Bungie’s Destiny will get a whole lot bigger in early December, as the developer announced that the Destiny expansion The Dark Below will release on December 9. The Dark Below will be available for Destiny owners on PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360 at the same time. There will be no timed exclusives with this one.
With that said, PS4 and PS3 owners will get exclusive access to an exclusive cooperative Strike named The Undying Mind. This Strike, and a few more goodies tied to it, will be a timed exclusive for PlayStation platforms “until at least Fall 2015.”
The Destiny expansion The Dark Below is the first expansion to the universe since Destiny’s launch in September. (Read our Destiny review.) As an expansion, The Dark Below features the expected new weapons, new gear new story elements, new cooperative missions and new multiplayer activities.
The new weapons, armor and gear will include new Legendary and Exotic items, which is welcome news to hardcore Destiny fans looking for some variety with their armaments. The Dark Below will also add five additional Bounty slots and increase the Light Level cap to 32, also both big and arguably necessary updates.
Considering the Destiny expansion has a name, you’ll not be surprised to learn there are some meaningful story elements behind it. After years hiding among the Hive shadows, a new character named Eris has come forth bearing an ominous warning: The Hive seek to summon a god, Crota, to destroy the Earth. After finding Eris in the Tower, players will take on three new special missions in which players can increase their Light and earn new rewards.
The Destiny expansion The Dark Below will include a new cooperative Strike, The Will of Crota, in which players take-on Omnigul as she works to expand the Hive army at the command of her master, Crota. It will also feature a new six-player Raid called Crota’s End that takes place deep within the depths of the Hellmouth.
Competitive Destiny players will dig the expansion’s three new PvP multiplayer arenas: Pantheon, set deep within the Black Garden in an ancient Vex temple that features Vex-designed landscapes and tight corridors; Skyshock, an old interplanetary defense array that offers both vehicle and infantry engagements; and The Cauldron, an abandoned Hive ritual site that offers close-quarter combat.
