugs are far from the only thing that has made the Cyberpunk 2077 launch anything but ideal, the pressure to make the game functional and enjoyable for all was put on even more with two class-action lawsuits currently in the process alongside the investigation that is ongoing by the Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. 

The issues regarding Cyberpunk 2077, despite there being an enjoyable narrative in the game and characters that matter, are more than just the glitches reported. It was the broken communication between the company and fans (despite deliberate attempts to seem the exact opposite) and the outright attempt at deception by not allowing reviewers access to console versions of the game and purposeful intentions to hide the current state of the game on last-gen platforms; especially the PS4.

Following a recent apology video from the co-founder of CD Projekt Red that seemingly threw the entire Q&A team under the proverbial bus and reports that there was no clear vision for the game itself which caused a chaotic developmental timeline, it will be interesting to see what comes next. With new DLC and multiplayer components on the way, the Polish company has a long road ahead to repair its reputation with consumers and investors alike. Can they do it without causing further harm to the team? 

What do you think about the possible return of Jackie Welles character? Do want to see this happen, or do you think CDPR should focus on the more technical aspects of Cyberpunk 2077 for now? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below. 

[Source: ExBee]