Over several seasons, Destiny 2 has blurred the line between good and evil in the battle between the Light and the Darkness. Yesterday’s enemies are today’s allies, and recently, we’ve seen the Cabal join forces with the Guardians alongside a new Eliksni house in defiance of the Witness and its grand scheme to bring about the Final Shape of the universe. While there’s still no shortage of threats out there, including the Taken, Red Legion remnants, and the Vex, humanity at least has a few allies in its corner now as we discovered in a roundtable chat with Destiny 2’s senior narrative designers.
So where does that leave the Hive? One of the most tenacious adversaries in Destiny 2, the Hive are currently experiencing major upheaval. The death-worshipping civilization has raged across the universe for millions of years, but the loss of several worm gods, the Taken King Oryx, and the Witch Queen Savathun has seen the Sword Logic belief structure of that species dealt several fatal blows.
Only Xivu Arath remains standing (for now), and so far, she has sought to focus her rage and grief on the Guardians throughout several seasons of Destiny 2. But is there any hope for her, and could we see her join our side in the fight against the Witness? Or will she shatter her sword in one final duel with the Light and its Guardians?
Major spoilers for Season of the Deep follow
According to Bungie, the Hive are experiencing the downfall of their species, as countless millennia of following the Sword Logic’s doctrine has seen that belief structure crumble when put to the test against the Guardians. “It’s kind of almost deprogramming happening because the sort of logic and everything that they believe is just a giant lie that they were given by the Witness to control them,” senior narrative designer Robert Brookes explained. “Seeing that their belief structure is crumbling is kind of a part of like the downfall of the Hive.”
As for Xivu Arath, the Hive’s war god has had a greater presence in Season of the Deep, and in the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon, we gained a deeper understanding of her through her memory fragments that were directed to Oryx. Don’t confuse her outbursts for undiluted rage and fury, however, as Bungie explained that Xivu Arath’s violent communication as a reflection of her passion for war.
“I think it can come across as this overwhelming rage and hatred when she’s screaming at you in the activity about how you’re going to clash swords or how she’s going to destroy you,” senior narrative designer Robert Brookes explained. “But I think one thing to kind of note is that hatred is actually more like a love of engaging in the ritual of war. To her, violence is love. It’s her way of showing her appreciation, showing her connection to whatever she’s engaged in combat with, and to this species that has cut a bloody swath through the universe for the past few millennia.”
Brookes added that the exposure to Xivu Arath in the dungeon shows a vulnerability to the character as she begins to question her sense of self, an idea that was mirrored in one of Savathun’s lore tabs as the Witch Queen began to experience similar emotions while posing as Osiris. Even if the Hive could one day join forces with the rest of humanity’s alliance against the universe–possibly led by a revived Savathun–the species will have some major amends to make after eons of genocidal conquest.
“Yeah, it’s really hard to look past the billion years of bad that they’ve done,” Brookes said.
Season of the Deep officially ends on August 22 and will be followed by the yet-to-be-revealed Season 22. That day will also see Bungie drop new details on the next expansion, The Final Shape, which will conclude the Light and Darkness saga of Destiny 2.
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