In Destiny 2, the cult character Lord Shaxx fascinates players once again. We explain what the hit-worthy “Shaxxercise” is all about and why guardians love to be yelled at.
This is why Lord Shaxx is a cult figure: In Destiny 2, Lord Shaxx is probably one of the most popular and iconic characters. The titan with the hearty voice is known to most as the announcer in PvP. There, he constantly yells at players to push them to excel – and the guardians totally love it.
If simply being motivated by Shaxx’s outbursts in the Crucible isn’t enough, you can finally be yelled at in real life on all occasions. This is made possible by “Shaxxercise”.
This is Shaxxercise: Bungie has now released a soundtrack titled “Shaxxercise”. It’s basically a mixtape designed to pump up listeners during workouts or training. The name combines Shaxx and Exercise.
Listeners can enjoy catchy synth beats and driving sounds, all garnished with funny sayings from Lord Shaxx. For example, he shouts, “What’s up, relax, now relax damn it!” Destiny players celebrate this quirky idea, which was supposed to be just a little Easter egg.
Here you can listen to the version with German motivational speeches and really get into it:
From a silly idea to an iconic Easter egg in Destiny 2
This is how the Shaxxercise mixtape came about: Bungie published on March 31 the origin story of the hit soundtrack. It humorously describes how a fun idea became the celebrated mixtape. The post also provides interesting insights into the creation of sounds in video games.
In addition to conceiving the right music, the mixtape also had to fit into the lore of Destiny. The developers asked themselves questions like: which character would most likely train to Shaxx’s beats or where could such an Easter egg be placed?
I had to talk to the Narrative Lead to make sure it was okay for them that Zavala has a Shaxx mixtape […] I didn’t want to step on anyone’s fictional toes.
Kareem Shuman
Where is the mixtape hidden in the game? Even before its official release on YouTube, savvy guardians could find the mixtape as an Easter egg in Destiny 2. The search for the exotic shotgun Fourth Horseman led players for the first time to the office of chief boss Zavala. There you can find many trophies and relics from the entire Destiny universe, but well hidden is also the Shaxxercise mixtape.
Directly to the left of the entrance, way up high, are some dumbbells and the mixtape located on a shelf. To activate the soundtrack, you either have to jump very high or use another player as a ladder.
The Destiny developers love to hide small details and references. For example, in Zavala’s office, there is also some knitting, as the grumpy soldier is said to enjoy knitting for distraction according to the lore.
Lord Shaxx and his outbursts are celebrated in the community.
How does the community react to Shaxxercise? The mixtape and the story of its creation are very well received by players. In a corresponding Reddit post , many favorable statements like this one can be found:
The mixtape is one of my favorite treats in the new season. It’s just a little bit of pure joy. A developer doing something for passion, for the joy of the community.
randomgrunt1 via Reddit
What do you think of the mixtape, do the iron lords almost lift it on their own due to the shouting? If you want to hear how Lord Shaxx sings about a moon made of cheese, you can find it here.
