Destiny 2’s Red War: The Case Against Needing a Destiny 3

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In November 2020, the main Red War Campaign of Destiny 2 was taken out of the sequel and stored in Bungie’s symbolic Content Storage, making it unavailable for future play.

Due to technical issues, as a live service game continues to expand, it inevitably builds up a massive file size. Therefore, the Red War might need to be archived in the Content Vault eventually because of this excessive size.

In 2025, a legal dispute between Bungie and sci-fi author Matthew Martineau put an end to any uncertainty about the continuation of the Red War storyline. No clear answer had been given before about the return of any vaulted content.

On February 24, 2025, court records regarding the disagreement between Bungie and Martineau (as reported by TheGamePost), verified that not only is the original campaign of Destiny 2 no longer playable, but the game it was initially designed for has significantly advanced past compatibility.

The struggle between Lord Ghaul and the Cabal Empire against the Traveler will be remembered as a historical event, with no further impact, thereby reshaping the storyline of the Red War into an allegory for Destiny 3 or, more precisely, emphasizing that a sequel may not be essential due to this self-contained narrative.

Destiny 2 & The Ship of Theseus

Over the past eight years, since its debut, Destiny 2 has experienced some significant transformations, to say the least.

Although a large portion of its material, which includes evergreen content that stays consistent year after year, is presented as permanent and unchanging, another significant part of it is designed as a fleeting, transient encounter. The cycle (or series, depending on preference) consistently vanishes each year, making way for the Next Big Thing.

Most parts of Destiny 2 prior to its transformative Forsaken update in 2018 have been phased out, with only a few exceptions and historical material remaining. The Red War, Curse of Osiris, and Warmind – the mainstays that defined Destiny 2’s first year – are no longer active, as Bungie acknowledges they no longer exist. In other words, these elements have been discontinued or made obsolete.

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From my gaming perspective, after nearly a decade of tinkering, updating, and enhancing, Destiny 2 feels more like a remastered version of itself. It’s not just the same game under a new coat; it’s been disassembled, upgraded, and reconstructed into an entirely new experience.

Destiny 3 is already here, and it’s pretty great

As a dedicated gamer, I can’t help but marvel at the remarkable feat accomplished by Bungie over nearly a decade with their iconic loot-shooter title. They’ve managed to roll out a sequel to a live-service game, all while keeping us, the players, engaged in real-time. It’s truly a testament to their unwavering commitment to quality and innovation.

Essentially, Destiny 2 is a follow-up to its own version, filled with fundamental mechanical adjustments such as Subclasses 2.0, customized weapon categories, new enemies, and other features typical of an enhanced third installment. These alterations have subtly metamorphosed the game into something different right before the Guardians’ eyes.

Keep in mind, however, that Destiny 2’s foundation is quite antiquated. In fact, it’s downright ancient. As Bungie has expanded their aspirations and reduced their team size, glitches and technical problems have become increasingly frequent.

It’s uncertain if these problems could be addressed without a full engine overhaul, but if that day arrives, Destiny 4 might offer a truer representation of the franchise’s intriguing past.

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2025-02-26 20:23