Destiny 2’s Beyond Light expansion added new darkness-based subclasses, story content, and areas to explore. The narrative and gameplay changes are some of the largest that Destiny 2 fans have seen since the franchise started. For many people, it can begin to feel like the game is racing through a lot as it gears up for its major Witch Queen expansion next year.
The arrival of Savathun, the Witch Queen, has major implications for the Sol system in Destiny 2. This was prefaced by major events that have happened with each expansion. These include the arrival of the Pyramids, the growing presence that both Savathun and Xivu Arath have maintained in Sol, as well as the greatly shifting alliances of other hostile interstellar species. As such, The Witch Queen expansion will undoubtedly blow fans away, but Destiny 2 should not use it as the conclusion for all of its currently running storylines.
The Taken King
The Taken King stumbled into this problem somewhat when it was released for the first Destiny game. It concluded important storylines even as it worked to reinvigorate the game. This left some players looking for narratives that were as influential on their Guardian as the fight against the Hive had been prior to the Taken King. Destiny 2 has built up the alien race even more since then, and expansions like Forsaken and Shadowkeep only continued to show how violent and dangerous the creatures can be.
The past three seasons have continued to bring this to the forefront. With the great threat that the Hive Goddesses pose, both the Cabal and Eliksni have chosen paths that are closer to peace than conflict. This has become even more true as the events around the Season of the Splicer have continued to unfold.
Beyond Light and Europa
Season of the Splicer has shown players that while Savathun may rival her brother in lethality, she fully eclipses the Taken King in cunning. Datamining and leaks may have been hard to avoid early on, but the most recent lore books point to her power and presence already having engulfed part of the world players have fought so hard to protect. With her infiltration of key locations and the exploitation of major characters on full display, it feels like a lot is riding on The Witch Queen expansion.
It is fine for the expansion to conclude major plot points for players, but it is also important that it leaves certain branches free to grow. Beyond Light brought in a lot of new questions, and some might be better left unanswered until after The Witch Queen expansion. Examples include the Bray family drama, the implications of the Dark Future that continues to haunt Elsie, as well as how much the Darkness and the Pyramids have to offer the players.
Some players may want more info on these aspects of the game as soon as possible. However, a slow burn would not only increase the game’s longevity, but also help to keep certain stories from feeling rushed. Europa as a location is still incredibly new, and the Vex are the dominant malevolent force on the moon. Since The Witch Queen will likely focus on the Hive and Savathun, for clear reasons, holding onto this location until the next major expansion allows for time to cultivate more of Europa and explore the ruins scattered across its icy surface.
Taking more time with some of the narratives set on the moon would also allow for deeper dives into the history of the Vex in the Sol system. Players have learned a ton about the mysterious mechanoid enemy since the game’s release, but their nature continues to be shrouded in a fog. Independent and incredibly driven as they are, they also bear their connection to the Darkness and have been exploited by the Witch Queen. Still, their manipulation of time and relationship with Europa and Clovis Bray provides a clear route to story content that is not reliant on The Witch Queen expansion.
Alongside the mysteries of Europa, there is still the topic of Elsie's time loop and the Dark Future she continues to warn about. The events she foretells are likely the culmination of Destiny 2’s current saga. While war, death, and Darkness are on the horizon, there seem to be limitless possibilities on which characters will push these events forward. Alongside the Vex, Xivu Arath’s thirst for conflict should also be considered.
The Light and Darkness Saga
While the Hive Goddess of War has worked with her sister in the past, the Hive Gods have shown themselves to be ruthless. They do not worry about turning on one another, and their actions shared goal of feeding the Worms is largely for their own benefit rather than the collective. This means that Xivu Arath could appear later in the story of Destiny 2 and well after The Witch Queen.
She could also build on what Savathun accomplishes, much like the two have already built on Oryx’s efforts. Oryx's power to Take, or break the wills of his enemies and bend them to his own, was once considered to be solely his. However, both Savathun and Xivu Arath have since taken it upon themselves to lead the Taken forces since the demise of the Taken King.
Savathun has even gone so far as to hold power over the Taken Ahamkara, Riven. If Xivu Arath were to continue her Wrathborn corruption of the inhabitants of Sol and succeed where Savathun may fail, then the power the Hive Goddess could wield would make Quria's Endless Night inviting. Allowing the Hive to continue to snowball and grow as the insatiable infestation that they are would fit with how Destiny has treated the species and their Gods.
Though no story can continue in indefinite perpetuity, the balanced approach that seasons bring to lore and the possible magnitude of the next two expansions allows for both longevity and finality. Continuing to intertwine and actively develop content that expands the lore can keep the game standing well after the Light and Darkness Saga while still offering a conclusion.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.