Destiny 2: Shocking Season 21 Cutscene Shakes Up Unveiling Lore

CAUTION: The following article contains major spoilers for Destiny 2.

Destiny 2 has undergone some major changes in the Light and Darkness saga, leading up to the upcoming The Final Shape expansion. The expansion will allow players to traverse a portal created by The Witness on The Traveler, and even bring back fan-favorite character Cayde-6. However, while the saga is heading towards its conclusion, the lackluster story of Lightfall left players with more questions than answers. Bungie promised that the seasonal stories of Destiny 2 would provide answers, and recent leaks suggest they are delivering on that promise.

Despite previous leaks before the launch of Lightfall, they proved unreliable and didn't address many of the lingering questions players had. However, soon after the launch of Season of the Deep, players datamined a cutscene that sheds light on the origins of The Traveler's arch-enemy - a story that not only adds to the lore of the game but also seems to retcon the contents of one of Destiny 2's most relevant lore books, Unveiling.

Destiny 2's Leaked Season 21 Cutscene Puts a Dent into The Unveiling Lore Books

The cutscene that was leaked was likely intended to be revealed at the end of Season of the Deep in Destiny 2. It's narrated from the perspective of Ahsa, the sea creature on Titan that Sloane reached out to for assistance. According to the prologue for Season 21, Ahsa is an ancient enemy of The Witness and is the one who finally reveals to players who or what The Witness truly is. The leaked footage suggests that The Witness was not just a single entity but rather an entire race that worshipped The Traveler, referring to it as "The Gardener."

The origins of Destiny 2's universe and time itself are explored in the Unveiling lore book series, specifically the "Gardener and Winnower" book which delves into the titular entities and their supposed game. However, the recent cutscene reveals that the Darkness is actually the Veil and has a connection to The Traveler. The Witness, an alien race, sees the Light and The Traveler as dangerous due to their belief that life is chaotic and destructive. This eventually leads to the alien race merging into a powerful entity and hunting down The Traveler. While the lore answers questions, it also raises new ones and casts doubt on the truth of Unveiling. The Final Shape should put these questions to rest in order to end the Light and Darkness saga.

Destiny 2 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.