Ghostly Rumours: Destiny 2 On PC?

GOSSIP. TITTLE-TATTLE. RUMOUR. The basest of base discussion, as your mum told the postman in the sauna the other day. At least, that's what I hear. I also hear that maybe, just maybe, console online FPS-come-hamster-wheel Destiny [official site] might be incorporating PC into its sequel plans.

The rumour comes via Kotaku and NeoGAF, the former alleging that they'd previously heard similar to what was expressed on the latter. Specifically, that Bungie's Destiny 2 will come to PC as well as console. The GAF poster's alleged source is a friend from Activision who saw an internal report claiming the sequel would hit PC. From a business point of view, this seems sensible. It's a huge audience cut off for no good reason (development resources not withstanding), and Activision's sister company Blizzard have had huge success by putting out Overwatch on everything they can.

Also alleged is that Destiny 2 will be a major rethink of the first game, as opposed to the The Same But Bigger approach taken by add-on The Taken King. Reportedly the project was "rebooted earlier this year." Given how much flak vanilla Destiny caught for its storytelling and world-building (albeit improved somewhat in The Taken King), tweaks to that side of things seems likely whatever platforms the thing comes out on.

For me, getting on board another Sparrow will require something more meaningful than an endless loot hunt. Destiny's shooting is good, but the MMO rinse'n'repeat formula rarely gets its hooks into anymore. And by 'meaningful', I don't mean 'heavy with consequences and gravitas', but rather something I can have a satisfying experience in for a few hours here and there, as opposed to needing to make the loot hunt a daily way of life.

Kotaku offer this: "The plan, from what I’ve heard, is for Destiny 2's planet areas to feel more populated with towns, outposts, and quests that are more interesting than the patrol missions you can get in Destiny." Appealing in concept: Destiny as-is is very evidently just wide-open spaces that any number of players can be thrown into, rather than a universe that feels at all lived-in, while quests are obtained in a mechanical rather than organic fashion. The idea of a place that I can wobble my own way through, picking up goals and challenges here and there, sounds far more appealing. In theory.

Anyway: also alleged is that Destiny's existent cast won't carry over to the new game, and that olden Activision in-house studio Vicarious Visions are helping out on Destiny 2. Kotaku also speculate that old Destiny characters can't be carried across, though it seems unlikely that long-term players would be treated entirely coldly.

But: rumour. Could be nothing. If there's one thing the internet at large likes more than relentlessly playing Destiny, it's relentlessly speculating about Destiny.

Do you want this to happen? It's strange, isn't it, to think that a year from now, RPS might be as plastered in Destiny posts as most other places. I've quite liked being an oasis.

Destiny 2 is, in theory, due for release late in 2017.