Destiny 2 is weird. Honestly, it's a game where we spend half our time killing gods and the other half trying to figure out why a hive god is talking to us through a radio. Season of the Swamp, officially known to most as Season of the Witch, remains one of the most mechanically dense and lore-heavy pivots Bungie ever pulled off. It wasn't just about the muck and the green glow. It was about Eris Morn basically turning into a god to out-god Xivu Arath.
People call it the "swamp season" for a reason. The aesthetics were drenched in Hive gothic. If you weren't knee-deep in Savathûn’s Spire, you were probably wondering why the deck of cards in your inventory was more important than your actual guns.
Why Season of the Swamp Changed the Power Dynamic
The narrative stakes here were actually insane. We’ve spent years fearing the Hive gods. Then, suddenly, we’re helpng Eris Morn undergo this brutal transformation. She didn't just put on a costume; she became the Hive God of Vengeance. This wasn't some "power of friendship" trope. It was dark. It was messy. It felt like the game finally acknowledged that to beat a monster, you might actually have to become one, even if it’s just for a few months.
Basically, the whole point was to tithe power to Eris. Every time you punched a thrall in the face, a little bit of that "juice" went to her so she could eventually challenge Xivu Arath. It’s a wild concept when you think about it—a pyramid scheme of cosmic violence.
The Deck of Whispers was Kinda Brilliant
Remember the cards? The Deck of Whispers was a massive departure from the standard "upgrade a grid" mechanic we usually see in seasonal content. You had to find these Opaque Cards. Some were in the world, some were rewards. Once you had them, you built a deck.
It added a layer of RNG that actually felt meaningful. If you pulled the "Blades" card during a run of Savathûn's Spire, your melee damage went through the roof. It made the repetitive nature of seasonal activities feel... less repetitive? Sort of. You've probably had those runs where the right card combo made you feel like an absolute tank, and others where you just got unlucky. That’s the nature of the swamp.
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Navigating Savathûn's Spire and the Altars of Summoning
If you were playing during Season of the Swamp, you spent a lot of time in these two activities. Savathûn's Spire was the more traditional six-player-ish experience (though it was actually three-player, it felt busier). It was a vertical climb. Lots of platforming. Lots of crystals.
Then you had the Altars of Summoning. This was basically a "choose your own difficulty" arena. You could deposit different tiers of offerings.
- Feeble Offerings were for a quick, easy clear.
- Robust Offerings upped the ante.
- Powerful Offerings were... well, they were a nightmare if your blueberries didn't know how to handle the mechanics.
The density of enemies in Altars was some of the highest we'd seen in the game up to that point. It was a chaotic mess of green fire and Hive wizards. Honestly, it was the best place to test out new builds because the game just kept throwing bodies at you.
Misconceptions About the Hive Tithes
A lot of players got confused about how the tithing actually worked for the "Season of the Swamp" progression. You weren't just killing things; you were engaging in a specific ritualistic loop. The "Tithe" wasn't a currency you spent at a vending machine. It was a narrative device reflected in the ritual table in the HELM.
One thing people get wrong: they think you needed to max out every single card to finish the story. You didn't. But if you wanted the "Haruspex" title, you were in for a long grind of finding every hidden card tucked away in the corners of the Spire.
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The Exotic Mission: Obonata and the Wish-Dragon Connection
We can't talk about this era without mentioning the Exotic Mission. These missions are usually the highlight of any Destiny season, and this one didn't disappoint. It tied back into the larger arc of the 15th Wish.
Bungie has this habit of planting seeds years in advance. The Season of the Swamp was essentially the bridge. We went from "How do we get into the Traveler?" to "Oh, we need to talk to a dead dragon's spirit." It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud, but in the moment, the atmosphere was peak Destiny. The music, the lighting—everything felt heavy.
The Weapons That Actually Mattered
Let's talk loot. Because honestly, that's why we’re all here. The seasonal weapons had a very specific "taken" and "hive" aesthetic.
- Brya's Love: A precision frame scout rifle. Not everyone’s favorite, but with the right roll (Keep Away/Explosive Payload), it put in work.
- The Eremite: This high-impact fusion rifle was a monster. Envious Assassin and Controlled Burst made it a top-tier DPS option for a long time.
- Locus Locutus: A sniper rifle that felt surprisingly snappy in PvP, though snipers were in a weird spot back then.
The Exotic weapon, Ex Diris, was... divisive. An arc grenade launcher that functioned like a Hive Boomer. It was fun to use, sure. But was it meta? Not really. It was more of a "I want to feel like a Knight" power fantasy than a "I need to melt a boss in three seconds" tool.
Expert Tips for Revisiting These Mechanics
If you're looking back at the content or engaging with similar "ritual" loops in current Destiny 2 iterations, there are a few things to keep in mind. The game has moved on, but the DNA of Season of the Swamp is everywhere.
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First, pay attention to elemental surges. In activities like the Spire, matching your subclass to the daily or weekly surge wasn't just a suggestion; it was the difference between a 10-minute run and a 20-minute slog.
Second, don't ignore the minor arcana. Those small buffs on the Deck of Whispers might seem insignificant, but they stacked. Finding the hidden cards often required elemental triggers—shooting a hive rune with a solar weapon, then a void weapon, etc. It paid to be observant.
The Legacy of Eris Morn's Transformation
The ending of the season was one of the most cinematic moments in the game's history. Eris, at the height of her power, essentially "cut" Xivu Arath out of her own throne world. She didn't kill her. She made her mortal. It was a big-brain move that shifted the entire power dynamic of the universe.
It also showed that Eris is probably the most resilient character in the franchise. She’s lost her eyes, her ghost, and her fireteam, yet she’s the one who stood toe-to-toe with a god of war and won by outsmarting her.
Actionable Steps for Players
If you're catching up on lore or looking to optimize your gameplay in similar high-density activities:
- Focus on Crowd Control: In activities with high enemy density (like the Altars), builds centered around Threadlings, Ignitions, or Voltshot are non-negotiable. You need to clear the floor fast or you'll get overwhelmed.
- Check the Quest Archive: If you missed the narrative beats, check the terminal in the Tower or the HELM. Sometimes you can pick up the introductory quests to see the cutscenes and get a feel for the atmospheric shifts.
- Farm Fusion Rifles: If you ever see The Eremite available through the Banshee-44 rotation or the Exotic Mission Rotator, grab it. High-impact fusions with Controlled Burst remain some of the most consistent special weapon damage dealers in the game.
- Review the Lore Books: Read "The Book of Conjuring." It provides the actual context for why we were doing these rituals. It explains the "logic" of the swamp in a way the dialogue sometimes glosses over.
The Season of the Swamp wasn't just a filler chapter. It was a mechanical experiment that gave us one of the best seasonal stories to date. It proved that Destiny is at its best when it leans into the weird, the dark, and the ritualistic.