Destiny 2: The Final Shape is a trailblazer for live service games and a love letter to its loyal fanbase

Destiny 2 fans have been through the wringer over the last 10 years since the release of the franchise's first iteration in September 2014. Since then, we've been through plaguing content draughts, some lackluster storytelling, and a mess of other things as a fanbase. But, in the end, all things were put right with The Final Shape, which will go down as Destiny 2's greatest expansion of all time and will be looked at as a landmark in live service gaming for years to come.

Live service games, in years past, have always seemed to do just enough to keep players interested. Throw in some new cosmetics here, a new mechanic over here, top it all off with a handful of half-delivered promises, and voilà, a new $50 DLC that fans will gripe about for months! The Final Shape, on the other hand, is nothing of the sort. But why?

Developers approached this DLC intending to not only re-open the series back up to more casual players, but also to speak directly to their longtime player base. A reminder that, in the end, this is all for them. A love letter to their years of loyalty. A "thank you" in its finest form.

We see this through the branches in the shape of the robot sweeping in the old Destiny 1 tower and in all of the other little callbacks strewn throughout The Final Shape. We see this in the epic nature of the 12-player Excision quest to Avengers-style round out the campaign. These "thank yous" seem to be everywhere and, as a longtime player myself, I appreciated every single one of them. But, what about casuals?

By leading with a powerful narrative and some absolutely otherworldly map design, The Final Shape made itself interesting enough to welcome back some dormant Guardians who may not have played since the Witch Queen. Players had some time to get reacquainted in the final weeks of Lightfall, thanks to some heavy discounts, and were invited to dive deeper in The Final Shape.

I think some of the smaller things, like cleaning up the UI or removing bounties in place of the Pathfinder, also really helped. And this is some of the real beauty because The Final Shape wasn't all flash and lights. Developers listened to what their most loyal had been griping about, fixed it, and then made their grandest appeal to a wider audience. The result — a player count that rivals the game's all-time peak.

I hope that live service game developers will take a close look at The Final Shape and study its appeal to both longtime players and casuals. I believe they'll find a treasure trove if they do because no Destiny 2 expansion has done what this one has done. It has truly forged a new path forward.

Players, just like their Guardians, can finally plop down, take a rest, and look out over the wonderful universe they have been able to participate in over these last 10 years. They can be proud to be Destiny 2 players and proud of Bungie for the continued work they have put in. Developers didn't give up on the game, and neither did its players. That is something truly special in gaming nowadays.

So, while I am as excited to see what Codename Frontiers is and what it means for the future, for now, I'm just enjoying the moment. Whether you have been playing this game for 10 years or 10 days, I hope you are, too.

Bungie, and everyone who helped put together The Final Shape, thank you. Thank you for listening over these last few years and making something beautiful and riveting for everyone to enjoy. I can't wait to see where the Light will take us next.