The Final Shape’s campaign is the end of the Light and Dark saga that has permeated the Destiny franchise since its inception—and it’s also among the biggest Bungie has made for the game so far, developers said at a press event earlier this month.
“I would argue this is maybe our biggest campaign to date,” campaign lead Andrew Hopps said. It’s an “immense” journey, according to him, and the raid isn’t the end either.
Destiny 2’s recent campaigns usually have around eight larger-scale missions, with minor objectives sprinkled between activities. This can usually take around six to eight hours, though this time varies based on your pace and the campaign’s difficulty. Beyond Light, for instance, is much shorter than The Witch Queen, while Lightfall generally sits somewhere between the two on Normal difficulty.
Bungie officially delayed the release of Destiny 2’s decisive campaign in November 2023 “to deliver an even bigger and bolder vision, one that we hope will be remembered and treasured for years to come,” the studio said. The campaign encompasses the biggest threat the Vanguard has ever faced, and there are plenty of questions to be answered (and asked) throughout the storyline. It makes sense to have a longer, more ambitious narrative to wrap up the saga and set up the franchise’s future.
The Final Shape‘s campaign may be longer by itself, but it also borrows help from the raid and beyond to finish its storytelling. “The Final Shape and its raid will provide a climactic conclusion to the Light and Darkness Saga before we look ahead to what comes next in Destiny 2,” then-game director Joe Blackburn said in last year’s infamous State of the Game.
This seems to be somewhat different than raids in recent expansions. Vow of the Disciple happens after the end of The Witch Queen‘s campaign and feels more like a post-scriptum and an extension of the Witness’ reveal. Lightfall’s Root of Nightmares takes a similar approach, setting us up against another of its Disciples. Now, though, the conflict against the Witness seems unavoidable: It has little to throw at us that we haven’t faced or will face throughout the campaign.
An undisclosed post-campaign activity will also drop Exotic class items, though it only unlocks after the first fireteam completes the raid. It will likely be thematically and narratively tied to the end of the story, potentially either tying up some loose ends or as the conclusion.
The Final Shape’s campaign will be released on June 4 and will bring the Prismatic subclass, Exotic class items, weapons, and much more once it launches.
Published: May 28, 2024 12:00 pm