Bungie revealed in a blog post that Destiny 2 servers will go offline on February 27 for a full 24 hours in preparation for the launch of the upcoming Lightfall expansion.
While players will not have access to the game during this downtime, they will be able to start preloading the required data to play Lightfall. Bungie warns players that the download size will be huge for Season 20, but will become smaller post-installation. Bungie has also committed to faster load times for this launch.
Lightfall is a paid expansion, featuring the final chapter of Destiny 2’s ongoing storyline. You can get the DLC for $49.99, but there is also a higher-tier version including an annual pass for $99.99. Although free-to-play users will gain access to the new location and some of the activities and challenges, the main campaign and most of the other important quests will be locked behind a paywall.
With the arrival of the new season later this month, Bungie also aims to bring much-needed balance changes to a wide variety of weapons. The developer will cut the amount of damage dealt by all Linear Fusion Rifle weapons by 15%. On the other hand, players can expect a buff for machine guns, heavy grenade launchers, and kinetic weapons.
In other news, Bungie has also started sending out emails to the community to cast their vote for the next week’s Trials of Osiris map. The candidates are The Fortress, Radiant Cliffs, and Twilight Gap. Keep in mind that you need to opt in to receive marketing emails from Bungie to get an invitation to vote. The same goes for the Season of the Lost armor contest.
On February 14, Destiny 2 will host a limited-time event to bid farewell to the current season. It is expected that players receive access to new quests and activities, making the final efforts to grind items before Lightfall arrives.