Aimed to create a more sustainable ecosystem and avoid development and filesize bloat, the Destiny 2 Content Vault (DCV) has long been a sore spot for avid Guardians. Removing old content – and sometimes even fresh content too – the DCV has taken many activities, locations, and even entire storylines out of the game since its arrival in 2020. However, the Destiny 2 DCV has now passed a major milestone, with the first wave of vaulted content having been out of the game for longer than it was ever accessible to players. This stat is as shocking as it is depressing, though there’s much more under the surface.
Destiny 2 developer Bungie has frequently backed up its decision to introduce the Destiny Content Vault, citing its goal to avoid content bloat and make room for new content for PS5 and Xbox players to enjoy in one of the best FPS games. Despite this, it has inevitably resulted in some of players’ favorite moments and activities no longer being accessible. What’s more, it’s had a significant impact on the new player experience, with the beginning of Destiny 2’s overarching narrative not actually being playable in-game.
In fact, as reported by Destiny Bulletin, January 16, 2024, marked 1,162 days since the first batch of content entered the DCV, overtaking the 1,161 days these activities and locations were actually playable for. That means this content has officially been out of Destiny 2 for longer than it was ever in it. This first vaulting was the most severe, sealing away the original Red War campaign, both Year 1 Seasons (Curse of Osiris and Warmind DLC), and a large chunk of the destinations, including Io and Mercury. In other words, all the core content that could act as an introduction to Destiny 2’s universe, story arc, and main characters.
On top of that, this was all content that players had paid for. While it was announced in August 2022 that Destiny 2 expansions would no longer be vaulted, leaving Shadowkeep as the beginning of the current Light and Darkness saga (at least in the developer’s eyes), Seasonal content still leaves at the end of each year.
According to Bungie, there is and always has been “potential for vaulted content to return to the game in the future”. Players took this to mean that, perhaps one day, these expansions or at least aspects of them would return. After all, it’s hard to onboard new players when the beginning of the story isn’t playable. Although this is technically true, with the Leviathan destination repurposed in Season of the Haunted, and parts of Titan and Mars returned in various activities, it’s not quite to the scale many were expecting.
With this major milestone now reached, the sad reality of the Destiny Content Vault feels more real than ever. While it’s true that the majority of players did not revisit this content, its outright removal is rather baffling when compared to various other long-standing games. For example, Warframe has endured for over a decade with 16 expansions, while Path of the Exile has had 33 expansions in that time, almost all of which are still accessible – and free.
The Destiny 2 The Final Shape release date will likely see more content leave for good – although promising new content will also arrive, of course, including the new Destiny 2 Episodes format for long-term updates. With new Destiny 2 The Final Shape Supers, Exotic weapons, and more, there’s a lot to look forward to in one of the best games on PS5 and Xbox, even though the DCV still sours the mood.