Summary
Destiny 2’s upcoming Into the Light update has been highly anticipated since its announcement, and fans have constantly speculated on what it might bring to the game. Although it was touted as an update that would help new and veteran players prepare for the upcomingThe Final Shapeexpansion, even that wasn’t enough originally to clue theDestiny 2community into what the update would entail. Thankfully, Bungie has finally begun divulging all that will be included in the update, with one feature being its Onslaught horde mode that is reminiscent ofCall of Duty’s hugely popular Zombies activity. However, while Into the Light will apparently bring new content toDestiny 2, its biggest strength has little to do with its content and more to do with its price tag — or lack thereof.
Some enduring criticisms ofDestiny 2are the amount of money it costs to access all of its content and what players are encouraged to spend on the game’s various microtransactions. Furthermore, content additions toDestiny 2,like dungeons, often come with a price tag as well, leading to some players not having access to everything the MMO has to offer because they either don’t have the funds necessary to purchase them or simply don’t find the content worth purchasing. Thankfully, Into the Light is treading some unfamiliar ground forDestiny 2, as it will come as a free update, hopefully setting a precedent for the game moving forward intoThe Final Shape.
Into the Light’s Lack of a Price Tag Is Its Biggest Strength
Destiny 2has been under the gun lately, with players persistently losing faith in it to deliver, especially when each new content update generally feels like a repeat of the last. Ahead of Into the Light,Destiny 2’s Steam player counthas averaged just over 10% of its all-time peak, and while those numbers will rise and fall with the launch of Into the Light and thenThe Final Shape, they still say a lot about where the game is currently. That’s why Into the Light’s lack of a price tag is actually its biggest strength.
Regardless of what Into the Light may add to the game,Destiny 2arguably needed it to be a free update, so it’s a good thing that it is. Ultimately, it can only benefit Bungie’s MMO, as anything with a price tag is automatically subject to heavier criticism than anything without one. Furthermore, players can freely enjoy the update, coming and going, without feeling financially obligated to remain committed to it. This is certainly a smart move by Bungie, and it should arguably set a precedent forDestiny 2’s future.
Free Content Should Be Destiny 2’s Future
Ironic as it may be,Destiny 2can’t afford to continue putting a price tag on everything. Right now, the game has a chance to set a new precedent for its future with the free Into the Light update — one that could potentially redeem its reputation, pull once-committed players back in, and even open the door for a crowd of newcomers in the process.Destiny 2would do well to let Into the Light be a sign of things to come, although much larger content drops likeThe Final Shapeshould be justifiably sold rather than simply given away. However, any other smaller content drops like dungeons, new activities, and even the episodes coming inDestiny 2’s new episodic structureshould be free to all.
Whatever Into the Light eventually offersDestiny 2in terms of content, the fact that it is free is undeniably one of its biggest strengths. That strength will also only become more prominent the more content it adds to the game. Perhaps Into the Light will pave a new path forDestiny 2,and the community will receive more sizable updates at no cost to them in the future.
