Destiny 2's upcoming season, known as the Season of the Wish, will delve into one of the most intriguing aspects of the game's lore: the enigmatic and formidable ahamkara, dragons with the ability to grant wishes.
The official announcement of the season's name came from Bungie via Twitter, following the successful completion of a new puzzle in the Imbaru Engine, which is one of the activities featured in the ongoing Season of the Witch. The Season of the Wish is set to commence on November 28.
By completing the final puzzle, players unlock a cutscene that provides a glimpse into the future of the story. This cutscene revisits a plot thread that Destiny 2 players have been curious about for years - the 15th Wish. Introduced in the Forsaken expansion in 2018, the 15th Wish holds significant importance. In the raid called Last Wish, players embarked on a mission to eradicate Riven, the last remaining ahamkara, a powerful and dangerous creature within the Destiny 2 universe. Ahamkara possess the ability to grant wishes but often twist them, similar to the concept of the monkey's paw.
In Destiny 2's lore, Guardians united to eradicate the ahamkara long before the game's timeframe, recognizing their immense threat. These creatures granted wishes with dire consequences, devouring individuals and emanating an eerie, semi-magical terror. Among them, Riven alone survived the Great Hunt and remained secretly under the care of the Awoken queen, Mara Sov. This allowed her to possess a unique power. To ensure Riven's wishes were not twisted against her, Mara employed a device known as the Wall of Wishes.
During the Forsaken expansion, players discovered numerous wishes that could be inputted into the wall prior to embarking on the Last Wish raid. Each wish bestowed distinct advantages such as instant transportation to a specific encounter, added opportunities to acquire the raid's Exotic weapon, or simply provided amusement, like altering the voice heard over the raid's radio. Activating each wish unlocked a Triumph, indicating a total of 15 wishes; however, for a span of five years, only 14 had been unearthed.
Completing the puzzle in the Imbaru Engine unveils the set-up for the Season of the Wish, implying that the only way to halt the Witness during the upcoming expansion, The Final Shape, is with the assistance of an ahamkara's magic. In a cutscene that becomes accessible after completing the activity, the player character and Eris Morn piece together clues that seem to lead to the 15th Wish.
These implications have significant implications for the next season of Destiny 2, suggesting that the Season of the Wish will return players to the Dreaming City. This location has been stuck in a three-week time loop since Forsaken, and none of the game's characters know how to break it. Finally, players may see some resolution to these plotlines that have been ongoing throughout Destiny 2's lifespan.
The announcement of the Season of the Wish marks a significant milestone for Destiny 2, following Bungie's downsizing in October. According to Bloomberg, the layoffs occurred alongside the decision to postpone the release of The Final Shape from February to June, although Bungie has not officially confirmed the delay.
The report revealed that around 8% of Bungie's workforce, equating to 100 individuals, were let go, including notable members of Destiny 2's community team and two music composers. This has generated a negative sentiment among both content creators and players of Destiny 2, particularly in light of Bloomberg's report indicating a 45% decline in revenue following the previous expansion, Lightfall.
Editor's P/S
As a passionate Destiny 2 fan, I'm thrilled about the upcoming Season of the Wish. The 15th Wish has been a long-standing mystery in the game's lore, and I'm excited to finally see it come to light. The implications for the future of the story are huge, and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.
I'm also relieved that we're finally getting some resolution to the Dreaming City storyline. This location has been stuck in a three-week time loop since Forsaken, and it's been frustrating to see it remain unresolved for so long. I'm hopeful that the Season of the Wish will finally give us some answers and move the story forward.
Overall, I'm very excited about the future of Destiny 2. The Season of the Wish has the potential to be one of the best seasons yet, and I can't wait to see what Bungie has in store for us.