Destiny: Rising is a free-to-play, massively multiplayer online video game developed and published by NetEase, with licensing from Bungie. A mobile game in the Destiny series, it was released worldwide on August 28, 2025, for Android and iOS devices. The game is set in an alternate timeline which begins prior to the events of the original Destiny. Players choose from a selection of characters with distinct abilities, aiming to restore human civilization as it emerges from a second dark age.
| Destiny: Rising | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | NetEase |
| Publisher(s) | NetEase |
| Series | Destiny |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | August 28, 2025 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter, Third-person shooter, Looter shooter, MMOG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Gameplay
editDestiny: Rising is a mobile game that places players in a "shared world", with single-player, co-operative, and competitive multiplayer modes available.[1] It uses similar looter shooter mechanics to other games in the Destiny series.[2][3] Unlike its first-person shooter predecessors, Rising can also be played from a third-person perspective.[4] The game supports both touchscreen and game controllers.[5]
Rather than controlling a character of a specific class, as in mainline Destiny games, players choose from a "roster of characters", known as "Lightbearers", with unique abilities and individual stories,[5] with 12 playable characters available at launch.[6] Although characters vary in the weapon types which can be used in their two weapon slots ("Primary" and "Power"), players have a shared inventory, allowing weapons to be shared between all characters available to them.[7] Additionally, characters posses "Relics", which determine their abilities.[8]
The game features some gameplay elements not present within the concurrent main title Destiny 2, such as racing for in-game "Sparrow" vehicles (a feature available in the original Destiny),[9] a player housing system,[10] and the ability to dual-wield weapons.[11] It also features mini-games, including fishing and a collectible card game called "Shadowshaper Duels".[9][12]
Premise
editBungie described Destiny: Rising as a "brand-new adventure set in an alternate Destiny timeline".[1] It takes place "many years before" the original Destiny,[8] before the existence of the Tower and Guardians;[13] however, due to its separate timeline, it does not affect the story of the main games.[14] Humanity is recovering from a second dark age, following "The Collapse" caused by alien invaders.[1][8]
During the game's announcement, Bungie described the game's setting as follows:
"With the help of legendary Iron Lords, humanity has broken free the shackles of tyranny and began to rally together against the alien forces intent on its extinction. Amidst the chaos of this early age for The City, a new generation of Lightbearers, resurrected by mysterious entities known as Ghosts, set out to restore humanity's prominence and secure its future."[1]
The primary protagonist is a character called Wolf, whose appearance players can customize.[15] Some characters, such as Ikora Rey and Iron Lord Jolder, have featured in prior games, whereas others are new to the franchise.[8] The city of Haven serves as a central refuge for both Lightbearers and mortal survivors of Earth's collapse.[16] From this sanctuary, players explore locations across Earth, such as the "icy, ancient" Jiangshi metro and the "arid" Red Sea Rift, seeking "seeds of hope" for human civilization.[16] Three of the alien races from the main games also appear as adversaries in Rising: the Vex, the Hive, and the Fallen.[13]
Development
editIn June 2018, it was announced that Bungie, the developers responsible for Destiny and Destiny 2, had received over US$100,000,000 as part of an investment from the Chinese company NetEase, granting them "a minority stake in Bungie and a seat on its board of directors".[17] Bungie chief executive officer Pete Parsons stated that the partnership was intended to help them "be a global game and entertainment company ... to build games that are inspiring people from around the world".[18] Before that point, Bungie games had never been released in mainland China, and NetEase were responsible for operating mainland China versions of Blizzard games (such as World of Warcraft and Overwatch);[17] however, Parsons stated that there was "no explicit deal [to publish our games in China]".[18]
Initial speculation on the collaboration between these two companies was that they would be working on a new AAA title (potentially named "Matter")[19] and not any Destiny games;[20] however, in September 2021, rumors began to surface (based on job postings on the company's official website) that Bungie was working on a mobile game set within the Destiny universe,[21] and in July 2022, a source with "knowledge of NetEase's development plans" informed The Game Post that they were working on a new Destiny game not related to Bungie's concurrent title Destiny 2.[22] It was stated that development efforts on the game had been underway for "well over two years".[23] In September 2024, it was reported that, despite staffing cuts at Bungie at the time, the game was still in development and would be called Destiny Rising.[24]
In October 2024, Bungie announced Destiny: Rising (previously codenamed "Viper")[16] as a free-to-play entry in the series for iOS and Android mobile devices,[1] developed and published by NetEase, and officially licensed by Bungie.[15] It was confirmed that NetEase had been "granted creative freedom" to develop its own concept and story for the game,[13] increasing speculation that Bungie had "backed off" the project in prior years.[2] Although Rising was described as "quite early in our development phase"[2] and a release date was not stated, registrations began immediately for a closed alpha test (featuring a "good part of the main campaign"),[16] scheduled to begin on November 1 for the United States and Canada.[25][26]
