Destiny 2: Lightfall

Key art for *Lightfall*

***Destiny 2: Lightfall*** is a 2023 expansion pack for the 2017 online first-person shooter video game *Destiny 2*, developed and published by Bungie. As the seventh expansion of *Destiny 2*, *Lightfall* was released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, personal computers, Xbox One and Xbox Series X\S; it was the first *Destiny 2* expansion to not release on the Stadia due to the service's termination in January 2023.

*Lightfall* constitutes Year 6 of *Destiny 2*, and follows up the release and events of *The Witch Queen* (2022). The events of *Lightfall* take place on Neomuna, a cyberpunk-themed city located on Neptune. Neomuna finds itself under attack from Emperor Calus, a recurring character now under the leadership of overarching antagonist The Witness.

*Lightfall* was the first *Destiny 2* expansion pack to release after Bungie's acquisition by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was completed in August 2022. *Lightfall* was originally envisioned to be the final chapter of *Destiny*'s "Light and Darkness" saga, but eventually split to include another expansion, *The Final Shape*. It was originally planned to release in late 2022 before development complications with Year 4 expansion *Beyond Light* caused by the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated delays of *The Witch Queen* and *Lightfall* to early 2022 and early 2023 respectively.

While highly anticipated prior to its release, *Lightfall* received generally mixed reviews from gaming publications, mixed-to-negative reactions from players. Significant criticism was aimed at the expansion's campaign and story, with reviews highlighting the contrast between pre-release material and promotion with the final product; others considered both elements as a step back from *The Witch Queen*. The art direction, setting and Strand mechanic received praise. Despite "steadily increasing" pre-order sales, *Lightfall* suffered from disappointing player retention, resulting in a dip of 45% below Bungie's revenue projections for the fiscal year.

## Reception

### Reviews

* Metacritic: 69/100 (PS5); 66/100 (PC); 70/100 (XSX)
* Destructoid: 7/10
* Game Informer: 7.75/10
* GameSpot: 7/10
* GamesRadar: 3/5
* IGN: 6/10
* PlayStation Universe: 9/10
* Push Square: 7/10

*Destiny 2: Lightfall* received generally mixed reviews. On review aggregator site Metacritic, all three scored versions are classified as "mixed or average reviews". The PlayStation 5 version is rated 69/100 based on 24 reviews. The PC version is rated 66/100 based on 22 reviews. The Xbox Series X/S is rated 70/100 based on 9 reviews. It is the lowest-rated *Destiny 2* expansion since 2018's *Warmind*.

In response to the expansion's mixed reception and audience reaction, Bungie addressed the topic, and the development team acknowledged that *Lightfall* "missed the mark" with its goals.

### Sales

As part of its financial reports, Sony noticed that pre-order sales for *Lightfall* were "steadily increasing" prior to release. The weak reception for *Lightfall* contributed to a sharp decline in Bungie's revenue for FY2023, with *Destiny 2* missing internal revenue projections by 45%.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/article/lightfall-twab-03-02-23
2. ↑ https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/destiny-2-developer-says-it-missed-the-mark-with-parts-of-lightfall-3426846
3. ↑ https://gamingbolt.com/destiny-2-lightfall-pre-orders-steadily-increasing-en-route-to-launch-sony
4. ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-31/sony-s-bungie-game-unit-cut-jobs-as-destiny-2-popularity-waned