Your Friendly Neighborhood Warlock | Iron Banter: This Week In Destiny 2

Just about every week brings something new to Destiny 2, whether it’s story beats, new activities, or interesting new combinations of elements that let players devastate each other in the Crucible. Iron Banter is our weekly look at what’s going on in the world of Destiny and a rundown of what’s drawing our attention across the solar system.

Phil Hornshaw, a good friend and fellow clanmate of mine, lit the braziers of GameSpot’s Iron Banter for some time before moving on to the next chapter of his journey. For those who might not know, this is uncharted territory for me as I spend most of my time on the video side of things. So to say that I’m nervous about grabbing the baton for Iron Banter is a massive understatement. Although I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m very excited because now I get to be your liaison in the Tower, talking shop and Destiny 2.

Bungie’s world has consumed me and my time in video games for years. I have seen every color and shade that these games have adopted and have forgotten countless eras of what the game used to be. From my first Exotic drop ever (Patience and Time) to my first busted Crucible meta (Thorn and The Last Word), I have lived through Destiny’s extreme lows and manic highs and saw Destiny 2 stumble and recover its footing in eerily similar fashion.

However, there is a larger reason I wanted to resurrect Iron Banter: By this point, we’re at that phase of the content cycle that any Destiny player is familiar with. Going into February, you can hear the rumble of the Destiny content machine gradually growing into a distant roar, can’t you? The hype machine is coming to life again, and I’m here for it. I’ll have so many hot takes and ramblings to share with everyone as the weeks come, especially in the early days of Lightfall, but right now all I can feel is this overwhelming sense of anticipation. It’s enough to make me shiver with excitement. It’s not often a video game can elicit this kind of emotion from me.

It’s hard for me to recall at what point I went from casual to obsessed, but there was a distinct shift in how I viewed the game from a casual player to a hopeless obsessive very early on in Destiny’s lifecycle, but there is a standout memory. It was the flavor text on the exotic of The Last Word: “Yours, not mine.” – Renegade Hunter Shin Malphur to Dredgen Yor. Suddenly Destiny turned into something more than just an excuse for me to drink a beer after class and run around blindly in the Crucible. I realized I was fascinated by the history and all the complex relationships woven across characters, factions, and enemies–especially names of foes we had never seen at the time or the urban legends of characters and mentors we had yet to meet.

For those who might not remember, Destiny and Destiny 2 were both bare in the beginning but offered a ridiculous amount of mystery and potential. We all had no choice but to put our trust and faith in Bungie to develop the sequel into what we all felt was the original goal and vision. Many friends I know have fallen off the game with each expansion and have refused to return for one reason or another. However, just as many have started for the first time or have returned and are hooked, just like me.

Of course, it hasn’t been a smooth journey–not even close. I’m probably one of the more skeptical players, especially as time passes since burnout and fatigue can seep in between major expansion drops. I’ve often had debates with my clanmates where I’m accused of sounding like another complaining Reddit post. Just the same, I’ve had many eras of being what I call a “Bungie apologist.” Trying to convince disillusioned friends to return–even if the state of the game left much to be desired.

It isn’t easy to collate over eight years of Destiny playing into one brief introduction here. How do I summarize years of living through the (several) rises and falls of Destiny and Destiny 2? Months of hilarious, distinct, or frustrating Crucible metas? Weeks of seasonal fatigue or incredible “blink, and you’ll miss it” story quests and events? I felt like a blueberry waking up for the first time in the Cosmodrome, but in 2023, where there is no linear throughline. I’m just staring at all the possibilities of discussing things and going, “Where do I even start?” All I can do is reiterate how I feel: it is a very good time to be a Destiny fan right now, and I’m thrilled to share this journey with you.