What’s Vanishing with Lightfall? A Guardian’s Guide to Content Vaulting
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Alright, Guardians, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – or rather, the content disappearing into the Destiny Content Vault with the arrival of Lightfall. As seasoned veterans of the Traveler’s Light know, with each new expansion comes the inevitable sunsetting of older content. It’s bittersweet, like saying goodbye to an old, reliable weapon that’s finally hit its power cap. Let’s dive into what’s being left behind so you can prepare accordingly.
The Short Answer: What’s Going Away
In short, Lightfall marked the departure of nearly all content associated with The Witch Queen’s year. Specifically, this includes:
- Seasonal Activities and Campaigns: Say goodbye to the core activities and narrative threads of Season of the Risen, Season of the Haunted, Season of Plunder, and Season of the Seraph. These seasonal storylines, vendors, and their respective rewards are no longer accessible.
- The Derelict Leviathan: This hauntingly beautiful, yet terrifying space hulks, is once again headed back into the vault. This also means the seasonal storyline is gone with it.
- Seasonal Vendors in the H.E.L.M.: The H.E.L.M. loses its seasonal occupants. Remember those friendly faces offering unique bounties and upgrades? They’re taking a break.
Effectively, everything that defined The Witch Queen year, outside of the core campaign itself, has largely been removed. It’s a necessary, though often lamented, process to keep the game size manageable and allow Bungie to focus on new and evolving experiences.
Why Does Bungie Vault Content?
Content vaulting is a complex decision driven by several factors:
- Game Size and Technical Debt: A constantly expanding game world eventually leads to overwhelming file sizes and technical complications. Removing older content helps streamline the game and improve performance.
- Focus on New Content: Vaulting older activities allows Bungie to concentrate their resources on creating and maintaining new, engaging experiences. It’s a matter of prioritizing development efforts.
- Narrative Cohesion: Sometimes, storylines naturally conclude. Removing related content helps maintain a cohesive narrative flow and prevents the game from becoming unnecessarily convoluted.
It’s never an easy choice, but it’s often a necessary one to ensure the long-term health and evolution of Destiny 2.
FAQs: Lingering Questions About What’s Leaving
Alright, let’s address some of the common questions that Guardians have regarding the content vaulting associated with Lightfall.
1. What happens to my seasonal weapons and armor from vaulted content?
You get to keep them! Items acquired from the now-vaulted seasonal content remain in your inventory. However, you can no longer earn them through their original sources (seasonal activities, vendors, etc.). Hold onto them tight, especially if they have a particularly good roll.
2. Can I still complete Triumphs associated with vaulted activities?
Unfortunately, no. Triumphs tied specifically to the vaulted seasonal content are no longer attainable. These Triumphs will typically be marked as unobtainable in your Triumph record.
3. What about seasonal quests that I didn’t finish?
Those quests are gone. If you had outstanding progress on seasonal quests, that progress is lost. It’s always best to complete seasonal questlines before a new expansion arrives.
4. Will the Witch Queen campaign also be vaulted?
Yes, the widely praised The Witch Queen campaign. This means no more tackling Savathûn in her Throne World without the DLC.
5. Is Gambit going away completely?
While not completely removed, Bungie has stated that there will be even less new content for Gambit.
6. Will Destiny 3 ever be released?
There have been rumors about Destiny 3, but Bungie has denied that they are going to make a new Destiny game and tease it through a fresh survey.
7. Is Bungie done with Destiny 2?
No, Bungie has explicitly stated that more Destiny 2 content is coming.
8. Is Lightfall a bad DLC?
One could argue that without the good free update this DLC is the WORST DLC to be released. It sits next to Curse of Osiris and Shadowkeep, which makes it bad, but not so bad. It’s not terrible but it certainly feels like the pointless filler that it is just to sell strand.
9. Who is the final boss of the Lightfall campaign?
The final boss fight against Calus in Destiny 2: Lightfall–particularly on Legendary difficulty–can be a real challenge.
10. Can I still get Hollow Denial after Lightfall?
No. Trace Rifles have been on the lower end of the meta for years, but due to a few new perks and subclass synergy, it has made Hollow Denial a must-have weapon. This weapon, like other seasonal weapons, will not be regularly obtainable after the Lightfall DLC release.
11. Is Dares of Eternity going away?
Nope! Introduced with the 30th Anniversary DLC, Dares of Eternity is a free-to-play activity that is not going away any time soon.
12. Will Cayde-6 return?
Yes! With The Final Shape expansion being announced at the recent PlayStation Showcase, Cayde-6 will finally be making his inevitable return.
13. Will Destiny end in 2024?
Destiny 2 is set to conclude its long-running Light and Dark saga, with the release of The Final Shape expansion in 2024. According to developer Bungie, The Final Shape will bring an end to Destiny 2 as players know it, wrapping up a story that began with the launch of the original title in 2014.
14. Can you get banned for leaving Gambit matches?
Players who frequently quit or are removed from Destiny Crucible or Gambit matches may receive a restriction or ban.
15. Will Bungie unvault old content?
Yes! In August 2022, it was announced that Destiny 2 expansions would no longer be vaulted.
Looking Ahead: Embracing the Future of Destiny 2
While saying goodbye to beloved content can be tough, it’s important to remember that this process allows Destiny 2 to evolve and improve. Embrace the new challenges, explore the new worlds, and forge new legends. The universe is constantly expanding, and there’s always something exciting on the horizon.
And if you’re interested in exploring the educational aspects of gaming and game design, be sure to check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. You might be surprised at how much learning happens within the worlds we explore as Guardians!