Destiny 2 Season 18 Release Date, Exotics, And Everything We Know

Destiny 2’s next seasonal update looks set to be a big one, as it not only starts a new and ominous chapter for Bungie’s sci-fi sandbox, but also adds a sweeping number of technical overhauls. For Season 18, Bungie has kept a tight lid on what fans can expect over the next several months, a tactic that usually involves something major going down in the world of Destiny 2.

While story details are being kept secret, Bungie has confirmed a few of the changes that can be expected in Season 18.

Release date

Season 18 will start on August 23, and will be preceded by some downtime for maintenance. Bungie is hosting a new Destiny 2 showcase that day as well, so expect details on the season, future updates, and the first look at the next expansion, Lightfall, that day as well.

Season 18 story details

Destiny 2

As mentioned above, Bungie is keeping the story for Season 18 a closely guarded secret, but the brief synopsis it published online did hint at something devastating happening this year. With the Witness closing in on the Traveler, an army of Pyramid Fleet ships surrounding the solar system, and other major threats still unaccounted for, Destiny 2 is laying more groundwork for the endgame of the Light and Darkness saga.

“It has arrived. As we prepare for fate to unfold, the people of the Last City look to the stars–to us–for hope,” the Season 18 description reads. “And while we have triumphed in the face of impossible odds before, this time feels different. But if there is to be no escape, our story will be one of courage, one of legends.”

Arc 3.0

Starting with the introduction of Stasis in 202’s Beyond Light expansion, subclasses have evolved in Destiny 2. The Witch Queen expansion would introduce Void 3.0, a selection of overhauled abilities with a debuff theme, while Season of the Haunted’s introduction of Solar 3.0 was focused on turning players into pyromaniacs. These reworks have all used a system of Aspects and Fragments to help customize each subclass, and as players have discovered, the potential to create truly devastating builds when combined with certain Exotics.

Bungie hasn’t mentioned how Arc 3.0 will change the most electrifying subclass in Destiny 2, but it’ll likely build on the core traits of those powers to make them stand out from the Stasis, Void, and Solar options. Arc has generally been a subclass that amplifies the key traits of each Guardian archetype, such as turning Titans into human missiles, making Hunters perform acrobatic feats of destruction, and has transformed Warlocks into wielders of lightning that can annihilate multiple enemies at once.

Exotic weapons and armor tuning

Exotic weapons and armor will be receiving a big overhaul in Season 18, with Bungie recently confirming a number of changes for Lord of Wolves, Dead Man’s Tale, Collective Obligation, and Omnioculus. Many of these changes are focused on PvP where these weapons reign supreme, and include amplifying the “hip-firing cowboy rifle” fantasy of Dead Man’s Tale, tweaking the signature perk for Lord of Wolves, and adding anti-Champion functionality to the Le Monarque, Thunderlord, and Malfeasance Exotics.