UPDATE: PlayStation owners will get access to an extra co-operative strike mission in the Dark Below expansion. Bungie’s Eric Osbourne confirmed the DLC’s platform-exclusive content on the PlayStation Blog:
“…PlayStation players will get access to an exclusive, cooperative Strike that takes place in the Black Garden, “The Undying Mind,” and more.”
Original story as follows.
Bungie has shed light on Destiny‘s Dark Below expansion, announcing what’s included in the pack and that it’ll launch on Dec. 9 across all platforms.
The Dark Below looks like it’ll add a hefty amount of new content for jaded out-of-work Guardians to sink their teeth into. The $19.99 add-on brings new content across the board from a new strike, raid, gearsets, story missions and more.
The new Strike takes a fireteam of three players back to the Cosmodrome to take out one of Crota’s chief lieutenants, Omnigul.
This deadly wizardly witch can be found deep in the catacombs of Earth’s Jovian Complex, where she prepares the Hive army for the return of Crota, and the onslaught of mankind.
The level cap will be raised from 30 to 32, with a slew of new armor, weapons and exotics to collect and dispatch fearsome Hive foes. This is most likely only a sampling of the new items included in the expansion, and we should expect some Raid-specific gear too.
Crota’s End will be a traditional six-man raid, and will require the prowess of battle-hardened warriors to conquer.
Speaking of the new Raid, it’s called Crota’s End and features the triumphant return of one of the Hive’s most diabolical megabosses. This demigod can be found in the Hellmouth deep within the bowels of the shattered Moon, where the shadows stir.
The gearsets earned from this Raid have recently been leaked, so check them out to see what goodies you might unlock during the mission.
Based on the picture above, Crota should have some nasty tricks in store for the brave Guardians who dare to face him. It looks like he’ll have a mass blind attack (as a Titan Defender who uses the Saint-14 to blind his foes, I know all too well what that little red smear above their heads means!).
Three new missions take players to the heart of the Hive’s darkness as they scramble to prevent the god Crota from being summoned.
The Dark Below packs in three new Hive-centric story missions as well.
To unlock these new missions you’ll need to find a brand new vendor named Eris within the Tower. Eris brings forth ill-tidings for the Last City of Earth, as the Hive are preparing to summon Crota, a Hive-god hellbent on destroying the world.
Based on the screenshots, the missions look pretty nefarious and will no-doubt shed more Light on the mysterious phantoms that dwell in the Moon’s core. The new story content will also unlock various item rewards and will most likely be expanded upon with Daily Heroic Story challenges.
PvP fans will get three new Crucible maps to test their mettle against other seasoned Guardians: Pantheon, Cauldron, and Skyshock.
Pantheon takes place on the Black Garden whereas the two others traverse new areas like a Darkness proving ground or an Earth complex for unique strategic opportunities.
Other changes include an upgrade to bounty lists to ten slots instead of five. This should aid in the progression to Light level 32 as well as allow players to digest the new content.
The Dark Below DLC can be purchased separately for $19.99 or in a two-pack with the House of Wolves DLC for $34.99. The second expansion, House of Wolves, is slated to release sometime in 2015.
