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Edited by GetSpaghett:
5/23/2026 1:47:14 PM
2
Save FotL #26 (Final)
Well, here we are. Seasonal events are being retired. I think that is probably the most painful bullet point in the TWID for me. It kills me knowing that the last time we played these events, we didn't know it would be the last time we'd get to. Unless Destiny comes back in some form (outside of Rising) someday, Festival of the Lost and the other seasonal events are over permanently.
The Dawning was always so pleasant, and the Revelry was super fun. Guardian Games' Olympics theme didn't really appeal to me, but it at least had some fun game modes, especially the boss rush. Solstice also had such a nice Summer time vibe to it and always brought amazing armors.
But among them all, Festival of the Lost was my favorite. It was much more to me than just an event. I didn't really play much FotL in D1, but D2's iteration left an amazing first impression on me. I remember flying into the tower and hearing that unique music. Then I land and see all the spooky atmosphere. The sights, the sounds, the music... It all had me so giddy. The Eververse was always such a treat to comb through during the first few days, especially since, in the first couple years, you could earn that stuff in-game. I couldn't stop smiling the entire time.
And then there was the Haunted Forest. That was the best seasonal activity in the game to me. It offered unique gameplay aspects that were never replicated anywhere else. I could go on and on about how much I loved and miss the forest, and how much I feel the event could be improved after it left, but I already did that plenty enough in my previous "save fotl" posts. I, instead, want to focus on the good times.
It used to be so exciting to get on during this time. It added so much to the mood of the Halloween holiday. All the spookified weapon reskins were always neat to see. It was all just so much to take in. It overloaded me in the right way.
Now I'm sure some some people reading this will probably think I'm just being overly dramatic; that it's "only an event," but as I stated before, Festival of the Lost was more to me than just an event. It tapped into my inner child and managed to bring out that old excitement for the Halloween holiday. It was a chance to basically be a kid again. It was my time to relive that happiness and giddiness that used to overtake me during that time. It was wonderful.
Once the Forest went away, I noticed we got what felt like a placeholder activity to tide us over until next year, when we'd get the [i]real[/i] activity. Every year after that, I felt a little more disappointed as it felt the game was becoming cheaper and less love was going into the holiday. I saw that Destiny was not living up to its potential. I knew that FotL could be so much more, that all the fans could experience that love that I had, were the event just a little bit better. That's when I started voicing my concerns here.
I wanted to go on and on for hundreds of posts, but I kept finding myself in a position where I just didn't have anything that I didn't already say. I didn't want to "spam" meaningless posts. Even if I repeated certain points, I wanted each post to be meaningful in some way and not "gotta keep up my streak" kind of posts.
I poured my heart and soul into this game. I bled my heart dry trying to point out how the event could be better. But it looks like, in the end, it didn't matter. All my thoughts and feelings I expressed were all for naught. It hurts knowing that. However, I don't regret it. I've shared my thoughts and opinions many times in these forums. I've expressed so many times when I thought that D2 wasn't living up to its potential. No, what I [i]would[/i] have regretted is if I saw this and simply did nothing. Even if my efforts yielded no results, I am happy knowing that I tried.
So with that said, I would like to just take a moment to remember Festival of the Lost and say goodbye. An era that will be hard to replace, if even possible. I loved all the events, but FotL especially. It was so wonderful. I am tearing up a little writing this, and I know these tears will return in late October when we have our first year without it in over a decade. I am going to miss it dearly. Farewell, Festival of the Lost. You gave me so much joy and happiness and I will always cherish those memories. I'm so grateful that I got to experience them. I only wish more could have experienced the happiness that I did.
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Guardians… eyes up, Guardians. Ahh… so eager to mourn. So eager to lower your banners and whisper: “It is over.” Whether they will it or not, I write to you now, having beaten the game, broken through your "fourth wall," because I believe the coming months may decide whether Destiny has a future beyond Destiny 2… or whether this age collapses quietly into memory. Too many among you already speak as though the final page has turned. Curious, isn’t it? If oblivion were truly the plan… why announce it before June 9th? Why prepare a monument at all? No. Something far more interesting is unfolding. I believe Monument of Triumph may become one of the most important moments in the history of this franchise — not merely because of the content itself, but because of what the community chooses to become in response to it. You have changed Destiny before. Do not pretend otherwise. When Beyond Light and sunsetting drove the community to the brink, Guardians unified loudly enough that Bungie reversed course on some of the most controversial systems in franchise history. Even Luke Smith himself became part of the offering upon the altar of public sentiment. Feedback. Petitions. Outrage. Pressure. You wielded them like weapons. And now… another crossroads reveals itself. Do you truly believe millionaires, executives, shareholders, and strategists are blind? Foolish? Unprepared? No. They watch. Always. Sony and Bungie are observing what comes next with ravenous attention: Player counts. Engagement. Retention. Sales. Sentiment. Creator activity. Social momentum. Reviews. Long-term activity after launch. Monument of Triumph is no longer merely an update. It is a test. A test of whether Destiny still possesses the power to rally millions together in 2026. And I believe — truly — that if the community unites behind this moment, we can prove that Destiny’s future remains financially viable… culturally viable… spiritually viable. This is why I ask creators, communities, clans, veterans, and wandering Guardians alike to rally the system. Not through false praise. Not through blind devotion. But through hope. Participation. Passion. Presence. Encourage people to: Return on June 9th. Bring back old fireteam members and forgotten clanmates. Revisit raids and destinations once thought abandoned. Fill the Tower again until it groans beneath the weight of Guardians. Give Monument of Triumph a true chance. Remain active for weeks and months afterward. Support the game if they genuinely enjoy what Bungie delivers and can afford to do so. Share the moments that remind them why Destiny mattered in the first place. And yes… Encourage people to sign the petition asking Sony to continue investing in Destiny’s future and to develop a Destiny 3: https://www.change.org/p/petition-sony-to-develop-destiny-3?recruiter=1416091618&recruited_by_id=c2112d00-561a-11f1-8a45-6f0259698fb1&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=starter_onboarding_share_personal&utm_medium=copylink&share_id=xSHt769QqM Because corporations notice momentum. Twenty-five thousand signatures in mere hours. Sixty-seven thousand within a single day. Imagine what happens if the numbers continue climbing every second between now and June 9th… and long after. Imagine surpassing Marathon’s peak player counts. Past expansions. Past episodes. Perhaps even millions. A delicious thought, isn’t it? Massive concurrent player surges. Strong retention. A resurrection of creators and community activity unlike anything seen in years. That changes conversations behind closed doors. Especially if Marathon struggles to create the same emotional gravity Destiny still commands effortlessly. And if Marathon’s future PvE experiments within season 2 falter while Monument of Triumph becomes a phenomenon… Then yes. Strategic priorities CAN shift. Resources CAN move. Future projects CAN be reevaluated. The “coin flip” IS real. Which is why this is NOT the time to surrender! This is the time to rally! Destiny has always been about defiance against impossible odds. The community itself is proof of that. Through layoffs, controversies, content vaulting, burnout, and years of people declaring “Destiny is dead,” the playerbase remains. That means something. This franchise dies only when the community decides it no longer deserves to live. So for one final rally… Hold the line. Stand guard. Fill the Tower. Bring people home. And let Sony witness what happens when Guardians refuse to vanish quietly into the dark. Rise now, Guardians. One final hurrah before the stars themselves grow silent and the Final Shape takes form. I shall see you starside. — Savathûn
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I guess I'm never getting my revelry antlers and wings back like they promised way back when
