Destiny 2 Showcase: Start Time, How To Watch, What To Expect

Season 18 of Destiny 2 is almost here, and with just days to go, Bungie is keeping its cards tight before officially revealing what’s next for players in the Destiny 2 Showcase. While Season of the Haunted was a chilling exploration of an abandoned spaceship inhabited by emotion spirits and corrupt cabal troops for players to practice their new Solar 3.0 builds on, very little is known about what Season 18 will have in store.

What’s been revealed is a date and time for when players can get some answers, a few details on tech changes coming to Destiny 2, and some fine-tuning in the Exotics department as Bungie adds a bunch of new balancing adjustments to the game . Here’s what to expect from Bungie during its next Destiny 2 showcase.

Start time for the Destiny 2 Showcase

You don’t have to worry about missing the Gamescom Opening Night Live as Bungie has scheduled the Destiny 2 Showcase 23.8 to start a few hours before Geoff Keighley starts dropping world premieres.

• 9 a.m. PT
• 12 p.m. ET
• 5 p.m. CET
• 6pm CET

How to watch the Destiny 2 Showcase

You can catch live streams from Bungie’s usual social channels on Twitch, Bilibili, and YouTube.

What to expect from the Destiny 2 Showcase

Bungie’s Destiny 2 Showcases are usually the biggest and most informative events on its calendar, as the company usually offers an in-depth look at the game’s near- and long-term future through a series of trailers and video documentaries. The next expansion, Lightfall, will likely be in the spotlight and there’s a good chance that gossip about technical aspects of the game could also be presented.

Bungie’s own synopsis for what’s next sounds particularly menacing, too. “It is there. As we prepare for destiny to unfold, the people of the Last City look to the stars — to us — for hope,” reads the season 18 description have feels different this time. But if there is to be no escape, our story will be one of courage, one of legends.”

This could include anything from content being vaulted, a look at how the Arc 3.0 subclass works, or even a sneak peek at the rumored fifth subclass. The next classic raid Bungie has been teasing for the showcase lately is also something fans have been looking forward to, as this high-end PvE activity puts a new twist on an old favorite. Season 18 also begins just before Destiny 2 celebrates its fifth birthday, and if Bungie wants to celebrate, the showcase is a great platform to throw a party.

For PvP fans, there’s a new Iron Banner mode to look forward to in Season 18, although you only have two ways to participate as the event takes a less-is-more approach to its performances. Eruption looks like a unique and fun addition to Crucible, and in case you missed it, the core idea is that it acts as a clash with energy boosts based on kill streaks.

With Season 18 being a closely guarded secret, there is speculation that something big will happen before Lightfall in the next few months. The last time Bungie stayed this closed was just before Season of the Lost, a six-month streak of activity that had major revelations and game implications, leading directly into The Witch Queen expansion. A popular theory is that an iconic Destiny 2 character could be killed off in Season 18, and if it’s who we think it is, the conclusion of that particular plot angle could be a harder hit than Cayde-6’s death in Forsaken or the Separation from the Light in the opening act of Destiny 2’s Red War campaign.

Only Bungie has answers to what Season 18 has in store, but it will be sharing them with its community next week.