Lightfall is the next expansion for Destiny 2 and it could be the game’s darkest expansion yet, possibly seeing the end of the Traveler.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen showed players a brand new story and lots of new lore, preparing everyone for the Guardian’s greatest foe, the Darkness. With the upcoming release of Lightfall likely to be early 2023, many are speculating as to what may occur in this nest expansion. One of the most interesting theories that are entirely possible is the player’s Guardians losing the Light again, similar to how the players lost their abilities during the Red War campaign. Lightfall could, however, be a more permanent loss of the Light for the Guardians.
[Warning: Spoilers for Destiny 2: The Witch Queen and Vow of the Disciple raid are below.]
Destiny 2 has been teasing the arrival of the Darkness ever since the Red War campaign in 2017. The Darkness was even hinted at in its previous installment, Destiny. The Witch Queen expansion provided players with a chilling first look at the Witness in its final cutscene, who is setting up to be the main villain of the Destiny universe and a “Child of the Darkness.” The Guardians have already faced multiple pyramid ships and even encountered a Disciple of the Witness, which means the Darkness is now closer to the Last City than ever before.
Destiny 2: Lightfall‘s name in itself is foreboding and dark, foreshadowing an end to the light, the Guardian’s main power source. Lightfall could potentially show the destruction of the Traveler, forcing players to use Darkness abilities like Stasis in order to fight back. While the Guardians losing the light might be temporary, it may result in a complete change in the way the game is played. Lightfall has been confirmed by developers at Bungie that it will be the closing arc of the current Light versus Darkness arc Destiny 2 has seen over the past few years, making it the game’s biggest expansion yet.
Destiny 2‘s first campaign showed the Traveler being imprisoned by a massive device by the Cabal leader, Ghaul, who sought to use the light against his enemies. This led to the Guardians losing the light, effectively losing their abilities. Lightfall may show something similar to what occurred in the Red War, with The Witness capturing the Traveler and swallowing it in one of his many pyramid ships. This would change everything fans know about the Light and the Darkness and would be a major reveal in the overall lore of Destiny.
There have been many theories regarding the Traveler’s relationship with the Darkness, specifically the pyramid ships. One of such theories is that the Traveler is a being of light that was used to power one of the pyramid ships. The theory states that it escaped and fled to the Sol System, where it granted powers of light to species like the Fallen and later on humanity to protect it. This theory is supported by some lore accounts and imagery of it can be seen in Lightfall‘s poster, which shows the Traveler inside a dark pyramid.
Lightfall is said to be the end of the Light vs Darkness arc of the Destiny story, meaning the future of the franchise is up in the air after the expansion. The Witch Queen revealed new lore and storyline to the game and Lightfall is set to continue from where it left off. Lightfall may be the end of a series of DLCs and could go into another trilogy of expansion with a brand new arc, or it could send players to a brand new game entirely. The fall of the Traveler would be a good way to end Destiny 2 with a dark conclusion. This would allow players to fight to take back the light or even avenge the Traveler in Destiny 3. Lightfall could see the end of Light abilities or even revamp them completely.
Another possibility is that Lightfall will end an arc and start a new arc of Destiny 2 expansions that will follow another storyline besides the Light versus Dark. The current arc began with Beyond Light which led into The Witch Queen and Lightfall will tie all of the loose strings in the lore and narrative together. Lightfall could potentially be used to set up a brand new arc of expansions that can tell a brand new story in the Destiny universe.
Regardless of what occurs in Lightfall and what it sets up, the expansion will change the Destiny universe entirely. This could mean the Guardians fully embracing the Darkness or even the destruction of the Traveler. Whatever happens, it is going to be something big. Fans have speculated and theorized over what is going to play out, but no one really knows for certain what will occur. It may feature some unlikely allies, new characters, and likely new abilities for players to try out.
Destiny 2‘s Vow of the Disciple raid gave players a glimpse of what is to come in Lightfall, showcasing Rhulk, a disciple of the Witness and a being of Darkness. Now that one of his main followers has been killed by the Guardian’s hand, The Witness will be coming in full force and ready to retaliate. This will potentially involve it taking the Light, suppressing the players’ abilities, and making it easier to pick Guardians off one by one. From what many characters have said in previous DLCs, a second Collapse is coming. The Collapse was basically the end of the world at the hands of the Darkness which led to the Guardian’s initial death, where they were resurrected centuries later. Lightfall could possibly be the second Collapse many of the characters in Destiny‘s story have been fearing these past few years.
The Witch Queen was packed with lore and Easter eggs and has given players a taste of what is to come in Lightfall. Judging by the name of the DLC, it seems like this expansion will be the series’ darkest yet and may cause the Guardians to lose their Light abilities once again, perhaps even permanently. Regardless of what happens in Lightfall, it will most likely be one of the biggest expansions of Destiny 2 and will finally conclude the Light versus Darkness storyline.
A Game Features writer for Screen Rant since 2021, Zaid Deus has a deep passion for video games and the gaming industry as a whole. His passion for games as well as his love of writing helped him pursue a career as a games journalist. His hobbies include cosplay, storytelling, bodybuilding and cooking. Video games-specifically narrative-based games have helped him through some rough spots time and time again and he hopes that one day he can create stories other players can love and enjoy the same way he has throughout his life. From retro classics like Castlevania and Final Fantasy VII to modern epics like The Last of Us and God of War, Zaid loves just about any kind of video game and is always open to try something new. Currently, he is a senior studying Journalism at Cal State Long Beach to go full-time as a video game journalist.
