Destiny: The Collection launching September 20th

PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Destiny players are painfully aware that Rise of Iron is not coming to their platforms. In fact, Iron Banner will no longer be playable on those platforms after August 31st. I asked the developers why this expansion was skipping over those who have yet to upgrade to this generation. The biggest reason comes down to supporting the legacy systems and the memory limitations that come along with them. By foregoing those systems, Destiny can move forward with bigger social spaces and higher fidelity graphics. According to them, only about 10% of Destiny?s current active users are gaming on PS3 and 360.

To help ease the burden of Destiny players wanting to move from PS3 to PS4 or from Xbox 360 to Xbox One, Bungie will be offering an upgrade path. Players will be able to pay $40 to upgrade to the same family of systems and will get all of the content from Rise of Iron and prior. This will be done digitally and you should expect to see this option on the digital storefront soon.

For those of you who already own a PS4 or an Xbox One, Rise of Iron will cost $29.99 for a digital expansion upgrade. If you don?t yet own Destiny, your best bet will be Destiny: The Collection, the retail version launching on September 20th for $59.99. It will include the standard Destiny on disc and two codes: one for The Taken King and another for Rise of Iron. It will contain all of the expansions that have been released to date.

Destiny: The Collection trailer:

Destiny: The Collection packshots:

Press release below.

Bungie and Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc., announced today one of the largest content offerings in gaming to launch this year ? Destiny ? The Collection.  Containing every release from the award-winning action shooter franchise to date, including the new large expansion, Destiny: Rise of Iron, Destiny ? The Collection is the perfect opportunity for new Guardians to join the fight for humanity?s survival.  For legacy gen players, Destiny ? The Collection marks the opportunity to transition to playing Destiny on a current gen system through the upgrade program which begins today and runs until January 31, 2017. Destiny ? The Collection will launch alongside Rise of Iron on September 20, 2016 and will be available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (PlayStation Plus, Xbox Live Gold, required for some features).  Gamers who pre-purchase Destiny ? The Collection digitally will be able to experience Destiny, The Dark Below, House of Wolves and The Taken King immediately, while awaiting the release of Rise of Iron.

?Destiny ? The Collection is the perfect starting point for gamers who have yet to experience Destiny,? said Byron Beede, Sr. Vice President of Destiny at Activision. ?Destiny ? The Collection contains some of the most engaging content Bungie has ever created and the soon-to-be released Rise of Iron. It also includes a character boost that will allow new players to instantly join in with friends who are already enjoying Destiny.?

Players who pre-order Destiny ? The Collection or Rise of Iron will receive the black and silver Iron Gjallarhorn*, a fan favorite weapon making its return to power. Those that pre-order digitally or at select retailers will also receive the Iron Gjallarwing Sparrow*.

Destiny brings you into a bold world of action and adventure where you are a Guardian of the last safe city on Earth wielding incredible powers. Explore the ancient ruins of our solar system as you immerse yourself in a cinematic single-player campaign. Join up with friends in three or six player co-op activities. Spar with your fellow players in a variety of competitive multiplayer modes. Upgrade your character to create a powerful hero as unique as yourself. Become Legend.

Destiny ? The Collection is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.  Destiny ? The Collection will be available at a suggested retail price of $59.99.  At launch, PlayStation gamers will also get access exclusive content for Rise of Iron, timed exclusive until at least Fall 2017.  For more information on the Legacy gen upgrade path please visit:http://www.destinythegame.com/upgrade

For game information, visit  www.DestinyTheGame.com and follow the official Destiny social channels at www.facebook.com/DestinyTheGame and @DestinyTheGame on Twitter and Instagram. The community can interact directly with the developers at www.Bungie.net, www.facebook.com/Bungie, @Bungie on Twitter, andwww.Twitch.tv/Bungie on Twitch.