Destiny's next major expansion, Rise of Iron, is due out in just a few months and, according to Community Manager Eric Osborne, the team at Bungie is striving to make this adventure into the Plaguelands an epic one.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Osborne during E3 2016 to talk all things Rise of Iron. In the world of Destiny, things are going pretty well for the Guardians. You've taken out Oryx, the Taken King, and things have been relatively quiet for the past several months. That's when you get word that there's trouble brewing in the Plaguelands, a nasty location inhabited by the Fallen and located beyond the Wall.
This new story is much more heroic and heraldic, borrowing from some Norse themes...From Lord Saladin to the names of the weapons you get in the Iron Banner, it all has these hints at this historical legacy, which kicked off this idea of exploring the past, finding out about these lost heroes, how they defended the city and what the Wall was all about.
Osborne said that Destiny's April update made the game feel more generous, more rewarding, and that the team has made a concerted effort to make sure that players in all activities can go in and make the climb to the higher Light level and go after the gear they want rather than the gear that, statistically, is "the best." Now comes the Sept. 20 launch of Rise of Iron, which Osborne said is a direct response to fans requesting more content. In this latest adventure, though, the tone of the game will shift a bit.
Lord Saladin's been sitting there in the Tower for a couple hundred years grumbling about the legacy of the Iron Lords, preparing Guardians through the ritual of the Iron Banner to become stronger, and he's been waiting for his ancient enemy to show signs of returning...In the Taken King, the story was about Oryx seeking revenge on the Guardians who killed his son. We're kind of flipping the roles this time, as you'll be going with Lord Saladin to honor the Iron Lords and take revenge on his behalf.
The Fallen have apparently unearthed some nasty new tech in the Plaguelands and have started integrating it onto their own bodies, which is why the baddies in Rise of Iron will look different and have brand new abilities. This all leads Saladin to calling upon the Guardians to go on a journey with him to learn what happened to the Iron Lords and, in turn, become one of their ranks.
Osborne said your first task in the new DLC will be to climb Felwinter Peak and claim the new social space, a snowy region where you'll take on new missions and meet new characters. Also on offer in this next _Destiny _adventure will be all of the usual expansion content including a new Raid, new Strikes, new public events, lots of gear, multiplayer maps and a new multiplayer mode that will be revealed shortly.
As for all of that sweet gear, Osborne said it will tie into the "epic" theme of Rise of Iron, too.
In the past couple expansions, we've let players sort of adopt the look of their enemies with the new gear. With this new set, you get to come out looking like an Arthurian knight or a Viking god, so it feels much more heroic in tone. It's epic, and not in the marketing sense of the word. The storytelling feels grand and sweeping, so I think it's going to be really fun.
Look for Rise of Iron to arrive on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Destiny on Sept. 20 for $29.99.
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