In a massive reveal on Destiny 2, Bungie studio dropped a bombshell on the community-now erupting in shatters on some moments. The big announcement had two announcement: release of the Ash & Iron update and an expansion with a Star Wars vibe, called Renegades, on the 2nd of December. Yes, you did read this right. Star Wars. In Destiny.

So, what exactly are the updates? The Ash & Iron update is now out, throwing all sorts of new content at the players, maybe new guns, maybe a brand-new kind of activity. You know, the stuff that our live service games do best. But the real headline here is the Renegades expansion. Somewhat “Star Wars inspired,” instead of lightsabers and stormtrooper armor, players are festering in thoughts of maybe a little force lightning down here in Destiny! The reactions showed… well, people were feeling a whole lot of things.

The announcement tweet from PlayStation generated countless mixed reactions. Some players were excited about it while @Sgeenns commented, “Excited for this! Can’t wait to dive into the Ash & Iron update today and gear up for the Star Wars-inspired Renegades expansion in December!” That is exactly the positivity Bungie is hoping for. Another user just straight up said, “@HeyoPlays Renegades look amazing.”

On the other hand… then, there was the other side. Most of the other replies were just salt and confusion. @Lucky13X expressed almost the shock felt by many: “@PlayStation No way. Star Wars!?” A completely understandable question, really. Destiny has its own lore, with the Light, the Darkness, the Traveler, all that jazz. To throw in Star Wars would be, to put it mildly, a choice.

And confusion was soon followed by concern. @Grapesoda5000 sought to take the legal approach:@PlayStationWhat in the Copyright Infringement Hell!I cannot really disagree with that. “Inspired by” is one thing; if we start seeing blatant X-Wings or lightsabers that look eerily familiar, then the alert notifications will begin being received by Disney’s lawyers.

Then, of course, the group that appears to be… done with Destiny. At least, this announcement could have been the final straw to any of the previously suppressed frustrations. The hashtag @SirMcVibes went full force: “@PlayStation Fire everyone at Bungie and completely shut down the servers this game is a dying mistake.” Ouch, that hurt. Another user, @MrMayhem3339, said plainly, “@PlayStation This is getting really sad,” and that hits quite differently. It was just disappointed; it was not angry.

What is possibly the most interesting is that another group, strangely, seemed to have seen more of the content of the expansion. @ELDonCaracoL responded with what, by all accounts, was pretty outrageous detail to another user: “Shoot seeing drifter get the Carbonite treatment got me bricked ,,, that and the vex wearing clothes and commiting crime.” Wait, what? Drifter in carbonite? Like Han Solo? And the Vex committing crimes? Are they doing heists now? Does not sound like inspired, that sounds more like outright parody. And in that same thread, @JaimeSono chimed in: “LIGHTSABERS!!” If true, that’s going to set the internet aflame.

It’s very clear that Bungie is making a very large risk. After years of expansions that revolved around its own lore-Forsaken, The Witch Queen, Lightfall-to suddenly jump into a pop culture crossover is a big risk. Some, like @sfwest101, admitted that they only clicked because they thought it was a Star Wars game, claiming that they have not been interested in Destiny since 2017. While this shoot might try holding a wider demographic, it does put alienation of the hardcore audience on the table.

The sharpest critique probably came from @voceprofetica: “@PlayStation When you start dressing up in other universes, it means your own is already dead.” That is basically a philosophical burn. It suggests that borrowing from another mega-franchise is a sign that Bungie has run out of ideas for its own world.

But is the game really “dead” or “a dying mistake,” as some claim? @RednewMaia jumped in, speaking out for the game against the attacks: “no its not dead and Destiny Rising proves that.” So, clearly, there is another viewpoint right there. The game is still alive for millions, who log in each day, nowhere near being shut down.

Ultimately, this move feels very much like Bungie’s Hail Mary pass. Live service is tough, and keeping players engaged for years requires something forever “shocking” to come along. One could definitely argue that `Star Wars-themed expansion’ falls under the category of shocking. This could either be an excellent move to bring in a new golden age for Destiny 2 or a sign of developers lost in space. We shall find out the fate of the Renegades expansion on December 2nd. The debate is going to be red hot right now.