Destiny Rising revealed as Bungie’s first mobile game spin-off

Ryan Lemay
Destiny Rising strike gameplay

NetEase announced Destiny Rising and revealed information about how players can pre-register for the close alpha.

On July 31, Bungie laid off 220 employees, about 17% of the studio’s workforce. Destiny 2 players criticized the “inexcusable” layoffs and called for the CEO to step down. As a result, the title is moving away from an annual release model because of declining expansion sales.

In addition, Destiny 2 will only receive smaller content packs moving forward instead of regular expansions. We argued that this was the worst decision, as the Final Shape and Lightfall expansions substantially increased the overall player count.

Doubts over Destiny 3 ever coming only elevated concerns about Destiny’s future. Amid a wave of uncertainty, fans have something to get excited about again, as NetEaase revealed the first trailer for Destiny Rising.

The Destiny Rising closed alpha starts on Nov. 1. Players can pre-register now on the game’s official website.

“For over a decade, we have built this universe to contain many unique and wonderful stories, and we are excited to see mobile gamers be able to experience this new take on the Destiny universe from the creative team at NetEase,” said Terry Redfield, Bungie creative lead.

Destiny Rising features a first-person or third-person view compatible with a touchscreen or controller. There is a mix of familiar faces and new characters. Available game modes include campaign missions, six-player cooperative strikes, along with PVE and PvP options.

For strikes, players can create clans or invite friends to casual party game modes for a more laid-back experience. The icy, ancient metro of Jiangshi and the Red Sea Rift provide two biomes for players to explore as they follow a new Destiny storyline.

At launch, there is a wide array of exotic weapons for players to test out and find the right one to match their play style.

In the meantime, players can check out Episode Revenant, which just started in Destiny 2.