In Destiny 2, data miners often spoil future quests and find content even before it goes live. However, funny references have now been found in the code, and wild speculations have been examined. Who is the Dark Vanguard, which Exotics seem to be a couple, and what about the 15th Wish?
What was found? In the Destiny subreddit Raidsecrets, the puzzle solvers of the Destiny universe gather. They play a major role whenever the community solves major puzzles. The user Monteven has been closely examining the codenames used by Bungie and game files for months.
He presents his most interesting findings for internal designations on reddit. MeinMMO organizes the cryptic codenames for you.
The Mysterious Race of the Veil and the Dark Vanguard in Destiny 2
For some time now, the rumor of a new enemy race has been circulating in Destiny. The Veil is said to be the personification of darkness. In German, “Veil” roughly translates to the veil.
- Before the release of Beyond Light, some Guardians assumed that we would be fighting the veiled people in the DLC.
- But there is nothing to be found about the Veil in the latest expansion – or is there?
The code reveals: Bungie itself uses numerous data names with “Veil” in their codes. The large statues through which the darkness communicates with us are called “ms-veil-statue”. The well-known pyramid ships (their nickname) are labeled “veil_ship” in the game files.
The leaks of the past have not yet been confirmed, but the Veil are by no means off the table.
Who is the Dark Vanguard? The Vanguard are the heroic defenders of the Last City and serve in the light of the Traveler. No other character embodies this better than the dutiful Commander Zavala, who follows the rules to the letter.
But as a counter-movement operates the “Dark Vanguard” (that’s the codename). This trio includes:
- The strange Exo, who is explicitly accompanied by a non-ghost.
- The dubious Vagabond, who is a thorn in the side of the Vanguard.
- Eris Morn, the witch who was long exposed to darkness in the depths of the moon.
These three characters are not evil, but do not shy away from unorthodox methods for the “right cause”. They also use the powers of darkness in Beyond Light – in the form of Stasis – against our enemies.
What does the data say about the cursed 15th Wish?
The search for secrets in raids drives many Guardians for years. In Destiny 1, it was the last chest in the Glass Chamber, and in Destiny 2, it is the 15th Wish that keeps Guardians awake at night.
This info is available about raids:
- The Redditor discovered that the Forsaken raid “Last Wish” is titled “Beanstalk” in the files.
- This fits well according to the community, as in the folk tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, one climbs higher and higher only to face a giant creature from another world at the end. This refers to the fight against Shuro Chi, where players climb higher and the final battle against Riven, where the Guardians then fall deep again.
- The fairy-tale wishes in the raid are humorously referred to by Bungie as “Gameshark codes”. A funny reference to the old cheats that allowed players to skip levels or obtain unlimited items at the push of a button. This reference fits quite well.
- The post also reinforces that no 15th Wish currently exists in the data.
- The encounters and some mechanics of the Deep Stone Crypt, the new raid from Beyond Light, have long been known to data miners.
More about the 15th Wish can be found here on MeinMMO: For 2 years, Destiny 2 players have been puzzling and are now facing disappointment
Codenames for weapon Exotics cause chuckling
This pleases veterans: In Destiny 1, there was a legendary sniper rifle named Black Spindle, which refilled the magazine after 3 precision hits. Does that ring a bell? Exactly, the weapon later returned as an Exotic as Black Spindle. In Destiny 2, you now know the weapon as Whisper of the Worm.
Bungie still self-deprecatingly refers to the weapon as “black_hammer” in the game files even today, nearly 7 years later:
These Exotics are likely married: Also a classic is the Exotic Thunderlord. Going by the codenames, a new weapon is the wife by the side of the MG: Cloudstrike is internally called “Thunderlady”.
The Thunderlord with ornament 
Both guns bring down lightning from the sky and deal Arc damage. Thunderlord appears more martial and hefty, while Cloudstrike hasn’t yet gained any relationship pounds.
What do you think of the findings from the game data? Are you generally against such a practice because data miners usually spoil secrets rather than dig up funny exotic references?
Currently, Guardians are also puzzling over why they are swimming in enhancement materials: Players love secret changes but are puzzled whether it will stay
