Destiny 2 is a game that is constantly expanding its own boundaries, thanks to Seasonal content like the recently released Season of the Splicer, as well as annual DLC that typically add tons of lore, content, and areas to explore all at once. This was the case with Forsaken, which was one of the biggest expansions in Destiny 2's history thanks to the new regions, the overarching plot with Uldren and Mara Sov, and of course the climactic death of the beloved Cayde-6. This pattern has repeated ever since, and Beyond Light in particular was an amazing addition to the game, breathing new life into thanks to the Guardians finally being able to wield the powers of Darkness.
Beyond Light is particularly interesting now that Destiny 2 is getting closer to the release of next year's expansion, The Witch Queen. Beyond Light introduced the planet Europa, home to human settlements destroyed by the Collapse and facilities that belonged to the Bray corporation. However, the very concept of Europa as a location in Destiny 2 was not something entirely new. Back in 2013, Bungie revealed some concept art for Destiny, and there were pieces for zones that were never actually included in the game on release or at a later date, including Europa, which looks almost identical in Destiny 2 compared to the art.
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This is important because, while Europa was not part of Destiny, Bungie did work on those old sketches to build an entire planet from them when last year's expansion came out. There was another piece of concept art that was never really introduced into the game aside from small lore entries, like that of the Graviton Lance Exotic, and that place is Old Chicago. With all the talk about The Witch Queen and what it might entail, especially after a new wave of leaks and rumors that hit the Destiny community a while ago, Bungie made the bold decision of teasing an image from the upcoming expansion in the most recent TWAB post.
The image led to fans jumping immediately to the conclusion that The Witch Queen will be set in Old Chicago, and for good reasons. The first is that the description of the area, which was hit hard by the Collapse and eventually became a sort of swamp, does match the background seen in Bungie's teaser image, to some extent. Another reason is that Destiny 2 always introduces a new zone alongside big expansions, and with this image being the teaser for The Witch Queen, it's very likely that the area shown is indeed the new region. Furthermore, additional lore tabs on some gear introduced in past Seasons have infrequently mentioned Old Chicago.
This is nothing new for Bungie, and again, Destiny 2's Europa comes to mind. There were several lore entries mentioning Europa way before the planet actually became the playable area of Beyond Light. Given the fact that most of the lore tabs about Old Chicago were added in Season of the Hunt, this whole theory becomes even more plausible.
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What is Old Chicago, apart from the old concept art that was never actually added to Destiny or Destiny 2? According to the lore, this area has some crypts to explore for treasures of the days gone, and it seems that intelligent creatures stalk Guardians who are seeking to find the remnants of civilization from before the Collapse. It's unclear how dangerous these beasts are, what they are, and if they will ever be part of Destiny 2 in the first place.
If it were to happen, Old Chicago is probably going to borrow a few elements from other locations on Earth that were devastated by the Collapse, such as the EDZ and the Cosmodrome in Old Russia. These two share a theme of decay, and mankind has to claim them back from other races now dwelling there. Old Chicago may end up doing the same thing, with its swamp expected to be controlled by the Hive, due to the expansion revolving around Savathun. The Hive God seems to have taken control of the swampy area that once was Chicago, and a few Guardians who ventured into these forsaken lands seem to have discovered old Black Armory vaults.
Old Chicago, like Europa, was home to exceptional research centers and laboratories back in the Golden Age, and maybe those places could still hold useful intel for the Guardians to retrieve or even Exotic gear like the Graviton Lance. Speaking of which, the Exotic gun can shoot small-scale black holes, and considering it was first found in Old Chicago, it's plausible that the aforementioned laboratories were leading research on the matter.
Lastly, one more reason why Old Chicago may be next in Destiny 2 is that there were tons of leaks claiming this to be the case, along with new Darkness powers likely resembling Soul Fire, the same of Thorn, which thematically fit both Savathun and the swamp area. This remains speculation at this stage, but as time passes and teases come, it seems more likely by the day that Old Chicago is indeed going to be the next major zone to visit.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.