The Destiny 2 community is often a hotbed of rumors and leaks. However, one rumor in particular has been slowly gaining traction over the past few weeks. Newly discovered assets hint at the return of what is perhaps the most iconic weapon in Destiny history. I’m referring, of course, to the Thunderlord Exotic heavy machine gun.
Destiny 2 Thunderlord Rumors
How exactly the Thunderlord will make its Destiny 2 debut isn’t yet known. However, there’s strong evidence to suggest such a debut is indeed coming despite a lack of official confirmation from Bungie. You can refer to this report from Polygon for a more in-depth analysis, but here’s the basic gist:
- A hidden classified heavy Exotic weapon has been added to the in-game Collections tab as of patch 2.0.4.
- References to the Feeding Frenzy perk, one of Thunderlord’s original perks, have been discovered in the Destiny 2 game files.
- Data mined audio files point to a new upcoming mission set in the Cosmodrome, an area from the original Destiny.
The Cosmodrome has a clear but not-widely-known connection to the Thunderlord Exotic weapon. Back in 2013, the Cosmodrome served as a setpiece for Destiny’s initial unveiling. During that unveiling, Bungie also unveiled Destiny’s very first Exotic item: the Thunderlord. If Destiny 2 players are heading back to the Cosmodrome, there’s a chance it will be to reclaim the Thunderlord.
A separate rumor suggests the Cosmodrome mission is part of the upcoming Festival of the Lost murder mystery. If the Thunderlord is indeed a Festival of the Lost reward, it will be the only light machine gun in Destiny 2. However, this December’s Black Armory mini-expansion will bring back the light machine gun weapon type in full.
As of this writing, any talk of the Thunderlord in Destiny 2 is pure speculation. However, the evidence is pretty hard to ignore at this point. One way or another, Destiny 2 players will likely be wielding a newly improved version of the Thunderlord soon enough.