The release of Destiny 2's Lightfall brought many positive changes to the game, however, one of the franchise's oldest and most venerated NPCs appears to have been left behind. Peddling his exotic wares since the very beginning of the first Destiny, Xur deserves some attention from Bungie. Following the release of Lightfall for Destiny 2 on February 28, fans have been exceedingly vocal about the highs and lows of the expansion.
While there are certain glaring issues surrounding the narrative and balance of difficulty, on the whole, Destiny 2's Lightfall is a success. The overhauls to the armor mod systems and shift in design philosophy for the Power Level grind are much-needed updates to Destiny's core systems, and the implementation of the Strand subclass along with the new zone, Neomura, show Bungie at the top of its craft. There will be much more to come over the course of Lightfall's seasonal content, but there is one aspect of the game in need of attention which Bungie has given no hints about whether it will update.
Xur is Past Due for an Update in Destiny 2
Since the halcyon days of the first game, Destiny 2's Xur has been every Guardian's weekend warrior in commerce, mysteriously appearing in random points across the playable universe from Friday until Tuesday, hocking some of the finest loot Destiny has to offer. A staple of the franchise, Xur has been there since the very beginning, though is comparably obscure to the game's other pivotal NPCs. Xur has received some loving care over the course of the franchise's tender, but the release of Lightfall seems to have left them trapped in the past.
The 30th-anniversary content included in Season of the Lost for Destiny 2 built out the lore and prominence of Xur in a fantastic way. Pairing the merchant with Starhorse, The Horse From Beyond the Cosmos, in a game show-themed activity produced Destiny 2's Dares of Eternity, the most irreverent and endearing content to date. It was a great tribute to a figure that has been there since Destiny's inception but had always existed on the periphery. Building out the Dares of Eternity activity along with Xur's treasure hoard would be a great way to bring Xur back to his former prominence. As it stands currently, it appears fairly low on Bungie's list of priorities, but something should be done to update the iconic exotic peddler.
The occasional updates to Xur have all been favorable among Destiny 2's fans, with their wares expanded to include previous seasons' Legendary gear, as well as the weekly Xenology quest for an Exotic Cipher. Xur's list of possible locations has not had an update in a while, and many assumed he would take up residence in the new patrol zone of Neomura. Being a live-service game, there is hope that Bungie will show Xur some much-needed attention in the weeks to come, but the newest expansion for Destiny 2 has yet to show any attention to everybody's favorite Agent of the Nine.
Almost every Guardian in Destiny and Destiny 2 has a fond memory of Xur. Whether it was finally acquiring the Exotic weapon they had been unable to procure elsewhere or getting a perfect roll on a piece of armor from the weekly exotic engram, Xur has been there as a lifeline to otherwise unlucky gamers. What Bungie has in store for Xur's future is unclear, but it remains abundantly evident that the shadowy loot merchant deserves to be brought up to Destiny 2's most current content.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.