Destiny 2’s Lightfall reveal stream is happening a season earlier than expected

polygon.com:

Destiny2: Lightfall, the penultimate expansion in the Light and Darkness saga of Destiny, will be revealed on Aug. 23, Bungie announced Thursday. For many fans, this reveal date will come as a surprise, as it’s coming a full season earlier than it has the past two years.

In 2020, Bungie revealed the Beyond Light expansion on the same day it launched Season of Arrivals — the season that led directly into Beyond Light a few months later. Similarly, the studio revealed The Witch Queen in summer of 2022 alongside Season of the Lost. And while Season of the Lost did last an unprecedented six months, it was the only season between the reveal event and the new expansion.

This year’s showcase will likely reveal Destiny 2’s 18th season (Bungie typically doesn’t reveal its seasons in advance anymore, and season 18 will also launch on Aug. 23) in addition to Lightfall. This is unique, as we know there will be a season 19 coming later this year (likely toward the end of November, based on past season lengths) and that Lightfall won’t launch until season 20.

Witness what's next. August 23, 2022 pic.twitter.com/3oO2piSJHe

This timing mostly matters for narrative reasons. The marketing for the next big Destiny expansion typically spoils the penultimate season to some extent. In Season of the Lost, for example, there was no mystery around if Savathun would escape her cocoon and ascend to Witch Queen status. Instead, Season of the Lost was all about how Savathun would break her bonds. With Bungie starting the Lightfall marketing cycle a full season early (even though the real-world timeline is the same), it means that we’ll have two seasons worth of clear buildup to the new expansion.

This is all especially interesting when you