In the loot shooter Destiny 2, the Iron Banner was actually the focus after yesterday’s weekly reset. What many didn’t know was that a doubly shocking moment was waiting for the Guardians in the current story campaign of Season 20. And hardly anyone saw it coming.
Unexpectedly often happens in Destiny 2: This week, during the weekly reset in Destiny 2, not many story beats were expected.
- The seasonal activity with the resistance battlefields continued as usual.
- There was a new section in the Avalon mission to explore with the Asher-Mir key, the exotic “Vexcalibur”, which brought out more small details about the Lightfall story.
- Otherwise, many players were clearly focused on the top loot of the Iron Banner.
However, no one initially expected things to be so intense in the ongoing story. Week 4 in Destiny 2 cleverly hid a shocking event that painfully reminded the Guardians: “It’s not safe to be out here!”.
Destiny 2 is experiencing losses like never before
Everything as usual? Not at all! After the weekly reset, some Guardians planned to quickly finish the latest battlefield mission of the seasonal story and then turn their attention to the top loot in the Iron Banner.
- A quick look at the quest sent one to the H.E.L.M., where Amanda Holliday was already waiting with a radio message.
- Again, it is about rescuing prisoners, and the shipwright of the Vanguard briefly raves about how great it is to work with Crow, Mithrax, and Devrim Kay as the “Queen’s Guard”.
Nothing particularly spectacular. One might think. This was followed by a short mission that left some Guardians speechless at the end.
Many had already forgotten that a harsh conflict was raging on Earth in the current Season 20, which is horrific, unfair, and unrelenting. Destiny 2 often conceals this fact, and players do not always notice it as a result.
But that has now cost the life of another beloved and long-standing character from Destiny 1 and 2 – Amanda Holliday. And she might not be the last.
That’s why Amanda’s death is doubly tragic: Just last week, players had to cope with a real loss when the voice of Zavala, Lance Reddick, was silenced forever. And now, the next proverbial blow of fate follows in-game immediately.
Of course, Bungie couldn’t change the timing of the story anymore. The end was all the more surreal when Commander Zavala is kneeling before Amanda’s laid-out body and mourning her with the Guardian’s creed “Dedication, Courage, Sacrifice”.
Since these story missions were planned months in advance, it is clear that Bungie did not look forward to this week after Lance’s death. Man, it must have hurt them when you consider how close they were to him.
comments the Guardian WabbitCZEN about the event
Here’s what other Guardians say about the latest stroke of fate:
- “Amanda is the mortal [in Destiny] who has fought for us [Guardians] the longest, even though she only has one life.” – honors Gripping_Touch
- “Damn! Of all the ways the cutscene at the end of this week’s mission could have gone. That’s just too much.” – finds VisualReversal
- “I stood next to [Commander Zavala] with my loyal dog for a long time. Didn’t want to leave.” – mourns evil_iceburgh
- “Uff, I’m shocked. No, no, no. First digest that. I never thought something like this would hit me in-game. […]” – writes Paulo in the comments on MeinMMO
Can it get any worse? Possibly. It is said that death is not the end. But that does not apply to video games. There it is said: “Death is not the end unless you die in a cutscene.”
Some Guardians still have hope and believe that Bungie will bring Amanda back through the Traveler or the Witness. However, this is currently unlikely as the Traveler is deemed “dead” and it is unclear whether the Ghosts can still resurrect new Guardians.
However, some see Amanda’s death more as a new story beat for Uldren Sov, aka Crow, in the ongoing Season 20 and the Lightfall DLC.
This feels more like a setup for Crow’s story than anything else. It seems that Bungie has hinted at his significance in this story for a long time. Maybe he harbors a grudge against the Light and the Traveler or even against the Ghosts for not resurrecting [Amanda]? I think they are building him up as the main protagonist outside of our character. […]
writes BoomerRCAK via Reddit
Players fear further losses in the future: Amanda’s death has reminded many once again that loss has always been a constant companion in the Destiny universe. Some players even have a vague premonition that the new memorial area in the Tower could be full by the end of the year.
- “This memorial area of the Tower will be full by the end of the year, right?” fears the player Anohrak
What do you think? Were you also surprised by the loss and do you also believe this is just the beginning? How did you feel during the scene with Zavala? We would love to read your feelings about this story beat in the comments.
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