The Unsettling Debate Around Destiny 2's Final Shape Seasons

Highlights

Destiny 2's expansion, The Final Shape, needs to deliver on player expectations and redeem the shortcomings of Lightfall in order for gamers to stick around.

Players were left frustrated by the lack of answers in Lightfall, especially since it was promoted as the culmination of the decade-long Light and Darkness saga. The Final Shape faces the task of achieving a desirable equilibrium between a standalone narrative and captivating seasonal content, much like the previous seasons of Destiny 2 that successfully retained player engagement.

Destiny 2's The Final Shape carries a significant burden following the shortcomings of Lightfall. The expectations of players are now mixed, and Bungie must deliver with this expansion if they want gamers to remain engaged for an extended period. This need arises from the fact that although Season of the Deep has redeemed Lightfall's reputation to some extent, there is a general consensus that the story did not need to be divided into seasons. The expansion had the potential to achieve much more. The concern is that if The Final Shape's story is contained within itself, its seasons could become another disappointment like Lightfall.

The main issue with Lightfall was the lack of answers. It was promoted as the beginning of the end, both literally and metaphorically, as Bungie plans to conclude the 10-year Light and Darkness Destiny 2 saga with The Final Shape. Failing to provide answers in the penultimate expansion before reaching the conclusion of this chapter was frustrating, especially considering that every NPC in the game seemed to know what The Veil was except for the players. While providing answers through the seasonal model has some effectiveness, the chosen path for The Final Shape could potentially lead to a different controversy.

Destiny 2's Story in The Final Shape Could Undermine its Seasons or Vice Versa

Bungie faces a difficult decision with The Final Shape's campaign and Raid in regards to concluding the Light and Darkness saga. On one hand, it can meet players' expectations and desires for Lightfall. On the other hand, this approach may diminish the significance of the accompanying seasons for Year 7, making them feel like mere fillers until the next major release. Striking a balance between a self-contained tale in the expansion and maintaining the interest of seasonal content throughout the year is a daunting task. Bungie is likely well aware of this challenge, having learned from the first year of Destiny 2 when expansions were separate from the live-service era. In that period, players could quickly complete all available activities, resulting in dissatisfaction and a content drought until the next release.

Destiny 2's seasonal model successfully addresses the need for ongoing engagement by consistently introducing fresh content and activities. Weekly missions, advancing the overarching story, and unlocking unique quests in the middle of the season all contribute to the game's appeal. While the inclusion of secret quests and Exotics has decreased due to the time and effort required, they remain major motivating factors for players. This continuous stream of new experiences ensures that each Destiny 2 season is worthwhile, providing players with a variety of tasks to complete and new story developments to explore.

To ensure that The Final Shape concludes the saga satisfactorily, it is essential for the accompanying seasons to serve as the catalyst for Destiny 2's future sagas. There are still numerous unresolved mysteries surrounding characters, events, locations, and items within the Destiny 2 universe. A fitting conclusion to the Light and Darkness saga would be to nurture and expand these smaller stories after a campaign that ultimately resolves the decade-long conflict. While it is too early to determine Bungie's precise plans, the upcoming August showcase presents an opportune time for addressing this question.

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