The content vault in Destiny 2 has been a contentious topic for fans since it began being used. While it makes sense for keeping Destiny 2 healthy, many players felt slighted that the content they paid for would be removed from rotation within the game. Overall, though, the Destiny Content Vault has helped to clear some of the clutter in-game to refocus new players and veterans alike on what stories are important.
One of the most important ones that players have become familiar with is the Forsaken campaign. It had major implications in Destiny 2, as it set in motion the narrative that players have experienced over the past couple of years. With the newest 'This Week At Bungie' post, it has been announced that Forsaken will be placed within the DCV, which is a giant step to take for the future of Destiny 2.
The Forsaken Expansion
Without Forsaken, there is no Last Wish Raid and no death of Uldren Sov. Further, the deep ties between the Queen’s Wrath, Petra Venj, and the player’s Guardian might not exist. The ripple effect that the story in the Forsaken expansion has had can’t be overstated. It turned the Eliksni, Variks into a traitor to the Awoken and Guardians and made Uldren Sov a wanted man by all. It was a momentous story for Destiny 2 and is directly tied to the current narrative that players are experiencing. Forsaken led to the introduction of the character Crow and was where the Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6 was murdered. In the grand scheme of things, it might have had even more of an impact on the power dynamics in Destiny 2 than The Taken King expansion had on the first game.
Considering this impact that Forsaken had, vaulting it come February 2022 sends a clear message to the community that has enjoyed Destiny 2 so far; the conflict from this expansion between the Eliksni, humanity, and the Awoken is no more. While the Scorn continue to plague multiple locations, and mini screebs in Grandmaster Nightfall strikes terrorize players, the enemies that Guardians knew from Forsaken no longer pose the threat they once did. Taking a step to acknowledge this and vaulting the storyline that Forsaken introduced to players also makes sense as Year 5 of Destiny 2 approaches.
Destiny 2 — Year 5
Year 5 has the potential to be just as big for Destiny 2 as Forsaken was when it released. While the Witch Queen expansion is going to drastically change the social dynamics within the game’s story, and likely alter how players understand Light and Darkness in Destiny 2, it also sounds like it will include events to rival the death of Cayde-6. The reintroduction of Spoiler Alert in Destiny 2 has already left fans worried, and the isolationism of Crow means he could be next to die along with a slew of other characters.
While this could round out the story for several people and provide a fairly good reason to vault the Forsaken expansion, it’s important to consider what other changes Destiny 2 is making with Year 5. Savathun’s throne world will be accessible and Savathun's Hive will have their own Light bearers. These aren’t the Hive players know (beings born in Darkness and serving the Worm Gods), but a whole new breed of threat. As Season of the Lost continues to unfold, getting the Hive to this point will be important, and what players see over the next few weeks may show everyone why Forsaken isn’t needed anymore.
But this also means Destiny 2 would need to find a scenario where the Dreaming City continues to be relevant without the Forsaken expansion and death of Cayde-6. While the Tangled Shore will be joining the rest of Forsaken and some other content in the DCV, the Dreaming City will remain accessible within Destiny 2. Keeping the location and not the expansion that it’s tied to implies the area will be changing drastically once Savathun arrives. What this will mean narrative-wise is a lot to consider, as it’s unlikely the Dreaming City will just cease to operate as a source of tribute for the Hive.
Breaking away from Forsaken will also mean having to break away from the time loop that Riven caused with her last wish. If Savathun is freed from her Worm, and the conflict between her and Xivu Arath is reaching its climax, then it may be there is no longer a reason to hold onto the remnants of this past. The time loop in the Dreaming City would no longer serve a purpose to Savathun, and her power would not be hindered by the covenant with the Worms. In a swift motion, Savathun could be freed from her imprisonment by Mara Sov, no longer stifled by the Worms and thus uninterested in continuing the time loop of the Dreaming City. In turn, the next major arc of Destiny 2 could begin.
The Future of Destiny 2
Even though Destiny 2’s future could include things like Crow as Hunter Vanguard or Speaker, it’s still a bit hazy. Players are aware that the Witch Queen expansion will be major for the game, and that Ikora Rey will play a larger role once that story is released. Beyond any of this, though, there is no real certainty. Any idea for what players will do next seems to be missing despite a major season finale and expansion release being on the way.
Likewise, the Final Shape and Lightfall were both acknowledged at the Witch Queen showcase, but it’s hard to see how the current seasonal stories will lead up to these major expansions. The fate of the Warlock Osiris continues to be questionable, and the Eliksni becoming allies is something that doesn’t seem to have led to anything substantial following Season of the Splicer. Hopefully, with the pruning of some of Destiny 2’s narrative threads in February, much of this will likely become clearer.
Some of this can be chalked up to the fact that the Witch Queen, where Crow could become a big problem, will likely be a major turning point for the story. Still, going into the future blind is always odd. Destiny 2 has done so well at maintaining its current narrative following Forsaken that without it, there will need to be significant moves made to keep enemies and stories relevant. There’s no need for a retcon, but going forward, players will probably begin to be more mindful of things like the Scorn and how they play into Destiny 2’s in a landscape without Forsaken.
Destiny 2 is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.