Destiny's Tower Is Not Closing
By Anthony Taormina 17 September 2016
Despite lots of speculation among some fans, Bungie confirms that the Tower will not be closing after the launch of Destiny‘s Year 3 expansion, Rise of Iron.
When developer Bungie first revealed the upcoming Destiny: Rise of Iron expansion, rumors and speculation began at a rapid pace. Some were theorizing about how to get weapons and gear, while others continue to theorize about the final boss in the Wrath of the Machine raid.
But one of the more interesting Destiny theories that popped up in the weeks before Rise of Iron’s launch suggested that the Tower might be closing. Why exactly Bungie might close its most popular and iconic social space was impossible to justify, and yet those rumors continued to persist.
The key supporter of the Tower closing theory was the introduction of a new social space in Rise of Iron. Many figured that Bungie would try to urge players towards this new social space, called Felwinters Peak, rather than fracture the player population.
Look how things turned out with The Reef, for example. The Reef was supposed to be a second social space for players to spend their time, but very few used it if they weren’t completing Challenge of Elders bounties or picking up Trials of Osiris passages. These new theories suggested that Bungie might want to avoid the Tower/Reef split by closing the Tower altogether.
In all seriousness, though, the rumor had some legs, but Bungie has now stepped in to set the record straight. No, the Tower will not be closing with the launch of Destiny: Rise of Iron. That means players will still be able to visit the Gunsmith, buy legendary engrams, and do all of the usual tasks that have become part of the regular Destiny routine…with one exception.
.@BrandonJSwann The Tower will not be closed at launch of Rise of Iron. You gain a social space. You do not lose one.— DeeJ (@DeeJ_BNG) September 17, 2016
Bungie did confirm that ‘The True Meaning of War’ Crucible bounty will be going away in Rise of Iron, in place of new ways to earn endgame level rewards. What exactly those new ways might be is unclear, but those who were hoping to finish a Crucible weekly should be aware of the change. However, if you do have a completed weekly bounty in your inventory, you will be able to turn it in for some sort of reward after Rise of Iron. We just don’t know what it will be.
It seems funny now to consider that some Destiny players actually believed the Tower was closing, but when excitement levels get to a certain point even the most farfetched and game-changing of theories gain traction. Thankfully, the beloved Tower is not going anywhere and presumably neither are the regular NPC residents, including Xur. Still, it will be interesting to see what the Rise of Iron social space adds to convince players to visit.
Destiny: Rise of Iron releases September 20, 2016 for PS4 and Xbox One.
