The Destiny universe is becoming mobile, and people are excited about it. The rumors are true: NetEase Games and Bungie are developing a new free-to-play mobile RPG shooter game, Destiny Rising. On the go, gamers can experience the vast, immersive Destiny world. On November 1st, the alpha test begins. Players in the US and Canada will be the first to get their taste of this new chapter.
While many mobile adaptations have left fans questioning how the experience will continue, Destiny Rising will retain the core of Bungie’s series. Players will explore new sci-fi PvE and PvP storylines in an alternate timeline, face familiar enemies, and take familiar weapons with them.
NetEase and Bungie’s love child Destiny Rising breaks the mobile
The main difference between Destiny and Destiny Rising is an alternate timeline and a new game format, so Destiny games are growing as a universe. With NetEase setting up an exploration of the post-Dark-Age era—the time before the Tower and Guardians became such a central part of the universe’s lore. It also enables the creation of a new timeline for the game’s story that is still very much a part of the established world of Destiny.
What makes Destiny Rising, Destiny: Instead of building your guards, there’s an interesting twist where you can choose from heroic characters like Ikora Rey and many more new characters. There’s no shortage of abilities, storylines, and roles for each character in PvE and PvP. Fans of the original Destiny franchise games will be pleased to see Ghosts, Lightbearers, and well-known enemies such as the Hive, Fallen, and Vex all brought back in a new form and as mobile experiences.
Players can switch between first-person and third-person perspectives, a big change from the PC and console titles. This feature contributes new flexibility to the gameplay. Whether you’re fighting through campaign missions or teaming up for six-player co-op attacks, every experience Destiny Rising offers is designed for mobile.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Destiny Rising: NetEase will be its growth and creative freedom. In 2018, NetEase decided to take a massive stake — damn near $100 million — in Bungie, which had just sold the Destiny hit to Activision, giving them a controlling interest in the franchise and its future, and it told them to rip it off into their weird vision. Senior narrative designer Stone Shi shared their goal to depict “a specific time where the reins are in the hands of the players to experience, to explore, to define.”
Bungie is partnering with NetEase to create a new Destiny game. There will be characters and weapons you’re familiar with, but not only that. It will be the original, but new features will be added to the game.
Familiar locations, new threats, and a big question: Monetization
In true Destiny fashion, players will battle enemies of darkness in Destiny: Now growing from new locations, including Jiangshi and the Red Sea Rift. All these campaign missions, plus replayable PvE and PvP modes, will feature the rich Destiny lore we all know and love. While the trailer doesn’t showcase the graphics powerhouse that is Wolfenstein: The New Order, it does tease intense action and dynamically loaded gameplay as characters wield weapons of great devastation, including exotic and mythic class weapons that all the Destiny fans know and love.
However, one big question remains: How will they monetize the game? NetEase has yet to confirm the exact model, but they have hinted that “a good part of the main campaign will be available” during the alpha test, along with “at least one map for all game modes.” Like many free-to-play titles, how this is monetized ultimately will weigh heavily in how well this game is received down the road.
How to sign up Destiny Rising for alpha access
Excited to see what this mobile edition of the Destiny universe has to offer? The alpha test for Destiny Rising, The US, and Canada starts on November 1st. Players will be able to see what NetEase has been up to and a sliver of Destiny in the palm of their hand. Registration for the test is possible on NetEase’s website, but excitement may have already built up, with spots filling up fast. After over a decade of PC and console use, Destiny Rising is going mobile. That immersive storytelling and dynamic gameplay will also be brought to the phone.
Image credit: Destiny Rising
