If the leaks and hints are to be believed, the story of the upcoming 2nd expansion for Destiny 2 will revolve around a Warmind and a mysterious woman named Ana Bray on Mars. Will the Warmind be our new adversary?
Recently, rumors surrounding the second expansion for Destiny 2 have accumulated with supposed details. While official information is still scarce, it is becoming increasingly likely that the story will revolve around a Warmind and a woman named Ana Bray and send the Guardians to Mars.
A new emblem found in the data of Destiny 2 has further corroborated this assumption.
The following details can be gleaned from the description:
The second expansion “The Fallen Warmind” continues the journey of your Guardian in new story missions on a new planet – Mars. Rasputin has mysteriously vanished, Ana Bray returns to the Last City and warns of a dark uprising on Mars.
Uncover the conspiracy surrounding his disappearance, prevent the rise of a corrupted Warmind, and bring the truth about the Collapse to light. Explore Mars and the Deep Stone Crypt beneath its surface…
But what are Warminds? Who is Rasputin? And who will be the new adversary? Here is an overview:
Who or what are the Warminds in the Destiny universe?
Warminds are extremely powerful artificial intelligences that watched over humanity and its colonies during the Golden Age. These AIs were so complex and intelligent that even the Vex could not properly simulate them or predict their actions, even though they were fully capable of calculating multiple possible future outcomes.
During the Golden Age, a whole series of Warminds were created. In the form of vast networks of planetary defense systems, weapon installations, and countless war satellites, these AIs monitored and coordinated the safety and defense of the entire solar system.
When the Collapse of the Golden Age began, Warminds formed humanity’s primary defense line. They fought on the front lines against the Darkness but ultimately lost this battle.
The majority of the Warminds were destroyed in the battles after the Collapse. However, they were not completely annihilated.
What threat will the Guardians face in the 2nd DLC?
Both the previous hints and the potential name of the second expansion “The Fallen Warmind” – the Fallen Warmind – suggest that a Warmind will be at the center of the story surrounding DLC II.
Furthermore, the authentically sounding article description states that, during the story, one must also prevent the rise of a corrupted Warmind. Therefore, it is highly likely that a Warmind will also serve as the antagonist in the upcoming expansion.
In the Destiny universe, there are two specifically mentioned Warminds: Rasputin and Charlemagne.
Rasputin is the only AI known to have survived. However, the very fact that Rasputin is still active continues to fuel hopes among the Guardians that it might be possible to bring other Warminds online as well.
Rasputin – the last Warmind
Rasputin is the name of the last remaining Warmind from the Golden Age of humanity – stationed in the Cosmodrome on Earth.
Among his peers, Rasputin was unique. The fact that at first contact with the Darkness he was able to initiate a self-defense protocol to take over the defense of the entire solar system highlights his special status among the Warminds.
Side by side with other AIs, he fought for humanity during the Collapse. At the Black Garden, he used all available technologies to repel the Darkness. However, it proved to be too powerful in the end.
As more and more Warminds were destroyed throughout the Collapse, and it became clear that the Darkness could no longer be stopped, Rasputin entered a kind of hibernation as the last remaining AI. And there he learned.
After abandoning the defense of the remaining human civilization and thus leaving billions of people to die, he learned in a quasi standby mode from exactly the enemy he was supposed to destroy – the Darkness.
He remained unharmed for many years until he was discovered by a Guardian. When the massive high-performance radar system in the Cosmodrome was reactivated as part of the story of Destiny 1, he seized the opportunity and restored himself and his influence by gaining access to the long-forgotten planetary defense network, including the remaining weapons and technologies.
Since this network has largely become non-functional since the Collapse, Rasputin’s influence was initially limited to the Cosmodrome. Since the radar system was reactivated, his presence now extends to Mars.
Rumors suggest that Rasputin even secretly fought the Vex and Cabal with Golden Age technologies there after regaining control.
Rasputin’s motives after his hibernation are difficult to understand. He has not responded to attempts at contact from the Vanguard. They still consider him an ally of humanity, but with a significant amount of skepticism.
Most Guardians are afraid of what Rasputin might have learned during his sleep and wonder whether his new intentions are still friendly. Because it increasingly seems that he has reconsidered his priorities during his deep sleep.
Rasputin seems to have realized that he was once merely a servant and war instrument of an inferior master – humanity – and now he has apparently learned to be more. The resulting consequences for humanity are difficult to assess.
Charlemagne – the original Mars Warmind
Concept art of Charlemagne’s vault
Little is known about Charlemagne. What is certain is that he was a Warmind who was destroyed during the Collapse. His bunker was apparently located beneath the Dust Palace on Mars.
Charlemagne was originally intended to be a core part of the storyline of Destiny 1, but was completely removed from the game during the ongoing development like many other parts of the story.
Only a few remaining references in Destiny 1 suggest that this Warmind is still a part of the Destiny universe.
These speculations have gained some traction through some leaks. Charlemagne is said to actually be the corrupted Warmind on Mars and the main culprit for Rasputin’s disappearance. While parts of the leak, such as the name of the second expansion, have already been refuted, possible details regarding the story have remained almost unchanged to this day.
Since official information about the 2nd expansion has been lacking, this question cannot be definitively answered. From a lore perspective, the opaque and almost sinister Warmind Rasputin, with his intriguing story, would be a perfect fit as a new antagonist.
However, the fact that Charlemagne was already planned for the story of Destiny 1 and apparently cut with many other content suggests that Bungie could exploit these seemingly already available resources for the second DLC.
As the story will likely take place on Mars, the Mars Warmind would also be well suited for the role of the corrupted villain.
After the upcoming update 1.1.4, scheduled for March 27, 2018, official information should not take long to arrive. After this update milestone, Bungie is expected to fully focus on DLC promotion.
What do you think? Will a Warmind be our adversary in the second expansion? And if so – which one?
Destiny 2 is a multiplayer online loot shooter with MMO elements developed by Bungie. It was released on September 6, 2017, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and ...
