Destiny 2has been preparing forThe Witch Queenexpansion that releases in February 2022. The current Season of the Lost storyline, Savathun’s deceptions, and the ever-evolving relationships of characters have built up what players should expect to see. In preparation for all of this coming together, it was announced that some classic pieces ofDestiny 2content will be joining theDestinyContent Vault.
While the vault has been a contentious topic among fans, it has a clear goal: making space for new content while keeping relevant pieces in the game. WithDestiny 2being a live-service game, it’s in a constant state of evolution, but the large stories presented to players often bring entirely new locations, unique enemies, and a whole lot of assets that developers have to worry about. The vault has made these things more manageable, and with how muchSavathun’s Hivelooks to be bringing inThe Witch Queen,it makes sense thatDestiny 2wants to go into Year 5 with less clutter.
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Forsaken
The most notable part of theDestiny 2experience leaving will be theForsakenexpansion. This expansion, in many ways, set upDestiny 2to go where it is now. It has major lore for Uldren Sov and Crow, is where Cayde-6 was killed, and brings the Scorn to the forefront. In some waysvaultingForsakendoesn’t make sense, but from a technical standpoint it may help maintain the quality ofDestiny 2.
Forsakenincludes a lot of content, and whilethe Last Wish raidand Dreaming City will remain available, removing the story ofForsakenand the Tangled Shore could pose problems down the line.Destiny 2can be a fun game, but it isn’t a stranger to bugs and glitches. Players have excelled at breaking out of map boundaries, and the exotic fusion rifle Telesto continues to be a source of bugs. Reducing the contentDestiny 2has to worry about as it develops future content should help keep the game healthy.
It might not be ideal for everyone to see paid content like theForsakenexpansion removed, but since the introduction of the vault it has been inevitable thatForsakenwould see its time to go. The silver lining is seeing the effort put in to keep a rotation that revives and updates old content. A good example is the return of the Vault of Glass raid, and fan speculation thatthe King’s Fall raidwill return soon.
Seasonal Content
On top of vaulting theForsakenexpansion, much of the Year 4 content forDestiny 2will also be leaving. This includes the weapon missions Presage and Harbinger, which are how players get some ofthe top-tier exotic weapons inDestiny 2. These missions are fun and challenging activities that have contributed to the story, but asTheWitch Queenexpansion approaches it becomes clear that they may not be as relevant. The good news for players still interested in getting unique rolls for Hawkmoon and Dead Man’s Tale, as well as their catalysts, is that an alternative method to obtain them is being worked on.
Other Year 4 content has largely run its course, and with a Year 5 Season Pass and the start of Season of [REDACTED] withThe Witch Queenexpansion, the last year’s story should be complete. While some fans have expressed disappointment that activities like Expunge or Astral Alignments will be taken away, Year 5 already has a lot it will be adding. On top of an entirely new Glaive weapon class, weapon crafting is also being added in Year 5.
This will likely mean an influx of new assets forDestiny 2to use, so trimming back some of the seasonal activities from the last year is one of the best ways to open up space. While these seasonal activities did have their own contribution, the general understanding with a Season Pass is that once the seasons are over that content will be pushed aside, if not removed. With over four months until Wrathborn Hunts, Override, Harbinger, Presage,the Forest of Echoes, and Astral Alignments are retired, fans have a lot of time to get a feel for each.
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The Tangled Shore
The last major addition to the vault is the Tangled Shore, home to the Spider and his crime family as well as two different strikes. Whilemini screebs in the Grandmaster Nightfall of the Hollowed Lairstrike have been fun, the strike and Broodhold will be vaulted come February. With the removal of the Tangled Shore also comes all of its location-based activities and vendors, including Spider’s lair, lost sectors, and public events.
While Spider’s future is up in the air as he tries to get himself smuggled out of the Reef, his purpose as a vendor will be moved to Master Rahool in the Tower. This is a goodquality-of-life change forDestiny 2, as it allows players to have a more centralized currency exchange system. Having to load into the Tangled Shore instead of being able to do currency exchange in the Tower has been a pain, so easier access through Master Rahool makes sense in the long run.
Overall, the content being vaulted forDestiny 2doesn’t feel as substantial when listed out, but fan reactions are understandable. In an age where the way money is approached in games can be divisive, taking out paid content will leave a bad taste in peoples' mouths. The upside is that additions to vault will be replaced byThe Witch Queen, as well as a rotation of returning classics like a still unrevealed raid.
Destiny 2is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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