This year has been a major turning point for Destiny 2. After experiments with a season-focused approach to live-game content and storytelling in the wake of 2018 and 2019's major expansions, the model has developed into a highlight of the game in the months following Beyond Light in 2020. New activities have popped up every few months, and more than in the past, they're adding to an unfolding narrative that builds off past seasons to make Destiny 2 feel more like a living world than it ever has before.

For developer Bungie, however, there's more to hone about its current seasonal approach. As Destiny 2 creative director Joe Blackburn explained, the studio is happy with where it has landed in terms of narrative development and activity content, but there are still places in which the seasonal approach takes a back seat to other big releases. Season 16, the next on Destiny 2's docket, will release on the same day as the upcoming Witch Queen expansion in February. As Blackburn sees it, that season will be another big step in the evolution of Destiny 2's live content.

"I think Season 16 is going to be the next big boiling point for us," Blackburn said in an interview with GameSpot. "We've really had trouble with some of these seasons that come out right alongside the expansion. And so we've put a lot of thought and effort into how we want to do that better this time around. I mean, you, as a hardcore Destiny player, know that it can feel tough for the season to matter when it comes out a week [after the release of an expansion], and you've already got raid weapons, and you're like, 'I don't know if I need this--does this stuff really matter?' So we're really excited to get Season 16 out day and date with Witch Queen this time and to have a lot of stuff for players to do and engage with, and really see the value immediately, not only to give you stuff to do while you're leveling up, but to give you stuff while you're prepping for some of those endgame activities."