Recently on a developer roundtable, Bungie hinted that the next big threat Guardians will face in Destiny 2 will be the Vex. In an article written by Shacknews’ Sam Chandler, senior Narrative Designers Nikko Stevens and Robert Brookes had many things to say about the Vex, with one of the biggest takeaways being, “I think once Final Shape concludes, the Vex might be in a position to do some more stuff.”
Many people, including several notable content creators, have voiced their scepticism at this insinuation. The most common talking points around the Vex seem to be that they are the filler enemy type, the baddies you wheel in when the “real story” is taking a break for a season, or that people would just prefer a brand new enemy race to fight. While both of these points are completely valid, I do believe that they are skimming over a lot of missed potential in the Vex, a potential that may be allowed to grow and flourish once we’re past this era of the Light and Dark.
As such, here’s why I’m very excited to potentially see more Vex-focused storylines in the next era of Destiny 2, with the hope that some of you may come away with the same enthusiasm or intrigue regarding our one-eyed mechanical friends.
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Light, Dark… Radiolarian?
Perhaps the biggest reason why the Vex has been so absent recently, to the point where they’re seen as ‘filler’ villains, is their place in the current Destiny timeline and universe. Compared to every other enemy, or even allied race, they have a distinct lack of investment in who wins the Light and Dark war.
Let’s look at the Hive for comparison’s sake, arguably the most prevalent enemy race in Destiny history. The Hive, and by proxy the Taken, are intrinsically linked to the Dark and Light, with it even being revealed in The Witch Queen that their hatred for the Light was fed to them so they would become pawns of the Witness. As a race, the Hive will never be able to escape their involvement with the Darkness which, in this current saga, has led to some of the most incredible moments in the entirety of the game, but may result in some hiccups in a world where that focal point doesn’t exist.
On the opposite side, we have the Eliksni and the Cabal. The former has far deeper and tighter bonds to Humanity and the Gardener, what with the Whirlwind and their abandonment from the Traveler being a key point of contention in many Fallen-centric stories, but even the war-hungry conquers seem to be placing their bets on the Light. Over the last few years, the peoples of Sol have sunk deeper into this conflict, one that the Vex has stayed largely uninterested in.
Of course, some subsections care about the outcome – the Sol Divisive, the Vex who worship the Witness and dwell within the Black Garden, being the most obvious – but the Vex as a whole stand at a crossroads with everything else. In many ways this has significantly dulled their impact or place within the story, resulting in that filler feeling whenever they roll onto the scene.
The Witness and the Sol Divisive
I would argue a slightly more optimistic spin. Without being shackled to the Light and Dark like so many other races are (the Hive, Taken and Fallen, specifically) they have much more room to grow once we move past them. They won’t have to be pigeonholed into one type of story or another, nor will they have to untangle themselves from that framework to function in the next saga.
I highly expect that the first few seasons, perhaps even the first major expansion, post-Final Shape will be centred on the fallout of the Witness and whatever happens to the Light and Dark. We’ll likely be checking up on our allies and how the events of the expansion shaped their worldview, so positioning the Vex as these undeterred opportunistic interlopers who can use that moment of chaos to their advantage is a spark of brilliance. Then, from there, the opportunities for them are almost endless once they step into their own as primary antagonists.
The Vex’s detachment from the Light and Dark has been their biggest strength and most damning weakness. If Bungie can pull it off, I think the long wait for Vex-centric stories will have been well worth the wait.
Birth of the Machine
Cut Off the Hydra’s Head
Another big thing with the Vex is their lack of a figurehead. This topic has come up several times in the past, the most notable of which was in a video by Destiny Lore YouTuber My name is Byf.
When you think of the Hive, whose ugly mug do you conjure in your mind? Oryx? Savathun? No matter which character pops into your head it’s important to note that they are characters: in comparison, the Vex have always been soulless machines, perfect beings of mechanical might. They have no real voice to speak of. How do you give character to a hivemind hellbent on their own self-preservation, a faction which dwells outside the current understanding of Light or Darkness?
It’s this lack of a connection that’s left the Vex so at odds with the rest of Destiny’s antagonists. Without a voice to speak for them – whether it be a Savathun, a Caiatl, a Mithrax, or whoever – we cannot formulate any sort of connection to them. We can hear about their devious nature, about how dangerous they are and the threat they pose, but they won’t be anything more than tin soldiers if we don’t have someone to look to. Without someone to hate or someone to try and redeem, they lack a core glue that the rest of Destiny’s races have.
A Regal Figurehead
That’s not to say that it’s impossible, though. During Season of the Splicer, we met and fought the Taken Vex Mind Quria. The most interesting part about that conflict was the hints of personality Quria had, specifically in the hidden messages left she left us in the weekly missions: Quria would scold you, beckon you, taunt you even, things we have yet to see from the Vex before or since. You could certainly argue that this personality came more from Quria being Taken than it being a Vex, but nevertheless, it was an exciting moment and a window into what could be with the Vex.
