Destiny 2: Lightfall

Lore & Background

Lightfall revolves around the exiled Cabal emperor Calus, now a Disciple of the Witness, as he, the Witness, and their army of Shadow Legion Cabal and Tormentors attack the secret human city of Neomuna on Neptune to procure a being called the Veil to herald a second Collapse. The expansion added a new Darkness subclass called Strand, with powers based on unraveling, suspending, and severing opponents via manipulation of reality through an extra-dimensional matrix called the Weave. Each class gained a unique Strand super: Berserkers for Titans, Broodweavers for Warlocks, and Threadrunners for Hunters.

Four seasonal content offerings were released throughout Year 6: Season of Defiance (alongside the expansion), Season of the Deep (May 2023), Season of the Witch (August 2023), and Season of the Wish (November 2023), which was Destiny 2's longest traditional season at 27 weeks due to the delay of the next expansion, The Final Shape. A free content update called Into the Light was released in April 2024, adding the Onslaught activity, new PvP maps, and returning exotic missions. The seasons bridged the events of Lightfall to The Final Shape, with storylines involving rescuing citizens, exploring Titan, resurrecting Savathûn, and bargaining with the spirit of Riven.

Reader's Guide

Lightfall's significance lies in its introduction of Strand, the second Darkness subclass, which expanded player customization with a grappling hook-like ability and new movement options. The expansion also brought major gameplay adjustments, including an in-game loadout feature, a revamped difficulty system for endgame content with Power level penalties and rotating surges and threats, and an improved LFG feature added in Season 23. The year of content included one new raid (Root of Nightmares), two new dungeons (Ghosts of the Deep and Warlord's Ruin), and a reprised raid (Crota's End) free for all players. Lightfall marked the final year of Destiny 2's seasonal model, as seasons were replaced by larger episodes in Year 7. Seasonal content from Year 6 was removed with The Final Shape, except for the Onslaught activity, PvP maps, and exotic missions from Into the Light; Onslaught was briefly removed in July 2025 but re-added with Savathûn's Spire and The Coil activities. Starting with Lightfall, previous expansions were no longer vaulted, though seasonal content continued to be removed at each expansion's start.

Did You Know?

• Lightfall was delayed from fall 2022 due to the delay of the previous expansion, The Witch Queen.
• The Tormentors are described by Bungie as the 'most scary unit [players] have ever fought' and can instantly kill Guardians by grabbing them.
• Season of the Wish was Destiny 2's longest traditional season, lasting 27 weeks due to The Final Shape's delay.
• The reprised raid Crota's End from the original Destiny was added on September 1, 2023, and is free for all players.