Destiny 2 Episode Echoes Act 1 launches today, here's all we know

Have you caught your breath after The Final Shape yet? Destiny's big annual expansion arrived a week ago, but we're already gearing up for the first of its episodic follow-ups.

Players can expect three of these Episodes per year, with each telling its own story in three acts. The first one, Echoes, arrives later today (June 11 at weekly reset), and Bungie has given us a little of what to expect.

Later this year, you can expect updates on Revenant and Heresy, too, the next two updates of Destiny 2 Year 7.

What is Destiny 2 Episode Echoes?

A Bungie blog post explains "In addition to the name of the Episode, Echoes are mysterious objects of immense power born out of the epic clash between Light and Darkness within the Traveler."

"In Echoes, the Vanguard knows little about these artifacts, but mobilize after detecting the Vex stirring on Nessus."

"With resident Vexperts Saint-14 and Osiris at your side, and backed by the incomparable Failsafe, you’ll find yourself exploring the planet to dig up all the data you can on a new threat that wields an unnerving power unlike any we've encountered before."

From the trailer, it appears we'll be tackling a new shadowy figure that's leading the Vex. That's significant because, outside of some in-game bosses, the Vex have never really had a true "villain". The Fallen have Eramis, the Hive have Savathun, the Cabal had Calus, but we're still learning a lot about the Vex.

New gear

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Look, I'll be honest - I don't love the armour set here. It's not that it's bad (I actually think the Vex styling looks really cool) but I'm not loving the red and blue - thankfully, pretty much everything I run these days has the Superblack shader anyway.

In terms of weapons, there are some bangers coming back from Season of Dawn, all with slick new gunmetal looks.

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Bungie has promised a new Origin trait and perks, while the Breachlight is now a Strand weapon. Speaking of weapons, be sure to grab Red Death Reformed from the Season Pass - Bungie is adding additional season ranks with each Act, and eventually, we'll have access to its Catalyst.

New Breach Executable activity

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Alongside new loot (it wouldn't be Destiny without it), Episodes will add new activities. This time around it's called Breach Executable.

"You’ll test your mettle engaging in an active combat zone on the transforming surface of Nessus while attempting to track down ancient Vex technology," Bungie says.

"Failsafe will run intel, pointing you towards hotspots of strange planetary activity while you fend off enemies bent on taking these technologies for themselves."

Breach Executable will grow over the course of Act 1, Bungie promises, with new encounters and higher difficulty tiers.

What's next?

Each of the Episode's Acts will run for about six weeks, meaning players can expect Act 2 on July 16 and Act 3 on August 27.

After that, the focus will seemingly shift to Episode: Revenant, which will focus on the Fallen. This will lead into Codename: Frontiers, but that's still a mystery.

For more on Destiny 2 this year, be sure to check out our guide to Ergo Sum, the new exotic sword, and our review of the Final Shape expansion.