Mars

Lore & Background

Before the Darkness fell, humanity reached for Mars with hope. Massive terraforming projects transformed the red dust into habitable zones, creating cities and industrial complexes that rivaled Earth's Last City. However, during the Collapse, these outposts were abandoned or overrun as the Traveler withdrew its protective light. The silence left behind was filled by the Vex, who found the planet's stable orbit ideal for their temporal experiments.

Reader's Guide

Mars serves as a grim reminder of humanity's golden age before the Collapse. Once a thriving terraformed colony, it now lies in ruins, reclaimed by nature and hostile forces. For Guardians, this world represents a strategic frontier where the Vex have established deep roots, particularly within the Cistern. While not always an active patrol zone in every era, its lore remains vital to understanding the spread of the Vex across the solar system.

Exploring Mars offers insight into lost human technology and ancient terraforming efforts that once promised a second home for humanity. The landscape is defined by rusted infrastructure and alien geometry clashing against red dust storms. It matters because it highlights the fragility of civilization; even a planet so heavily fortified could fall during the Collapse. Today, Mars stands as a contested borderland.

Vanguard forces occasionally operate here to suppress Vex expansion or recover ancient data caches. For lore hunters, it is a treasure trove of clues regarding the Witness and the Traveler's influence on human expansion. It bridges the gap between Earth's safety and the deeper dangers of the outer system.

Did You Know?

• The Vex stronghold known as The Cistern is located on Nessus, not Mars.
• Humanity established orbital defense platforms around Mars to protect against early threats.
• Guardians have recovered ancient Exo technology from abandoned outposts on the planet.

Narrative Arc and Setting

Set during the Year of Prophecy, this medium-sized update shifts the focus away from the traditional Vanguard structure. Players join an unlikely crew comprising the Drifter, Eris Morn, Eido, and Warlock Aunor Mahal to confront the Barant Imperium. This new Cabal faction is led by Dredgen Bael, a fallen Guardian turned villain who seeks to reshape the galaxy using a superweapon. The story unfolds across the lawless frontiers of Mars, Venus, and Europa, where protagonists operate independently from direct support. A key narrative hub is established on Mars at the Tharsis Cantina, grounding the adventure in a gritty, frontier atmosphere while addressing the lingering mysteries of the Nine and the fallout from previous prophecies.

Lawless Frontier Gameplay Mechanics

The expansion introduces a unique gameplay loop centered on the Lawless Frontier, distinct from standard patrol zones. Instead of free roaming, players engage with specific territories on Mars, Venus, and Europa through a dynamic bounty system. These areas are divided into contested zones that rotate daily and uncontested regions, where three rival factions—Cabal, Fallen, and Vex—vie for dominance. Fireteams of up to three Guardians undertake time-limited missions such as bounty hunts, smuggling operations, or sabotage tasks.

Success requires not only completing objectives but also executing a safe exfiltration to claim rewards. Player actions directly influence faction control; completing bounties increases the likelihood of an aligned faction seizing territory the following day. Furthermore, players can engage in 'Invasions,' where a solo Guardian infiltrates another team's mission to disrupt their progress, adding a layer of asymmetric player-versus-player tension.

Star Wars Collaboration and Exclusive Content

Renegades marks a historic crossover between Bungie and Lucasfilm Games, heavily infusing the expansion with Star Wars-inspired aesthetics and narrative elements. This collaboration resulted in iconic gear, most notably the Praxic Blade, an exotic sword that functions as Destiny's equivalent to a lightsaber. Players acquire this weapon through 'Fire and Ice,' a new exotic mission set on Europa that is integral to the main storyline. Beyond weaponry, the expansion revitalizes planetary content by returning missions to Venus, distinct from the previously ported Vault of Glass raid.

The update also introduces a brand-new dungeon located on Venus, alongside fresh Player versus Environment locations, maps for competitive play, and various new weapons. This thematic blend creates a unique tonal shift, merging the sci-fi western elements of Destiny with the galactic opera sensibilities of Star Wars.

Legacy and Final Chapter

Originally planned as Shadow & Order, this major revision was delayed to incorporate extensive player feedback and additional features. The narrative sees the celestial Traveler returning to its resting place above the Last City, stabilizing Earth after years of conflict while allies resolve their personal arcs independently. The decision to end development stemmed from financial losses incurred by parent company Sony, prompting Bungie to pivot toward other projects. Despite this conclusion, Destiny 2 remains online and playable, preserving the Lawless Frontier and its rich history for the community indefinitely.