After months of rumors and leaks about what Destiny 2's The Witch Queen expansion would look like, yesterday was Bungie's big day, and everything was revealed during an intense showcase. Between Hive Guardians and weapon crafting coming to Destiny 2, the event was the biggest Bungie ever held for the game, and the new expansion looks like it is going to be even larger than Forsaken. Fans could also finally see Savathun in her true form for the first time, while also taking a peek at her Throne World, which is going to be the next major location to visit once The Witch Queen goes live on February 22 of next year.
The reveal then moved to Destiny 2's Season of the Lost and its content, showing what the seasonal activities are and what to expect from the narrative arc for major characters, such as Osiris, Savathun, and Queen Mara. What is really interesting about Season of the Lost, however, is that the relationship between Mara Sov and Savathun is highlighted in a way that is very much in line with Destiny 2's storytelling so far. As a matter of fact, Mara Sov is the Queen of the Reef and the Awoken, whereas Savathun is the Witch Queen. Thus, the line between light and dark is very thin, and the "tale of two queens" begins.
Destiny 2's Tale of Two Queens and What it Means For the Game
The tale of two queens is what Bungie itself called Season of the Lost, which features both Savathun and Mara as the main characters players can interact with during weekly missions. In terms of lore, Mara Sov is an incredibly potent character who manifested out of her own will the entire Dreaming City, and she also created her own set of rules—called "Logic" in Destiny 2—to gain power. Queen Mara also has a Throne World of her own, which means she cannot really die unless she is slain in there, not unlike mighty Hive characters and Hive Gods themselves.
As a matter of fact, Queen Mara and The Witch Queen have a lot in common, including the Throne World element that makes them unbelievably hard to take out. Furthermore, Savathun gains power thanks to her Worm and the pact she made with it, as the Worm feeds on Savathun's lies and trickery while also providing her with more and more strength thanks to the Hive's Sword Logic. Both characters seem to dwell in a grey area, where they are neither necessarily good or evil, meaning that they are both paracausal beings whose actions cannot be predicted because they don't follow the principle of causality of things—cause and effect.
Destiny 2: Enemies and Allies
Because of this, the two queens are connected on a much deeper level than what meets the eye, and this will become especially true with the launch of The Witch Queen expansion when Savathun and her Lucent Brood will get the Light. Savathun, being a Hive God, has always been associated with the Darkness and, hence, thought of as one of the greatest villains that humanity will ever have to face. Yet, will that be the case? Or will Savathun turn out to be an ally?
Ultimately, Season of the Lost tells the story of both queens in a way that makes players wonder what's good and what's evil, and it also poses the question as to what defines enemies and allies. From Beyond Light to Season 15, Destiny 2 has been all about forgiveness and finding a peaceful solution between old foes who join hands in a bigger fight. Players became friends with Crow, avoided a conflict with the Cabal by finding common ground with Caiatl, and then welcomed the Eliksni within the walls of the Last City. As such, the story of the two queens could be the beginning of a new alliance.
Destiny 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.