How Will ‘Destiny 2’ Honor Lance Reddick And Use Zavala Going Forward?

The Destiny community is still reeling from the loss of Lance Reddick, the actor who died this week aged just 60, after voicing the game’s Commander Zavala for nearly a decade. While that’s in addition to his many other roles, it was Destiny that stood out in a statement released by his family, as they saw in-game vigils being held for him.

“Lance loved you as much as he loved the game,” the message read. His in-game profile indicated that he had only played Destiny 2 the previous evening.

Now there are two questions about Reddick and Zavala going forward, which are separate questions.

First, it’s Bungie’s way of honoring the man himself, the actor who brought Zavala to life for nearly a decade. I certainly expect some sort of crest to be issued in his honor, or perhaps Zavala merchandise with proceeds going to his favorite charity. I’ve heard a more detailed idea of ​​a full Zavala-themed armor set, and I think the circumstances might call for something other than just an emblem.

But then, there’s Commander Zavala himself, as the game is at a bit of a heartbreak where you can still walk up to Zavala and hear Reddick’s voice. He is the main NPC of the entire franchise. What’s going on from here?

No, I don’t believe that Zavala will be changed. No chance. Yes, it’s true that many major roles in Destiny’s history have gone through new voice actors, including his fellow Vanguards, Cayde-6 and Ikora. But I don’t believe they would remake Zavala after nine years and the tragic circumstances of Reddick’s death. Nor do I expect them to do any AI shenanigans with his voice that might be considered disrespectful.

My guess is how this will be resolved is that Zavala will be written out of the Fate story. That the character will indeed meet his end, no doubt in some heroic way. What’s not clear right now is how much work Reddick may have already recorded for future content, or if something like the story of The Final Shape, next year’s expansion, is already set in stone.

This absolutely cannot be something done off screen in a lore book or blog. I believe Bungie should write Zavala a heroic ending worthy of Reddick’s decade-long run. There are many ways to write something like this using either no dialogue from Zavala himself, or maybe relying on some bits of existing dialogue from the thousands and thousands of lines Reddick had previously recorded. I’m sure there is a way to do this well, and I believe Bungie will find that way. But no, I don’t believe Bungie will keep Zavala in the game long beyond what Reddick has already captured, certainly not with a mod or AI.

I think Lance would be pleased to see him honored at the Tower. It’s not going to end anytime soon, and there are already plans for this season to hand over the Guardian Games to the Titans in his honor (ironically, Reddick used to lead Warlock as a player). I expect Bungie to first release some sort of tribute to Reddick personally in the coming weeks, and then likely have a broader discussion with the community about Zavala’s role going forward. No matter what happens, it’s an immortal performance that no Destiny player will ever forget.

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