What an empty skybox means for Destiny 2

Season 19 of Destiny 2 has wrapped up and the Lightfall expansion is nearly upon us. Big things have happened that will leave the world of Destiny 2 forever changed. It has felt like the sci-fi looter shooter has been on a predictable pattern for years now. Then the cinematic for Season of the Seraph's finale played and changed everything.

Rasputin is dead

He's gone. After years of slowly getting to know him, he's gone. What started off as a rumor from a long-gone age turned into a sometimes ally in the original Destiny. In the Rise of Iron expansion, Rasputin emerged from the shadows as the destroyer of the Iron Lords.

Destiny 2 told a story of the warmind being rebuilt and made whole. He, an AI without equal, would stand watch over humanity. As the Darkness made its way back to the Sol system, we stood watch with Rasputin. We learned the complicated story of his son, Felwinter, and stood in awe as he protected the Last City from the Almighty.

We saw as the Darkness nearly destroyed him without effort. We watched as Ana Bray worked tirelessly to rebuild him. Now, now we have to watch him die in order to protect humanity once more. Eramis and Xivu Arath, despite our best efforts, have gotten their hands on the Warsat network. Rather than let them use that near-unlimited power, Rasputin sacrificed himself to protect us. He died to protect the Traveler.

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The Traveler is gone

The Traveler, coward that it is, tried to flee again. As Eramis and Rasputin fought to determine the Traveler's fate, the big ball in the sky ran. It ran until it was in orbit and stopped. However, instead of stopping out of any sense of duty to those under its shade, the Witness purported that the Traveler stopped simply because it had nowhere else to run.

While Guardians may still have the Light so long as the Traveler is unbound, it has become clear that we can't rely on it any longer. This could be why Guardians adapt and learn to make use of Strand upon reaching Neomuna. Perhaps we should lean more into Stasis to fight fire with fire, so to speak.

For the first time in the series, the space above the Tower and the Last City is empty. Where there is normally hustle and bustle accompanied by the sounds of people and Eliksni living their lives, there is now an eerie quiet. It's one of those things where we've taken it for granted. Sure, we don't actually know much about the Traveler, but it's always been there. It feels like someone has taken the Sun out of the sky. Destiny finally feels different.

The Darkness has arrived

There is no more waiting. The Darkness has arrived. This looming big bad has felt more like a boogeyman than an actual threat. When I first saw the Pyramid hiding in the Moon during Shadowkeep, I was floored. Here it was, all along. It made the Darkness feel real and dangerous. When I was taken aboard and saw the twisted hallways and statues that comprised its structure, I was mystified.

It took some time, but the rest of the fleet slowly started its invasion. We lost Io, Titan, Mars, and Mercury to the Pyramids that appeared. When we went to Europa, we were greeted by another Pyramid. This one was different. It didn't treat us as a threat. Instead, we were slowly gifted the power of Stasis. When the legions of Calus attacked the Pyramid, the Guardians were invited in to repel the invasion.

In Savathun's Throne World, we encountered our next Pyramid. This one was home to the hostile Rhulk. Exiled there by the Witness, it was Rhulk's duty to observe and contain the Witch Queen. Emboldened by a sense of necessity or simply unafraid, the Guardians boarded the Pyramid to lead an assault on Rhulk. This would be the first time that forces of the Light would enter and fight back the forces of the Darkness on their home turf.

Now that the Pyramid fleet has invaded the Sol system, there's no mistaking its intent. This is a fight that will determine a winner once and for all. There will be no half-measures. Rather than fight silly battles among the different species and factions, new lines have been drawn between the Light and the Dark.

Related: What is the Fireteam Finder in Destiny 2 & how to use it

Lightfall is upon us

Things are different now. It's taken a long time for events to play out the way they have. The journey hasn't always been the smoothest. There have been differences in opinions between the players and developers. Some decisions have prompted outrage, and most of the important ones have been walked back to a happy middle ground.

Despite all of this, it can be argued that Destiny 2 is in the best state it's ever been. Season of the Seraph showed that Bungie can tell a compelling story in a drip-fed format. With a healthy dose of content to come with Lightfall, long-time players are about to get a serious reward for their emotional investment. Conversely, it's arguably the worst time to get into Destiny 2 as a new player. There's a decade and two games' worth of content to digest and the bulk of it is sitting in the Destiny Content Vault.

So now, a week before Lightfall, we sit with an empty sky for the first time. Guardians are in uncharted territory and it's a brave new world. Things are looking grim and likely that we're about to take our first big loss, but I couldn't be more excited.

For more Destiny 2 goodies, check out What is the Exotic Mission Rotator in Destiny 2? on Pro Game Guides.