Episode Heresy \u2013 Act III arrived in Destiny 2<\/strong><\/em> last week, the final instalment of the three-part series continuing the story of Destiny 2<\/em> following the events of The Final Shape. One activity that Guardians will encounter this season is a revival of a classic mission from the original Destiny<\/em>.<\/p>\n The Sunless Cell is a strike that first appeared as part of The Taken King expansion for the original Destiny<\/em>, almost a decade ago. Of course, a lot has changed in terms of Destiny 2<\/em>\u2019s narrative and technological scopes \u2013 this content must stay true to its gameplay roots while also working in the modern sandbox of Destiny 2. Thankfully, this is a dance that Bungie has done many times now, and the studio is now a dab hand at the art of bringing back past content back and ensuring that it stands tall as a compelling addition to Destiny 2\u2019s <\/em>current storyline.<\/p>\n But what exactly goes into this process? Destiny 2<\/em> Design Lead Baldur Tangvald and Designer J. Valencia spoke to Wire to give us a look at the decision-making behind the revivals, choosing the right content from over ten years of story, and how to make it work for both old and new fans alike.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst we start by looking at aspects that make the strike unique or memorable, any standout moments or encounters, and how the strike flows,\u201d Valencia explains. \u201cThen we take the skeleton of the original strike and update encounters and mechanics to fit Destiny 2<\/em>\u2019s current sandbox experience, which allows for higher combatant density and new enemy types, while keeping the experience of the original.\u201d<\/p>\n Episode Heresy revolves heavily around the Hive \u2013 an ancient race in Destiny\u2019s universe that spawned many of its antagonists and enemy types. One major location is the Dreadnaught, a sprawling area crawling with Hive, which also serves as the setting for Heresy\u2019s ongoing The Nether activity as well as the original unless Cell strike. \u201cHeresy\u2019s heavy focus on the Hive within the Dreadnaught made this strike seem like a particularly good inclusion to serve as a beat in the story,\u201d Valencia added. \u201cEarly on in development we wanted to maximize the amount of space we could incorporate into The Nether activity with our efforts to update the Dreadnaught. The Founts area near the start of the strike had good space for combat and plenty of nooks and crannies required for The Nether, so we felt it was a good opportunity to expand on Heresy\u2019s arena activity, tell a stronger story, and inject some freshness into the strike playlist all at once.\u201d<\/p>\n The original Sunless Cell strike was a firm favourite among Destiny\u2019s earliest players, and while it now feels simpler than a lot of modern Destiny 2<\/em> strikes, some of its combat beats still feel unique and memorable today. In the original version, the boss fight against Alak-Hul, The Darkblade took place in total darkness, and as Tangvald recalls, \u201ccreated a hectic cat-and-mouse game with the boss that felt different and refreshing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe glow of Cursed Thrall heads and little Hive crystals in the pitch-black space gave it an extra cool vibe,\u201d he adds. \u201cThis unusual environmental element made for an interesting new set of combat pressures and challenges, and it very effectively communicated a sense of fear and danger. It\u2019s a knife fight in a dark closet, and there wasn\u2019t another strike boss quite like it.\u201d<\/p>\n Bungie\u2019s goal with the reprised version of the strike was to not only bring it in line with the modern Destiny 2<\/em> player experience, but also to weave in some of the new Hive variants that have been introduced to the narrative. The strike\u2019s original boss, Alak-Hul has been replaced by a powerful new Darkblade working alongside the mysterious Taken. Instead, Guardians must take down a powerful new Darkblade.<\/p>\n \u201cSunless Cell\u2019s boss fight is one of its most unique parts, making the Guardian feel hunted by Alak-Hul in the darkness,\u201d Valenica says. \u201cAnd although that feeling is still there in this reprise, the Guardians must now also contend with the Taken enemies inside the cell and prevent this new adversary from being Taken itself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the story surrounding the Guardians infiltrating the Sunless Cell has been updated to match the story and fit into the narrative for Heresy, I feel like the structure of the strike is still faithful to the original while throwing in a couple of surprises and making it challenging for today\u2019s sandbox.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, Destiny\u2019s decade-long tenure means that, in some cases, those who started out as fans of the game are now actively working on it themselves, with a hand in reinventing and reinvigorating their own fan-favorite moments for other players to experience for the second, or even first time.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout ten years ago I was singing praises for this particular strike during my [interviews to join Bungie],\u201d Tangvald tells us. \u201cWe\u2019re all excited to have it back, have strived to honor it and embrace its unique elements, and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we do!\u201d<\/p>\n Destiny 2: Heresy<\/em> is available now, play it on for free on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/2025_Heresy_Act3_Activities_LARGE_014-ef1af945be32f0597b12.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nOld Ground, New Tricks<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nA Fan Favorite<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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