It happens quite frequently that large games that are headed towards a big reveal or release face plenty of alleged leaks, and sometimes they just turn out to be true. Such is the case for Bungie's Destiny 2, which has been struggling with leaks for quite some time now, and especially so because of a document that appeared online and got a lot of things right when it came to Season of the Chosen and Season of the Splicer. Just last week, this leak was expanded upon and the alleged full document appeared on Pastebin, stating a lot of things that are supposed to come with Destiny 2's Season 15 and The Witch Queen expansion, and also a bunch of details regarding the current Season.
However, now a new presumed leak emerged in the form of an image of Savathun's final form, which is supposed to be early art for The Witch Queen expansion, set to be revealed in more detail in around a month from now. The validity of the image remains to be confirmed and it should be taken with a grain of salt, rather than something resembling official information. Regardless, if it proves to be a legit image, it contains an enormous spoiler for what Destiny 2's The Witch Queen expansion will possibly entail and what to expect from its storyline, but it also poses a lot of questions. Possible spoilers for The Witch Queen expansion may be below.
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The alleged leak shows Savathun in a pose that is far from being intimidating or even malevolent, but rather, the Hive God of Trickery seems to be open to dialogue. This is something that has been talked about quite often over the past few months, meaning that some bits of lore may suggest that the Witch Queen is not as malevolent as she seems to be and might even want to talk to the Guardian. The conversation could probably verge on topics like the Darkness, how Savathun tried to prevent it from communicating with the Guardian in the Season of Arrivals, and how the Hive God wants to be rid of her ever-hungry Worm, aligned with Darkness.
The pact with the Worms is something that happened in Destiny's ancient past, and it was accepted by three proto-Hive sisters: Sathona, Xi Ro, and Aurash. They eventually became Savathun, Xivu Arath, and Oryx, respectively, with the latter changing form and transforming into a male to be the king of the Hive. The Worms grow more hungry the more their respective Hive God grows strong, and this is bound to keep on escalating due to the Hive's Sword Logic.
In recent lore entries, Savathun appeared to be fed up with her dependency on her Worm and the Darkness, and upon witnessing a Crucible match while disguised in the Last City she understands that the power of the Light is incredible, stating that she knows what to do next. Then, in another entry for the Season of the Splicer, the disguised Hive God walks the streets of the Last City and laments how her Worm is insatiable, in a way implying that she wants to be rid from it. As a matter of fact, it's a lingering theory within Destiny 2's community that Savathun will eventually turn to the Guardian to ask them to kill her Worm, maybe sending them in a Raid when The Witch Queen expansion launches. The new UI-upscaled leaked image might suggest just that, but also something more.
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Because of the nature of the pact with the Worms, killing them would also mean that the respective Hive God is slain in the process. If Savathun truly wants to be freed from her Worm, she must have a backup plan to set in motion to be revived in a way, and while this could be achieved with the help of Nokris' knowledge of necromancy, the more likely option is that the Witch Queen will get to use the power of the Light. However unlikely and unrealistic as that may sound, this too is a popular theory within the Destiny 2 community, and especially so now that the Cabal have partially become allies and the Eliksni have joined mankind within the walls of the Last City this Season.
This theory finds further credibility in the fact that the alleged leaked image doesn't show Savathun alone, and just above her left shoulder, there is Ghost floating. This has huge implications, as it would mean an event not dissimilar from that of Uldren Sov's resurrection as Crow, but it would be on a much bigger scale and have branching consequences rippling through Destiny 2's story and lore. Savathun getting the Light and the power of immortality is something that can feel wrong and impossible to digest, especially because she has been considered one of the main antagonists in Destiny 2 for a long time now.
But, as with Uldren's story, it should be noted that being resurrected by a Ghost also means completely losing all of one's memories about their previous life, and Savathun is likely no exception to that rule. Her journey would also not be too different from the one the Guardian has been on, devoting their life and service to the Traveler's Light and then joining hands with Darkness in order to defeat Eramis on Europa by using Stasis. Savathun's path would mirror that, but the other way around, seeking the power of the Light and relinquishing the Darkness.
Furthermore, if Savathun was to effectively be resurrected by a Ghost, would that mean that other Hive specimens could also follow in her footsteps and wielding the Light as well? If so, this could change Destiny 2 forever, introducing potential enemies that bring a far more challenging and diverse experience in terms of combat, meaning that their little and agile Ghosts would have to be slain to prevent their resurrection. Again, this is speculation based on an alleged leak, and while the premise sounds very interesting, it should not be credited as actual information until more details are revealed, likely on August 24 during Destiny 2's The Witch Queen showcase.
Destiny 2 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.