At times, long-standing video games keep going strong years after release. Developers end up celebrating many anniversaries, which is both a nostalgic moment and a springboard for what's to come in the future. Such is the case for Bungie's Destiny 2, which was first released four years ago on September 6 for PS4 and Xbox, but that's not the only big anniversary for the game. As a matter of fact, Forsaken was the expansion that revitalized Destiny 2 after some players' initial complaints about its lack of content, as it added new enemies, two locations, and much more to the base game.
Bungie also celebrated 30 years since its founding this year, and Destiny 2's new Season of the Lost is the perfect way to celebrate all these anniversaries, especially because it features characters that players have come to know for a long time now. Destiny 2 has also come a very long way since its early days, and a lot has changed both in the way its story is told, changes in its expansions and Seasons, alongside several gameplay tweaks. Four years are nothing to scoff at, and Bungie's shooter became arguably more popular than before thanks to the incredible effort that the company has put into the game and what is coming next — namely, The Witch Queen.
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Why Forsaken's Legacy is Still Relevant in Destiny 2
Forsaken was a game-changer in more ways than one for Destiny 2. Players had to say their goodbyes to the beloved Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6, who died at the hands of the returning prince Uldren Sov, and his army of Scorn. The Scorn were a big revolution as well, because the last time the franchise saw the addition of an all-new enemy race was all the way back when Destiny's The Taken King released in 2015. In a game where players wanted more content, the Scorn gave them much more than that and they built a legacy that lasted for three years now, even improving thanks to Season of the Lost finally introducing Scorn Champions to Destiny 2.
While the Scorn are one of the major enemy races for Season of the Lost, the most disturbing element in terms of lore comes from them seemingly forming an alliance with the Taken and Hive under the command of Savathun's sister, Xivu Arath. However, Xivu Arath seems to have a new master as well, someone or something far more sinister than what transpires from the story thus far that links to lore introduced in the first installment of the saga. Destiny 2 is an ever-evolving game, and as such, it only makes sense for Forsaken to be so important to the story, even three years later.
With the Tangled Shore and the Dreaming City, Bungie built a new world for Destiny 2 that outlived some of the original locations of the game, as planets like Titan and Mars were eventually put in the Destiny Content Vault. The places where Forsaken took place are also the ones where the new Season is set, and especially so with the Dreaming City, where Queen Mara returned to reclaim her throne after the Darkness consumed other planets. This is also where she is reunited with her long-lost brother Uldren, who was killed by the Guardian and Petra Venj at the end of Forsaken, but he came back to life as the Lightbearer by the name of Crow.
All the pieces of the puzzle fall in place as Season of the Lost continues, and it remains the best way Bungie could have possibly celebrated the third anniversary of Forsaken, while also allowing the new Season to act as a bridge between the old and the new. In fact, Savathun is a major player in Season of the Lost, but she is also the titular character of The Witch Queen expansion set to release in February of next year.
How Season of the Lost Links the Past to the Future of Destiny 2
Because Season of the Lost acts as the link with The Witch Queen, it is also a good time to celebrate what Destiny 2 has become over the course of four years. Beyond Light introduced the Stasis subclasses, allowing Guardians to harness the powers of the Darkness and further expanding the storyline of the Light and Dark saga that's going to culminate in over two years, when The Final Shape is released. And yet, The Witch Queen brings Hive Guardians and Savathun's Throne World, weapon crafting, a new weapon archetype, and several changes to the Light subclasses, starting with Void subclasses.
Not much is known about how Savathun will be able to get the Light for herself and her Lucent Brood, but it's very likely that the root cause will be revealed towards the end of Season of the Lost, and in the prologue for The Witch Queen. In Season 15, Savathun wants the Guardian to look at her as a friendly entity, which goes against what has been built in the lore for many years now, starting in Destiny.
But still, one of the most important lessons that Destiny 2's Seasons were meant to pass along in the last year is that all foes can become allies in the end. Maybe, that's the idea Season of the Lost is going to reinforce, ultimately allowing the legacy of the past four years to live on as Destiny 2 enters its fifth year.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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