Destiny 2's Season 18 Raid Release Date Could Set a New Precedent

gamerant.com:

Destiny 2's Season of the Haunted is almost over, with a little over three weeks until the launch of Season 18 and the showcase Bungie planned for August 23. In yesterday's TWAB, Bungie discussed several changes coming to Destiny 2, such as the skill-based matchmaking returning to the crucible, as well as the release date of the upcoming Season 18 Raid. Bungie did plan for Year 5 to have two new Raids and two Dungeons, with Season of the Risen including Vow of the Disciple and Season of the Haunted launching Duality. Season 18 will reprise an old Raid from Destiny, whereas Season 19 will have a brand-new Dungeon.

As per the TWAB, Season 18's legacy reprised Raid will launch on August 26 — a Friday. Although Destiny 2 is not new to Raids launching on Fridays, the community has been vocal over the years about Saturdays being the best bet for all Raid launches due to it being usually a day off for most workers and those who go to school, allowing everyone to participate in the launch experience. As such, this change of date may set a new precedent for Bungie — one that has both pros and cons.

Destiny 2 Has a Gamebreaking Space Problem That Lightfall Should Fix

For a while now, Destiny 2 Raids were being released on Saturdays, which made sense from a community engagement perspective due to overall higher concurrent player numbers across all platforms. This time, the Season 18 Raid is coming on Friday, which does have huge implications in terms of how many people will be able to engage with the Contest Mode and Challenge Mode for the World's First race, a popular event that registers huge viewership numbers on streaming platforms. For this reprised Raid, Bungie will keep the Contest Mode open for 24 hours, allowing every team