Today saw the release of the Destiny 2 season 19 finale, which marked a pivotal moment in the game’s narrative by tying together threads from the first Destiny and leading to one of its most iconic missions. In the ominously titled Final Dawn, the storylines of humanity, the Eliksni, and the Awoken are combined in a race against time against forces commanded by Eramis, a leader of the Eliksni who has a grudge against the Traveler for abandoning her people when they most needed her. Eramis, who serves as the main antagonist in Destiny 2 Beyond Light, has joined forces with The Witness, a multifaceted creature that players originally encountered at the conclusion of The Witch Queen campaign in the well-known FPS.
This season, players saw Ana Bray tap into the consciousness of her grandfather, Clovis Bray, to help restore Rasputin, an AI Warmind. By the end of the season, it’s clear that Rasputin may be humanity’s only hope to save them from the threats of Eramis, Xivu Ararth, and The Witness. However, things don’t pan out exactly how one might expect.
Final Dawn is one of the most important story beats in the history of the Destiny 2 franchise. Further, the mission, playable only on Legend difficulty with a capped power level, is challenging and fulfilling, a strong precursor to what players can expect come Lightfall amid difficulty tweaks outlined by Destiny 2 game director Joe Blackburn.
Destiny 2 season 19 finale mission is a heartbreaking farewell: Ana Bray speaks to Rasputin in Season of the Seraph.
The quest line also offers insight into how the Guardian will discover the city of Neomuna, set to debut in Lightfall, and various other tidbits as to why the Neptunian city may be important to Guardians and the forthcoming Destiny 2 Strand subclass.
The emotional finale closes the door on one of the best expansions in Destiny 2 history, rivalling other fan-favourite DLC such as Forsaken and the original Destiny’s The Taken King. The mission also sets up the possibilities of Lightfall, which Bungie intends to be the game’s penultimate expansion, and should answer long-standing questions about The Witness and Guardians’ relationship to the Light and Darkness. (For more insight into The Witness’s role in the Destiny franchise, see our recent interview with Destiny 2 Lightfall writers Liz Baker and Nikko Stevens.)
Those who wish to play the mission must own The Witch Queen expansion and the season pass for season 19, called Season of the Seraph. Players must also catch up on all story missions, which will unlock the final mission. Those who complete the mission will earn a special ship and an Ascendant Shard.
If the finale mission has you excited about what’s to come, check out our Destiny 2 Lightfall release date guide and Destiny 2 season 20 guide to learn what’s coming in one of the best multiplayer games that players can find on PC.