Next Destiny expansion, 'Rise of Iron,' dated for September 20th

As we approach E3, more studios and publishers are rolling out announcements for new major games and DLC. One such is Bungie’s massively multiplayer sci-fantasy shoot-n’-loot, Destiny, which just just wrapped up a livestream detailing its next major story expansion.

Called “Rise of Iron” — which makes no sense to me, wouldn’t that be a pretty weak metal in intergalactic space marine terms? anyway — this new expansion tackles another big chunk of Destiny’s lore involving the Iron Lords and a visit to Felwinter Peak. There’s a pretty involved story quest concerning Lord Saladin and a new faction called the Splicers (no, not those Splicers), but rather than attempt to condense it for you, I’ll just lay out the official version below. A new Light level cap, six-player Raid, and three-player Strike challenges are also included in the DLC, though Bungie says it will be detailing those closer to release date.

The wall which stood for centuries along the southern border of Old Russia has collapsed, a battle-scorched reminder that our enemies still seek to destroy us all. Fallen mutants now scavenge the tombs of the Golden Age, and the plague 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.

“Rise of Iron” runs a hefty $30, which should tell you how big the expansion is meant to be. Preorders grant you a special black reskin of the Iron Ghallarhorn weapon, if that’s your thing. It’s also probably worth mentioning that you’ll need to have Destiny‘s last big expansion, “The Taken King,” purchased and installed in order for “Rise of Iron” to function — so if you haven’t bought that, please bear that expense in mind when you consider picking this up. Oh, and this expansion is exclusive to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, not the previous generations of either of those consoles.

Above: the “Rise of Iron” trailer for your viewing pleasure. Below: some new screens, pulled from the trailer and official website.