Following its initial announcement, further pre-release updates for the game came in May 2025, at NetEase's 520 Conference (livestreamed on platforms such as Bilibili), which revealed fully-voiced lines of character dialog and weapon dual-wielding.[27] This was followed by an announcement of the game's first closed beta test.[27]
Release
editIn July 2025, NetEase announced Rising's release date as August 28, 2025, for both iOS and Android,[3] alongside a new gameplay trailer,[28] the start of a pre-registration event, and pre-loads on Google Play and the Apple App Store.[29] Later that same month, it was confirmed that the game had surpassed five million pre-registrations and that players would receive bonus in-game items to commemorate the milestone.[30] By August 2025, this figure had grown to 10 million.[11]
Alongside the game's release, NetEase released details of the enhancements made following the beta testing period, and a roadmap showing the timing of its first and second "seasons" (September and November 2025, respectively).[31]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Wales, Matt (2024-10-14). "Bungie and NetEase unveil free-to-play mobile shooter Destiny: Rising with closed alpha coming soon". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b c Walker, John (2024-10-14). "Destiny: Rising Announced For Mobile, From Developers Of Diablo Immortal". Kotaku. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b Wales, Matt (2025-07-04). "Destiny's alternate-timeline mobile game is launching this August". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Neely, Amber (2025-08-29). "'Destiny: Rising' brings mobile sci-fi shooting to iOS". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
- ^ a b McWhertor, Michael (2024-10-14). "A new Destiny game set in an alternate timeline is coming to mobile". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Billcliffe, James (2025-08-28). "Destiny: Rising Character Tier List". VG247. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Pitts, Lan (2025-07-07). "Take Destiny To Go In August With New Mobile Game Destiny: Rising". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b c d Dastoor, Vaspaan (2024-10-15). "Destiny Mobile Game Announced In Partnertship With NetEase". TheGamer. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b Tassi, Paul (2025-08-09). "'Destiny' Is Getting Sparrow Racing Again For The First Time In Eight Years, On Your Phone". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
- ^ Tassi, Paul (2025-08-26). "'Destiny Rising' May Be About To Cannibalize 'Destiny 2'". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b Ali, Zuhaad (2025-08-11). "Destiny Rising Hits 10 Million Pre-Registration Milestone Ahead of August 28 Release, Unlocking Exclusive Rewards". The Game Post. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ LoChiatto, Jonathan (2024-11-28). "Destiny: Rising is shaping up better than I expected". Destructoid. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
- ^ a b c Warren, Tom (2024-10-14). "Destiny: Rising is a new mobile RPG shooter set in Bungie's Destiny universe". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Daniels, Joelle (2025-07-04). "Destiny: Rising is Coming to Android, iOS on August 28, Pre-Registrations Are Now Live". GamingBolt. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b Savage, Phil (2024-10-14). "A Destiny 2 mobile game has been announced, but it sounds like Bungie's involvement is minimal". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b c d Ali, Zuhaad (2024-10-14). "Destiny: Rising Mobile Game Officially Announced". The Game Post. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b Yin-Poole, Wesley (2018-06-02). "Bungie moves to reassure Destiny fans after securing $100m for new game". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b Sinclair, Brendan (2018-06-01). "Bungie gets more than $100 million investment from NetEase". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Phillips, Tom (2022-07-05). "Bungie and Netease reportedly developing Destiny mobile game". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (2018-06-04). "Bungie Gets $100 Million To Make Non-Destiny Games". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Ali, Zuhaad (2021-09-17). "Bungie Might Be Working On A Destiny Mobile Game, Job Listing Suggests". The Game Post. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Ali, Zuhaad (2022-07-01). "Bungie And NetEase Are Working On A New FPS Mobile Game". The Game Post. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Ivan, Tom (2022-07-04). "Bungie is reportedly making a Destiny game for mobile with China's NetEase". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Yang, George (2024-09-04). "A Destiny Mobile Game Is In The Works At NetEase - Report". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Ivan, Tom (2024-10-14). "Mobile game Destiny: Rising announced by NetEase and Bungie". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (2024-10-14). "Destiny Rising RPG Announced, Takes Place In An Alternate Timeline In The Destiny Universe". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b Jawad, Abdullah (2025-05-20). "Destiny Rising Officially Showcases Dual Wielding Weapons In A New Updated Trailer". The Game Post. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Jawad, Abdullah (2025-07-03). "Destiny Rising Release Date Confirmed, New Trailer and Global Pre-Registration Now Live". The Game Post. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Weatherbed, Jess (2025-07-07). "Destiny's mobile spinoff will arrive in August". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Jawad, Abdullah (2025-07-04). "Destiny Rising Hits 5 Million Pre-Registrations Ahead of August Launch". The Game Post. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Ali, Zuhaad (2025-08-26). "Destiny: Rising Launch Dev Update Reveals New Details About Seasonal Updates, Free Draws, and System Changes". The Game Post. Retrieved 2025-08-29.