Can you imagine a Vex storyline where they manage to program a new unit more akin to the Exos? Having a being to talk to, one who could try and explain or justify the mentality of creatures so logically driven would be a massive step forward. These types of logistical characters have existed since storytelling began and I think it’s time that the Vex got their own spin on it. I honestly think that with the right story and the right direction, the Vex and their leader could become the most formidable foe we’ve ever seen in Sol.
Whether we see the Vex take up this mantle post-Final Shape is obviously up in the air: they haven’t had a face for 9 years so why change things now? There’s a lot of risk that comes with it, the biggest thing of all is scrubbing away what makes the Vex, well, the Vex in favour of a replacement cyborg Oryx. However, if they can do it, and I believe Bungie can, it would add a whole lot to the Vex, something that they’re missing right now.
Quria, Blade Transformed
Timey-Wimey Madness
The Vex have one big advantage over enemy races like the Hive or the Fallen: they’re time travellers. Aside from just being really cool, time travel has been a very big deal in Destiny since the beginning, resulting in some of the most memorable events in the franchise’s history.
Through the Vex and their shenanigans involving time, we’ve seen and experienced a lot. Between the time-hopping adventures in the Vault of Glass where you would bounce back and forth between different timelines, trying to avoid Gorgons who could rip you from the loom of reality with a single glance, to the horrifying fates of Kabr, Pahanin, Asher and more, the Vex and their relation to time opens so many doors for Destiny. Doors which, unfortunately, have remained shut for a long time.
It’s understandable, of course. Our last big foray into time was to revive Saint-14 and put an end to our own death in the Corridors of Time: just thanks to the trajectory of where we’ve gone since then, there hasn’t been much room for the Vex to squeeze their way in. With the Witness and the Flower Game out of the way, though, the endless stream of possibilities related to the Vex and their time travelling can come back into focus.
The Glass Throne
Imagine stepping back in time for a Destiny 2 season. Exploring the legends of our solar system is a very compelling hook to get us into the next saga. For as long as Destiny has been around we’ve been longing to explore different eras and important events that we’ve only been able to experience through Grimoire Cards. What was it really like during the Dark Ages, who were the Warlords and what could we learn from them (or them from us)? What about legendary battles like Twilight Gap or the Battle of Six Fronts? Destiny’s history is so rich with stories that it’s almost impossible to go wrong with this idea.
Or how about we go forward in time, instead? What if, through the Vex, we could explore realities where we failed? Realities where things went differently, resulting in a world we think we know, but one with just enough wrong to make out skin crawl – a world where the Witness wins, where Oryx succeeded, where Cayde never died. We could get remixes of characters, locations, and weapons: imagine new versions of famous Exotics, with the same feel but as a completely different weapon, all made possible with the Vex’s ability to traverse time itself.
Of course, this may lend itself to some pandering and fan service which could get very out of hand. Time travel and multiple-universe aren’t something to be taken lightly and although Destiny is no stranger to either idea, they’ve almost always been on the periphery. Bringing them into the light could result in some unintended consequences.
There is a mountain of potential sitting underneath the Vex and their portals. I just hope that post The Final Shape we’ll get to step through a few more.
Heartless, Soulless, Endless
A Promise Made
I’ve spent a lot of this article talking up the promise of the Vex and what they could be or could do because that’s mainly what they are: potential. Compared to the Hive or the Fallen or even the Cabal, the Vex are an untapped gold mine.
As I eluded to, I think stories focused around the Hive or the Fallen are going to struggle in the next era. So much of their identity revolves around this current conflict, about where they stand on the Light and Dark scale, and I think it’s going to be a messy job trying to decouple them from that. Sure, there are paths for them to go down – the fate of Xivu Arath in The Final Shape and whether she lives on being one such example – but it isn’t going to be a simple thing.
But part of me thinks that’s good. These enemies have been the focus for so long. I mean, just look at the Hive’s portfolio: they have the most beloved expansions under their belt, the most incredible lore, the most memorable villains and, honestly, the most impact on the world of Destiny as a whole. I’m looking forward to another enemy race getting that type of focus, especially because it’s one that languished at the edge of the stage for so long.
Execute Without Delay
No matter which way Bungie plans on taking the Vex in Destiny 2’s future, I’m just excited to see them getting the spotlight. Their lore, the mystery around them and how different they are from every other Destiny race have set them apart for so long, to the point where they couldn’t naturally filter into the main storyline. With that out of the way and greener pastures on the horizon, the door has opened for some truly spectacular stories and gameplay opportunities revolving around everything the Vex have to offer.
Or we could have another Curse of Osiris… hopefully, we don’t get that.
