For years, Destiny 2 enthusiasts have speculated when the game would finally transport them to the long-teased location: Old Chicago. With the launch of the latest expansion, “Edge of Fate,” it seems we now have a clearer indication: it`s happening soon.
Initially, “Echoes of Fate” doesn`t provide direct clues regarding this. The storyline unfolds on Kepler, a new planet situated at the solar system`s periphery, yet it frequently delves into temporal anomalies, revealing both past and future events. The initial hint about Chicago emerges when Lodi, the expansion`s new character, glimpses the future. He speaks of standing alongside the Guardian (the player`s character) on the shores of Lake Michigan, where Chicago is famously located.
Then, the train appears. In the campaign`s opening cinematic, Ikora Rey, a familiar series character, narrowly avoids being hit by a subway train, seemingly transported through time into Destiny 2`s distant, futuristic post-apocalyptic setting. Trains feature prominently throughout the expansion, acting as a narrative touchstone, a reality-bending gateway to various zones on the new Kepler location, and serving as a defining motif for “Edge of Fate.”
The train car bears a striking resemblance to Chicago`s iconic “El” elevated railway. Furthermore, a closer inspection of the “Edge of Fate” key art reveals the train`s destination displayed above its door: “Ravenswood,” a neighborhood in northern Chicago.
However, all speculation becomes unnecessary towards the campaign`s conclusion, as hints turn into explicit statements. In one of the final missions, Ikora Rey directly declares, “Perhaps soon we`ll go to Chicago.”
Old Chicago holds immense significance for long-time Destiny players. This location has been a subject of discussion, speculation, and numerous teases for years. Bungie first hinted at the possibility of visiting Old Chicago even before the original Destiny was released. Since then, references to the city have frequently appeared in the game`s lore and story. When Bungie unveiled the first images of its 2022 expansion, “The Witch Queen,” players theorized that the location shown in its debut trailer might be Chicago`s swampy outskirts.
Visiting Chicago would be a significant event because, while Destiny 2 features Earth-based locations, they are rather generic. For instance, the European Dead Zone (EDZ) transports players to a fictional, ruined European town called Trostland. There`s also the Cosmodrome, an aircraft and spacecraft graveyard and control facility located somewhere in Russia. However, both of these locations were specifically created for Destiny 2 and do not reference any specific real-world places.
Chicago, conversely, would be the first recognizable location from our reality. Although Earth`s old cities were destroyed centuries before the events of Destiny 2, the city would surely retain the appearance of the Chicago we expect, and witnessing it in its ravaged, post-alien invasion state would be exceptionally fascinating.
This would also mark the first American location to receive Destiny 2`s futuristic treatment, offering a glimpse into how Bungie might reshape the city, transforming it through centuries of both advancement and subsequent decay. Moreover, the ravaged city could present numerous gameplay opportunities and profound narrative implications regarding the possibility of any surviving human inhabitants.
Furthermore, within the “Edge of Fate” campaign, there are hints that Chicago could become a pivotal location as Destiny 2`s narrative progresses. The expansion`s cinematics feature time jumps back to Earth, seemingly in the 1960s, revealing a distant city skyline. This city is also the presumed site of the Department of External Observation (DEO) – a historical government agency focused on potential alien contact and abductions, which plays a significant role in the expansion. Therefore, if Chicago is indeed a future destination, it seems highly probable that the DEO will be closely linked to it as well.
While much of this remains speculative, “Edge of Fate” strongly appears to be paving the way for Chicago to be its next major destination. Should this prove true, it would mark the culmination of nearly 12 years of anticipation and speculation that has spanned Destiny`s entire existence.