Destiny 2 reveals Lightfall expansion, new Strand subclass

Destiny 2‘s next major expansion, Lightfall, will launch early next year, bringing with it a completely new Darkness subclass called Strand.

Lightfall—which is set to launch on February 28th, 2023—will take players to Neptune and the city of Neomuna, where the Witness’ new disciple, Calus, has brought his occupying army, known as the Shadow Legion. Thankfully, the Guardians won’t be fighting alone to repel Calus’ attack, as a secret group of protectors known as the Cloud Striders are already on Neptune.

While on Neptune, Guardians will uncover a new Darkness ability called the Strand, which will serve as the game’s latest subclass alongside Solar, Void, Arc, and Stasis. Strand is actually a kind of psychic energy that allows the Guardians to tap into the connective tissue of reality. Once they tap in, they can manipulate these connections to form new abilities. Long story short, Guardians can now use psychic grappling hooks with a color scheme that looks like it’s based on The Matrix.

The Strand brings with it three new Supers. Warlocks fire Strand missiles, Titans wield Strand knives, and Hunters will swing around a Strand rope dart. We also got a quick look at some of the abilities, including a Hunter ability that traps enemies in the Strand. Bungie also confirmed that the Lightfall campaign will bring back the popular Legendary difficulty, as two-thirds of players who completed the Witch Queen‘s campaign did so on Legendary.

Bungie also gave a sneak peek at how it’s making it easier for new players to get into Destiny 2 in 2023. New features include an in-game “looking for group” feature where players can connect without having to use the app. A new reputation system called Guardian Ranks will encourage experienced players to team up with new Guardians. And, eight years into the series, Bungie is finally adding a way to save different loadouts for different activities, instead of forcing players to swap individual pieces of gear every single time.

Players can pre-order Lightfall‘s year pass now and unlock a new Exotic auto rifle. Destiny 2 is available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and PC, now via the Epic Games Store.