The Witch Queen was one of the highest-rated releases in Destiny 2's history, but its seasonal content will soon come to a close in February 2023 due to the upcoming launch of the Lightfall expansion. During the Destiny 2 showcase in August 2022, Bungie developers and narrative designers detailed how the story expansion will see bombastic elements in the battle between the Light and Darkness come to a head. Promising the return of The Witness, the story expansion has been marketed as the beginning of the end.

Lightfall is set to take players into uncharted territory with brand-new locations and styles that have not been seen, featuring a neon, cyberpunk city hidden on Neptune. Players are already witnessing the buildup for this location within the current season, Season of the Seraph, courtesy of the warlock Osiris, who saw the Neptunian city of Neomuna in Savathun's mind during her possession of his body. With the expansion set to release on February 28, 2023, what to expect has become the main point of conversation among players.

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What Lightfall's Strand Subclass Entails in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Guardian Using Strand

One of the main aspects that will feature heavily in Lightfall will be the introduction of a new Darkness subclass called Strand. Appearing as green energy, Strand is another manifestation of the Darkness in elemental form. Bungie developers have likened Strand to seeing the Matrix due to its manipulation of the fabric of reality. Following the example set in Stasis and with the Light subclass 3.0 updates, Destiny 2's Strand will use the Aspect and Fragment system to fine-tune players' play styles.

While Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks will all have their own primary attack and dedicated Super for Strand, one feature that will be universal across the board is the grappling hook. However, it's worth noting that the class-specific Aspects and some of the Fragments could change the grappling hook's behavior. Furthermore, Strand will occupy an optional grenade slot, with players able to use it for combat, escape, or to claim the high ground. Due to its use of the fabric of the universe, players can use Strand's grappling hook to anchor to any surface, including thin air.

How Lightfall Paves the Way For Calus' Return and the Shadow Legion

Destiny 2 Calus Leviathan Chalice Golden Cabal

Emperor Calus of the Cabal has been an enigmatic figure throughout Destiny 2. Usurped by Dominus Ghaul before the Red War, Calus was exiled to The Leviathan on a pre-programmed course into the cosmos. At the edge of galactic space, The Leviathan encountered the Darkness, utter nothingness in the void. Calus, who has enlisted the aid of Guardians before, claims to know universal truths that the Light has not shared, showing how The Witness and the Traveler are two sides of the same coin.

After attempting to merge his psyche with the Lunar Pyramid Ship during Season of the Haunted, Calus has disappeared back into space, becoming a Disciple of the Witness. In Lightfall, Calus is set to have launched his Shadow Legion - Cabal who serve the Darkness - to invade the Neptunian city of Neomuna. Guardians will have to race the former Cabal emperor to the edge of the Sol System to thwart his and The Witness' plans for a second Collapse, with Calus' allegiance to the Darkness making him much more dangerous.

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What Role The Witness Could Play in Destiny 2's Lightfall

Destiny 2 The Witness End Scene

The Witness, a seeming physical manifestation of the Darkness, decisively tricked Savathun, the Witch Queen, and her sisters into listening to their father's dead Worm familiar and becoming subjects of the Deep. Thus, the Hive was born to serve the Darkness and the Sword Logic - the idea that only the strong deserve to survive in the universe. According to Savathun's Worm, The Witness was responsible for humanity's Collapse, but the Witch Queen managed to trick it and drive it off for unknown reasons.

Lightfall promises players that The Witness is at the forefront of Calus's invasion of Neptune, preparing for a second Collapse to defeat the Traveler and the Light finally. The end of Destiny 2's The Witch Queen campaign saw The Witness speaking to the Traveler about how it brings death to civilizations. The Witness claims there is enough death and life, and no pieces are left to play as it plans to bring salvation to the Sol System.

These words are reminiscent of the Darkness speaking to the Guardian player at the end of the Shadowkeep story expansion. In the final cutscene, the player is confronted with a clone of themselves which states they are neither friend nor enemy, but salvation. While the true nature of The Witness has yet to be revealed, it's evident that as early as Shadowkeep, it's been planning these final steps.

Why Savathun Could Return in Lightfall's Campaign

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The Witch Queen story expansion focused heavily on Savathun and how she seemingly stole the Light. As players progressed through the campaign, memories of the Witch Queen were revealed to them and Savathun herself. This revelation sparks a massive twist, as Guardians learn that the Traveler brought Savathun back from death with the Light and a Ghost. Furthermore, it's revealed how eons ago, The Witness tricked the Witch Queen into serving, a belief she suspected but did not know for sure.

By the end of the campaign, Savathun is defeated, but her Ghost and Worm are both very much alive. While her Worm has been integrated into a Destiny 2 Exotic called Parasite, her Ghost is still at large. Guardians are left pondering why the Traveler would grant her the Light, her Ghost may resurrect her just as all Guardians' Ghosts have done for centuries. While this may seem anti-climatic after her defeat, there's evidence that she still has a role to play.

Savathun's cunning knows no bounds, and she claims that she stopped the destruction of humanity during the Collapse, though not out of altruism but to save the Traveler. A redemption arc for Destiny 2's Savathun may be established with the revelation that she was tricked into serving the Darkness and embracing the Sword Logic, which she's slowly turned away from. Regardless, information she has about the Traveler, the Witness, and the first Collapse could prove instrumental in the fight ahead, warranting her return during the Lightfall era.

Destiny 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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