Discover how Destiny 2 The Final Shape originally had a different ending, revealed through newly released cinematics from before the delay.
Destiny 2’s latest expansion, The Final Shape, was released on June 4, 2024, following a delay announced by Bungie in 2023. Originally slated for a February 2024 release, the highly anticipated expansion faced a four-month delay, with fans eagerly awaiting its arrival.
Related: Bungie Teases Destiny 2 Codename Frontiers For 2025
With the expansion now available, Bungie has unveiled the full artwork for The Final Shape, showcasing never-before-seen and unused concept art for the new destination, Salvation’s Edge raid, key art, and more. We have compiled all the newly-released artwork for The Final Shape which you can check out here.
This artwork provides an intriguing glimpse into the creative process behind the expansion, revealing alternative designs and ideas that didn’t make it into the final version.
Spoiler Warning!
This article contains spoilers for Destiny 2: The Final Shape ending.
How Destiny 2 The Final Shape’s Delay Changed Its Ending
In addition to the artwork, Bungie also released footage of The Final Shape, showcasing visual effects, and animations from the Destiny 2 development team. Among the shared videos is a video titled, “Ghost shipping cut” from Jacob Saunderson, VFX artist at Bungie.
According to the video description on YouTube, it looks like this version of the cinematic was part of the original ending for the expansion before it was delayed, which contrasts significantly with the final product. The video description reads, “The Shipping pass of a version of the 880 cinematic from before TFS delay.”
The cinematic in question is played after the 12-player Excision mission. In the pre-delay version, our Guardian revives their dead Ghost using both the Light and Darkness.
However, the final release of The Final Shape features a very different ending. In this version, the beloved character Cayde-6 sacrifices himself to revive our Ghost. Based on the details at hand, it seems the decision to have Cayde-6 sacrifice himself in the final release was a post-delay change to the story.
Related: The Final Shape Becomes Destiny 2’s Highest-Rated Expansion On Steam
This ending not only alters the narrative impact but also adds an emotional layer, as fans witness the return and ultimate sacrifice of a character who has been a cornerstone of the Destiny universe.
Check out both the pre and post-delay cinematics below.
Update, June 18, 1:50 pm PT: It appears the original video was removed from YouTube. However, you can watch it on Destiny Bulletin’s YouTube channel below.
In other news, The Final Shape expansion sparked a massive 86% increase in player count on PlayStation, according to a new report. What do you think about the cut ending for The Final Shape? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Destiny 2 The Final Shape is now available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.