Destiny 2's final update arrives today, and it's been an honor to serve the light

Well, Guardians, today is the day. Destiny 2's final major patch, Monument of Triumph, arrives in a matter of hours, heralding the end of an incredible decade-plus-long run for Bungie's FPS game. It may be the end, but the jubilant celebrations have just begun. Players are returning in their droves, Summer Game Fest showcase chat boxes were being spammed all weekend, and the new update looks to be the perfect send-off for one of my favorite games ever.

I don't really know what to say, to be honest. Destiny's always been a comfort game for me - something you can dive back into, run a few strikes, and throw space magic about in for a bit when you're feeling uninspired. But it's more than that. It's Peter Dinklage telling you about moon wizards. It's caffeine-fueled raid nights. It's hearing Lord Shaxx hype you up in the Crucible before you go negative again. It's hours of grinding to get up to whatever new light level value Bungie had decided to use for that expansion, only for the studio to change it all over again; it was frustrating as hell, but the lure of shiny engrams and more opportunities to flex your build meant you'd do it all again anyway.

Destiny was lightning in a bottle. The perfect blend of Bungie's best-in-class gunplay, iconic characters, and arguably the best orchestral score in gaming culminating in one place - it truly felt incredible to play. The mysteries of the Traveler slowly unravelling over a 12-year odyssey, with years of cinematic tension reaching a biting crescendo with the defeat of The Witness had us hooked at nearly every twist and turn. It wasn't perfect, and we can spend all day yammering about Destiny's flaws and the myriad reasons as to why it's now being put on life support, but today's not about that.

Last night, I logged back in for the first time in a few months. I'm not the only one making the pilgrimage to the Tower, of course; another Guardian drops into the chat that they've reinstalled after three years. You only need to take a quick glance at SteamDB to see the flocking of old heads and new lights in real-time. The social hub is already bustling ahead of the update. I start off a Jojo's Bizarre Adventure gang torture dance while another player DJs. Confetti emotes are going off; the vibes are immaculate.

I don't know if it's possible to hold a wake without a funeral, but it certainly feels like this is what's happening. Like a Guardian being revived by their ghost, Destiny 2 has, for the moment, been brought back to life by the thousands, if not millions of players who have fought the darkness over the years. It's one last, defiant stand against the inevitable, and there's a poetic beauty in that.

The Destiny dev team is also refusing to go gently into that good night, and Monument of Triumph is shaping up to be quite the opus. The return of the Director and Sparrow Racing League are hype enough, but the new weapon tier system, subclass abilities, and myriad quality-of-life improvements all look fantastic. Bungie says it's taken 29,000 words to convey everything that it's got in store, which is quite the tome. It's the patch we've all been waiting for, and it's bittersweet that we're only now getting it.

For now, the future of Destiny is uncertain. Its talented devs are scattering as the inevitable layoffs at Bungie ensue. The lightning's been decanted, and who knows if it'll ever be recaptured? Toland once said that "Life is pain. Pain is power. And power is life." While the end of Destiny is a tough pill to swallow, let's channel that to give it one last, explosive send off that'll inevitably result in a shower of loot.