A lot of Destiny 2 is about second chances. New Lights essentially have another chance at life with a clean slate, and so long as a Guardian’s Ghost can revive them, they have another chance at redemption and fighting against the Darkness. However, the second chances in Destiny 2 aren’t limited to just its human characters. The Eliksni and Cabal have also been given second chances at redeeming themselves. Before Season of the Chosen and Season of the Splicer, not many would have foreseen shaky alliances between these two races and humanity. Year 5 of Destiny 2 changed this, and now there’s a strong front working to push back the Darkness.
This idea of second chances has started to grow even more with the launch of The Witch Queen expansion. Light-wielding Hive have become a prominent part of Destiny 2, and even though the Vanguard is still at odds with Savathun the Witch Queen, there’s no denying that their existence is important. The Traveler might not be infallible, but its motivations are still focused on its best interests and that of the Light. This puts a lot of importance on the Hive that have gained access to the Light and suggests that a change could be on the way for what has been largely considered the evilest of Destiny 2’s enemies.
Destiny 2: Transforming the Hive
This change could also mean a name change for the Hive themselves, or at least those that use the Light. Transforming them into the Lucent, a sect of the Hive that is devoted to the Light and the Traveler, could be the next move. Savathun’s Hive and the Lucent Brood are a remarkable exception in the Hive hierarchy, especially considering how devout the other Hive have been to the Sword Logic. Their affinity for the Light puts them at odds with this, and shedding the Hive name would be a strong step away from the past, which is something The Witch Queen campaign already seeks to do.
As the Lucent they could serve as some of the strongest defenders of the Traveler if they so choose, and use the power they’ve gained up until now for good. The Witch Queen has already revealed these Light-wielding Hive to the world, and while they’re still at odds with humanity, it feels fair to say they’re no longer interested in the destruction of the Traveler. The power the Traveler has given them is only likely to draw them closer to the Light and make Light-wielding Hive even more fanatical about the interstellar paracausal entity. At its core, The Witch Queen permanently changes Destiny 2, and the Hive are the primary engine for this.
Changing them with the game like this makes sense, as their time as the Hive is marred by their destructive actions across the universe. Even in Sol, the Hive have consistently brought pain and bloodshed to its inhabitants, and trying to redeem the species as a whole doesn’t seem like the best move. In truth, Savathun and her Hive shouldn’t be redeemed, but their transformation into the Lucent could offer up a different yet similar path. It might be seen as a kind of cop-out, but it doesn’t seem likely for the Hive to grow as characters the same way the Eliksni have. Their story has its own tragic pieces, but that doesn’t justify the incredible pain they’ve caused for all so far.
Acknowledging this and doing virtually nothing about it, instead adopting the name of Lucent, feels like it would track with the species that players know now. They would be able to split away from the remnants of other Hive that players in Destiny 2 are familiar with and be identifiable as individual enemies, or allies should a syzygy allow it. It doesn’t have to mean that Light-wielding Hive become good but instead establishes that the species has split with one sworn to the Light and another sworn to the Darkness, and whatever lies waiting in the pyramid for The Witch Queen's raid.
From Fallen to Ally in Destiny 2
This becomes more feasible when players recognize that Destiny 2 has done this in the past. The Eliksni have fractured following Eramis’ acceptance of the Darkness and the power of Stasis on Europa. While calling an Eliksni a Fallen can be derogatory to them, it’s clear that the species has suffered a severe split, with those that have accepted the Darkness being, at best, a cautionary tale of what can happen when one strays away from the Traveler and its Light. Mirroring this story with the Hive could be an effective juxtaposition that twists the narrative following the launch of The Witch Queen.
The Hive that still serve Xivu Arath, the God of War, likely look on Savathun and her brood in disgust. There have already been past followers of Savathun’s that have defected to Xivu Arath, and more are bound to join her in the future. This would put the Lucent in the minority of the Hive and further deepen the fracture they experience with those they once called kin.
This type of fracture would likely separate the two into very distinct and different groups, similar to how the Hive differ greatly from the proto species they were before contact with the Worm Gods. This would allow the Hive blessed with Light to transform once again, ascending from Hive to Lucent, or another denomination that denotes their transition into the Light. As Season 16 of Destiny 2 plays out this could very well happen with them transforming before players' eyes.
This step would not be taken lightly but given how much The Witch Queen expansion has changed for Destiny 2 it feels like the direction that the Light-wielding Hive are headed. With so many people and races allowed second chances, it makes sense that those within the Lucent Brood are allowed to molt their skin and become something new and separate from those that serve the Darkness. Many players would likely be apprehensive about trusting this new group, and the Vanguard would scoff at the idea of doing it at all, but with their newfound power in the Light, there could soon be many Hive changing into something new.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.