‘Destiny 2’ Showcases New Worlds, Bigger Story with Massive Reveal Event

Stars and fans flocked to the Jet Center in Los Angeles for the unveiling of gameplay footage from Bungie’s much-anticipated AAA title Destiny 2, the studio’s follow-up to the 2014 first-person shooter.

Inside the massive airplane hangar, fans thronged to catch footage of the upcoming game amidst towering banners featuring the game’s playable heroes. 

Game director Luke Smith introduced the never-before-seen gameplay, promising fans a new storyline that strips the familiar “Guardians” of their powers and throws them right in the middle of a conflict with the malevolent warlord Dominus Ghaul. In addition to showcasing the first few minutes from the game’s opening, which was made available for guests to play through firsthand, Smith and his team also hinted at new gameplay features while also assuring fans that many of their favorite aspects, such as the three main classes (Titan, Warlock and Hunter) from the original game would still be a part of Destiny 2.

“I was a fan of the original, but I’m even more of a fan now,” Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin told Heat Vision after he had a chance to pick up the controls of the new installment. “There’s so much more to the game. What’s changed? Everything. There’s so much more, the worlds are different and bigger, there’s more of a story to each character. It’s pretty awesome.”

It wasn’t just stars of hit Netflix shows that got to place their hands on the new game, however. After the initial reveal, a second area was opened up to attendees featuring hundreds of gaming stations showcasing the opening sequence from the game’s campaign mode as well as online PvP gameplay, as well as life-sized costumes of the Guardians, replica guns from the game and an enormous overhanging replica of the Traveler sphere from the game.

Here’s some of what Heat Vision saw at the massive event:

Pew pew #Destiny2reveal pic.twitter.com/s2475juu3l

— Patrick Shanley (@pshanley88) May 18, 2017

“Meet me under the Titan orbit!” #Destiny2reveal pic.twitter.com/jLES8jM92l

— Patrick Shanley (@pshanley88) May 18, 2017

“If I wasn’t filming, I would be a huge gamer,” McLaughlin said, before quickly adding, “But I still consider myself a big gamer.”

Ana de Armas, who stars in the upcoming sci-fi thriller Blade Runner 2049 doesn’t quite share McLaughlin’s video game expertise, but was no less excited by her time trying out the game. “It was hard to aim because I was looking at the whole universe they created. It’s really impressive,” Armas told Heat Vision. “I’m Cuban, and growing up we didn’t have too many video games. I think Super Mario and Tetris were my games. Everything has changed and grown so much since!”

Destiny 2 boasts four new worlds for players to explore: Earth, Titan, Io and Nessus. Each new environment features its own unique topography and lore that are tied into the greater story, and moving from one planet to the next is easier than ever before, with no need to go to “orbit” as was required for intergalactic travel in the first installment.

Another new feature in the game is what Bungie is calling “guided games.” The new feature allows solo players to find a group with which they can play, and vice versa. “You can open up your party to new players who are looking to play with you,” explained Destiny 2‘s social lead M.E. Chung.

For McLaughlin, the event was not just revelatory for the new gameplay, but also introduced revealed to him his Stranger Things‘ costars fandom of the series. “I didn’t even know they had [Destiny] until I told them I was coming out to this event,” McLaughlin said. “They were like, ‘Oh, we play it, too!’ “

Destiny 2 will hit shelves nationwide on September 8.

Watch the reveal trailer below.