Bungie plans to release an update called Into the Light that should prepare players for the upcoming The Final Shape expansion.
Bungie’s Joe Blackburn, game director for Destiny 2, recently took to YouTube to personally inform the Destiny community of the developer’s plans moving forward, including a cryptic mention of an upcoming update called Into the Light. Much of this information revolved around the release of The Final Shape expansion, as well as new features coming to the game very soon, like the highly anticipated Fireteam Finder and brand-new PvP maps. However, the Into the Light update is something that has Destiny 2 fans thoroughly intrigued.
In the video, Blackburn refers to Into the Light as an update that should help players, both newcomers and veterans, prepare for The Final Shape. As he only spends a little over 30 seconds talking about the update, he doesn’t provide much information to go on. That being said, there are plenty of conclusions that can be drawn based on what little he did say, especially when considering what the Destiny community has long been requesting from Destiny 2 and Bungie’s efforts to revitalize the game in response to those requests.
Destiny 2’s Limited Into The Light Details Make Speculation Possible
Into The Light Could Revive The Earliest Part of Destiny 2’s Story
Blackburn intimates in the video that Into the Light is intended to appeal to players who have remained committed to Destiny 2 since its launch, as well as those who may be jumping into the game for the first time ahead of The Final Shape. A release update for The Final Shape posted on Bungie’s official website also indicates that Into the Light will be a way of preparing Guardians for their journey into the Traveler. In light of this, it’s possible that Into the Light could provide players with an opportunity to experience Destiny 2‘s story so far, potentially even including The Red War narrative that started it all.
Fans have been perplexed by Bungie’s removal of the base game’s campaign and that of each pre-Shadowkeep expansion, as it has left new players with very little context for the current story. As of right now, there are opportunities to play key missions from past expansions through the “Timeline Reflection” quest as part of the New Light campaign, but even those missions lack the context needed to connect players to the overarching narrative and its characters. If Bungie were to bring those foundational stories back into the game, they would undoubtedly contribute to a fresh start for the MMO, further building up the community of players who have remained faithful to the game for so long.
More Cayde-6 Flashback Content Makes Sense Due To His Imminent Return
Another indication that Into the Light could revive old Destiny 2 content is Cayde-6’s apparent return. It’s currently unclear exactly how he will return, but the beloved character has been featured in Bungie’s marketing for The Final Shape, and with a large part of the Destiny community still bitter about his death, it’s clear the developers have decided to bring Cayde back in some form or fashion. If his return is to have any sort of significant impact on new players, it will need to be backed up by the story that came before his death to develop his character and provide plenty of opportunities for emotional attachment, as the Forsaken Timeline Reflection is not nearly enough for new players to fall in love with the former Hunter Vanguard.
“…it’s possible that Into the Light could provide players with an opportunity to experience Destiny 2’s story so far, potentially even including The Red War narrative that started it all.”
While only speculation is possible at this point, it’s likely that the Into the Light update will transport players into Destiny 2‘s past to some extent. Just as the New Light campaign was intended to introduce new players to the game, it would make sense for the similarly named Into the Light update to accomplish the same. Additionally, veteran players have requested that old Destiny 2 campaigns be revived for some time now, which would explain Blackburn’s comment that the update would appeal to those members of the community as well. However, with so little information to go on, it is equally possible that Into The Light will feature a prequel mission for Final Shape and other content set during the present day of Destiny 2‘s storyline. For now, Into the Light remains mostly a mystery until Bungie discloses more information in the months leading up to the release of The Final Shape.
by JOSH COTTS 15 Dec 2023