This Star Wars–inspired design could save Destiny 2

I thought I was done with Destiny 2. Years of resets, grinds, and confusing lore updates left me drifting. But today, Bungie revealed the first details and art for Renegades, and visually, it’s unlike anything we’ve seen from the game. One glance at the new imagery and you can see it: Destiny is having its Star Wars moment. In fact, Bungie proudly says this is a "Star Wars™–inspired expansion", little ^TM included.

Take the new hub, Tharsis Outpost. The reveal image doesn’t just show another Tower reskin; it’s a cantina. A smoky den of rogues where Guardians rub shoulders with the galaxy's scum and villainy, blasters at their hips, maybe, Syndicate banners hanging overhead. The giant, humming machine in the background isn’t just set dressing; it frames the space like a set piece pulled straight from a Lucasfilm matte painting.

And then there’s the promo art of the three Guardians striding across a desert world. You don’t need to squint to see the parallels: twin suns, rust-red sand, ramshackle outposts in the background. The cloaked Hunter in the middle practically channels a gunslinger silhouette, cape caught in the breeze, sidearm at the ready. The whole composition screams Ralph McQuarrie. The art is a deliberate nod to the outlaw fantasy Bungie is now embracing, and it's a visual that manages to pair back the game's heavy lore, a new space I can envisage having fun in.

A galaxy we know

What strikes me most is how Renegades tweaks Bungie's usual clean, epic sci-fi aesthetic for a new used universe. Armour here feels more scavenged than issued, patched cloaks, asymmetrical plating, helmets that look closer to Mandalorian visors than Vanguard issue. Even the new Blaster archetype is designed to look distinct: chunky, heat-vented weapons that echo classic sci-fi props but feel grounded in Destiny’s visual language.

This shift matters. Destiny has always been visually stunning, but it's also very polished, possibly too uniform. It's Foundation to Lucas' pulpy, worn universe. Renegades deliberately breaks the series' sheen with grit and swagger. It’s not just about fighting Cabal anymore, it’s about being seen as a renegade, an outlaw in a galaxy that suddenly feels bigger, rougher, and more dangerous.

Art and gameplay combine

New gameplays riff on the space-western feel, and even ideas found in Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws, such as building reputation amongst the game's new Syndicate factions and through a Notoriety system, which rewards with new weapons, including a new Blaster class.

Missions are now 'smuggling, bounty hunting, and sabotage'. Iconic Star Wars locations inspire the three planets and six maps – Bungie's not hiding its inspiration, and I love it even more.

I might have stepped away from Destiny 2’s endless grind. But looking at these images – the cantina hub, the desert standoff, the scuffed-up armor – I feel that old pull again. Bungie isn’t just building another expansion; it’s reshaping the sci-fi fantasy it already has, and the fantasy looks cooler than ever.

Bungie had a hard time with Marathon's controversial new look, but Destiny 2 has always led the way artistically. Inspired? Read our guide to the best digital art software and design your own Star Wars-inspired worlds.