The next Destiny game will be a free-to-play mobile shooter with its first closed alpha test on November 1

Developer NetEase games has unveiled Destiny: Rising, an upcoming free-to-play sci-fi shooter set in the world of the popular Destiny franchise. The game, which is coming to mobile devices, will have its first closed alpha test in November.

Destiny: Rising sounds like quite an interesting direction for the series. It’s set in an alternate version of the Destiny universe, at the end of the previously unexplored Dark Age. Humanity is just emerging from a period of collapse, brought on by an alien invasion that almost drove the species to extinction.

The game follows a new generation of Lightbearers, the heroes of Destiny and Destiny 2, who are accompanied by robotic Ghosts. It will feature both traditional first-person and new third-person play, plus controller support on top of the usual touchscreen controls.

You will be able to play as a range of unique characters, each with their own unique abilities, personalities, and backstories. Some will be recognizable to long-time Destiny fans, while others are completely new arrivals.

In addition to single player gameplay, a range of competitive and cooperative game modes will also be available. This includes some taken from existing Destiny games and others that the studio states are designed to “introduce new ways to play Destiny”.

Destiny: Rising is officially licensed by Bungie. According to Ethan Wang, senior vice prresident at NetEase, the company “is honored to partner with Bungie to deliver a Destiny-caliber experience to mobile devices.”

“Destiny is an incredible franchise with a passionate and dedicated global fanbase,” he continued. “As huge fans ourselves, we are humbled and thrilled for the opportunity to bring gamers an action-packed RPG shooter set within the Destiny Universe.”

Terry Redfield, creative lead at Bungie added that “for over a decade, we have built this universe to contain many unique and wonderful stories, and we are excited to see mobile gamers be able to experience this new take on the Destiny universe from the creative team at NetEase.”

The closed alpha test for Destiny: Rising will begin on November 1. If you want a shot at playing early, you can register for it now via the game’s official website.