Ethan Crossfield 
In the wider esports and live-service landscape, player momentum matters—especially when a major franchise reaches a turning point. Destiny 2’s final Monument of Triumph update has sparked fresh story speculation by hiding a secret sequence with Zavala, followed by an interaction involving Lodi and a threatening, unknown presence that appears to set up the next chapter fans want: Destiny 3.
What’s in Monument of Triumph’s hidden sequence
Destiny 2’s Monument of Triumph update—described as the game’s new and final content update—includes a secret cutscene that begins in the Tower. Players encounter Zavala as he reflects on what duty has meant to him and how it has shaped his life. With the world feeling more peaceful than before, Zavala makes a decision to step down as the Vanguard’s Commander.
The moment doesn’t end there. Ikora enters the scene and is asked to take on the mantle, implying a leadership transition within the Vanguard. While the exact scope of Zavala’s future role is unclear, the narrative beat is clearly positioned as something that deserves continuation rather than a clean wrap-up.
From there, the update expands into a second, story-heavy interaction. Players can travel to the EDZ and reach the Traveler’s Shard, then find a Taken portal and approach it. This leads them to the Traveler’s Shard, where Lodi is present and is used as a vessel—similar to how the Nine have used him before. However, the voice that speaks is not identified in the update as a known source; instead, it’s described as an “unknown voice.”
The unknown voice and why fans think it points to The Winnower
The voice’s dialogue centers on a final confrontation involving the Guardian. Based on the entities referenced in the source context—an entity associated with prior conversations involving Oryx and The Witness, and one that participated in the Flower Game with the Gardener—this unknown speaker is most likely The Winnower.
That matters because the cutscene sequence is framed as a turning point for Destiny 2’s Fate Saga. The source suggests that the story was heading toward an end involving the binding of the Nine, but that The Winnower’s arrival reframes the threat level and positions the ultimate danger as something even larger.
In other words, the hidden content doesn’t just deliver lore—it actively shifts expectations for where the franchise’s next arc could land.
How players trigger it—and what the community is doing next
The cutscene is not immediately accessible. To unlock Zavala’s sequence and then the later dialogue with The Winnower, players must complete seven Triumphs located in the Monument of Triumph tab (specifically referenced as the “top-left” Triumphs across different sections). After meeting that condition, players can watch the cutscene by interacting with a shard of the Traveler in the Tower and waiting until evening.
To trigger the subsequent interaction tied to The Winnower, players then need to travel to the EDZ—particularly The Sludge—and move through the forest route that leads to the Traveler’s Shard from the Red War. A Taken portal is found there, and interacting with it starts the sequence.
Outside the lore, the community’s push for Destiny 3 remains visible. The source notes a Destiny 3 petition that has amassed a large number of unique signatures, along with social hashtags trending in support of the idea. It also highlights that Monument of Triumph demand has been high enough to cause server and login issues, reflecting strong engagement as the franchise approaches its next phase.
Key points
- Monument of Triumph contains a secret Tower cutscene featuring Zavala and a leadership handoff request to Ikora.
- A follow-up sequence in the EDZ uses Lodi as a vessel, but the speaking entity is presented as an unknown voice.
- The dialogue about a final Guardian confrontation strongly suggests The Winnower as the speaker.
- Unlocking the content requires completing seven specific Triumphs and then interacting with Traveler shards and a Taken portal.
| Element | What the source confirms |
|---|---|
| Update name | Monument of Triumph (described as Destiny 2’s new and last content update) |
| Secret cutscene location | Tower, then EDZ at the Traveler’s Shard via a Taken portal |
| Key characters involved | Zavala, Ikora, Lodi, and an unknown voice likely linked to The Winnower |
| Unlock conditions | Complete seven “top-left” Triumphs, then interact with a Traveler shard and wait until evening; later use EDZ portal interaction |
Expert View
For the live-service scene, this kind of “final update” storytelling is more than fan service—it’s a signal. The structure of Monument of Triumph suggests Destiny 2’s narrative was designed to pivot into a larger antagonist-driven arc, with The Winnower positioned as the ultimate threat. If Destiny 3 is ever realized, the community’s demand appears to be aligning with the franchise’s own breadcrumb trail: leadership transition in the Tower, then a direct escalation toward a final confrontation. That alignment could keep players engaged long enough for the next project to capture momentum, even as the competitive and audience attention landscape keeps moving.
