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Destiny: Rise of Iron

All we know so far about the upcoming expansion.

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The content drop that will probably be Destiny's last major expansion, Rise of Iron, is set to launch on September 20. Thus we thought now would be a good time to go through everything we know about it.

In terms of story, there's a new location called Felwinter Peak, a mountain retreat where the Iron Lords once watched over Old Russia. The area has up till now been quarantined for centuries due to the Iron Lords sacrificing themselves to stop a dark technology called SIVA. Now, however, Splicers have broken through these walls and salvaged this dark power and they're using it to augmented themselves into a new faction called Devil Splicers.

Of course this means that you'll have to stop The Fallen before it's too late. How? By becoming an Iron Lord yourself. You join forces with Lord Saladin and travel to the new Plaguelands zone. This snowy area is filled with Fallen fortresses and new structures using SIVA technology ("self-assembling, self-replicating nanotechnology").

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You'll also get to visit a new social space in Felwinter Peak. This area is not only a safe haven, but also give us some lore due to its status as a mausoleum that houses of the old Iron Lords.

Rise of Iron will also include a new story campaign featuring CG cinematics, new story missions, and new quest-lines. Here's the basics as presented on Bungie.net.

The wall that stood for centuries along the Cosmodrome's southern border has collapsed. Fallen mutants now scavenge the tombs of the Golden Age, and the technology they have unearthed in the wastes is more dangerous than even they understand. Join Lord Saladin. Journey into the Plaguelands. Learn the fate of the Iron Lords and stop the growing threat before it is too late.

The gameplay will mostly stay the same, except that the artefacts will play a bigger role than before. Where they've previously been mostly for show, it's different this time around. Each will grant you different abilities that might change the gameplay in a major way. For example: if you use The Memory of Felwinter artefact you won't be able to use your super, but in exchange your stats will be boosted, while also letting you use an extra grenade and melee charge.

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As expected, there will be new gear and weapons as well. They won't be all new, though, as both Thorn and Gjallarhorn will make their return.

With Lord Saladin being a large part of the expansion it's no surprise that the PvP portion of the game will get quite a lot of new content as well. New maps, a new Kill Confirmed-like mode called Supremacy, at least one new Strike and more story missions, as well as the opportunity to create custom matches (this will be available to all, not just those that buy the expansion), these are just some of the goodies that Rise of Iron will let you play around with.

The new expansion will also see the level cap rise to 385, but don't worry, Bungie has confirmed that any gear added from The Taken King onwards will be available to infuse up to the new light cap. They have also stated that the light level will be raised to 400 when the hard Raid releases, a few weeks after Rise of Iron's initial release. The Raid itself is launching on September 23 (a couple of days after the launch of the rest of the content, to give players time to rank up no doubt).

Hidden in the Cosmodrome lies the true source of the SIVA outbreak, guarded by the most zealous and powerful Fallen Devil Splicers. Six Guardians will plumb the depths to stop the threat at its source. Should they emerge victorious, they will return to the surface wielding powerful new weapons and armor forged from SIVA itself.

PlayStation 4 players will once again get exclusive content. This time it's:

Quest line: Show of Strength
"While you serve the Vanguard in the Plaguelands, I wonder if you'd be so kind as to help me understand the more brutal aspects of the Devil Splicers' brand of worship." - Tyra Karn.
Reward for Quest: Ship - Timeless Tereshkova

PvP map: Icarus - Location: Languid Sea, Mercury
This Golden Age solar farm on Mercury has remained un-touched by the Vex for reasons unknown. The Vanguard has denied petitions from various weapon foundries to research it until the Warlock orders have finished their surveys first. An exemption has been granted to Lord Shaxx and his Crucible: the Guardians are free to utilize Icarus as a live-fire training zone. Icarus is a mid-sized PVP map compatible with any 6v6 game mode. The outer perimeter features a circular flow mixed with long sightlines and close-combat environments. The main chamber's closing doors provide a fast, but dangerous, path through the center of the map.

Destiny: Rise of Iron will cost £30 / €30, and be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 20. It will also be included in Destiny: The Collection which is due for release on the same date for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Collection will include all the expansions thus far and will cost £49.99.

Destiny: Rise of Iron will not be available on old-gen consoles (or as Bungie calls them: "legacy consoles"). Also this month comes a forking of character progression, meaning those on Xbox 360 or PS3 will no longer share the some progression if they play on an Xbox One or PS4 respectively. Destiny have a wealth of information on conversion deadlines and helping Destiny fans on legacy consoles should they wish to convert, however.

So that's the broad strokes. Destiny is due another shot in the arm in terms of content, and we're looking forward to revisiting its intoxicating blend of PvE and PvP. Bring on new story missions and new Crucible match-ups.

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Destiny: Rise of IronScore

Destiny: Rise of Iron

REVIEW. Written by Paul Davies

"It feels like the end of the road for Destiny before the true sequel. Having said that, it remains a road well worth travelling."

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Destiny: The Taken KingScore

Destiny: The Taken King

REVIEW. Written by Mike Holmes

"It builds on the base game and improves it in almost every way, and while it might be pricey, it's an essential expansion for fans."



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