Destiny 2 is finally adding a feature so essential to MMOs that it's still baffling to think it didn't already have it: the option to redo your character's look anytime, anywhere.
Obviously, you can already make your Guardian look however you want, but only when you first create a new character. Throughout the entire Destiny franchise, there's never been a way to slightly adjust your character's appearance after the fact – until now.
In a blog post released today, Bungie announced that an update launching "before the release of The Final Shape" (now due in June after a sizable delay) will add a new option to modify the appearance of your existing characters. You won't be able to change your race – that is, your origin, like Exo or Awoken – but tweaking everything else will be free and unlimited, unlike the game's inexplicably convoluted and limited transmog system.
Whether you want to totally throw out your body type (gender) and face or just adjust your hair and markings, you'll be able to give your Guardian a full glow-up "without cost or limit to the number of changes." As someone who misguidedly made three ugly Exo dudes when Destiny 2 came out – what the hell was I thinking – I look forward to finally, maybe, possibly taking my helmet off and not immediately cringing my face inside out.
It's standard practice in MMOs like Final Fantasy 14 to let players adjust their character's basic features for free (or with so little in-game gold that it may as well be free) while simultaneously offering a paid, cash shop-exclusive way to totally redo your race. With no mention of an origin change here, I've asked Bungie if that sort of race swap is in the cards at all and whether it may cost money. That said, it's possible Bungie just doesn't want to do this, or simply can't for technical reasons. Depending on the studio's plans, I'm going to have to seriously confront the question of whether I would pay money to become an Awoken.
More good news for fashion lovers: Destiny 2 director casually announces a change for The Final Shape that players have wanted for 9 years: shader icons that actually make sense.