Destiny 2 players have been gathering en masse at the Tower to honor the late Lance Reddick, who passed away yesterday at the age of 60.
After the news broke yesterday, Guardians began flocking to Commander Zavala, who Reddick famously voiced, to pay their respects. News traveled quickly in the Destiny community as Reddick was not only an avid fan of Destiny, but would occasionally engage with players on social media as Commander Zavala.
Although it’s a bit quieter in the Tower today, just about every instance had Guardians standing stoically in a circle around Zavala yesterday using the “Humanity’s Sheild” emote to signify his character’s larger-than-life presence, or sitting amongst their fellow Guardians while attending a impromptu candlelight vigil.
Over on the /r/DestinyTheGame subreddit, the post honoring Reddick quickly rose to become the 2nd most popular post across all of Reddit, with plenty of community members and former Bungie developers sharing their favorite memories of Zavala, or Reddick himself.
Reddick’s passing hit especially close to home for Guardians, as they’ve spent the past nine years alongside his character in-game. As I popped into various livestreams on Twitch yesterday, it seemed like it was all people were talking about. Likewise on Twitter, where just about everyone in the Destiny community was sharing screenshots of the Tower, or posting videos showcasing all the Guardians that had gathered to pay tribute to Zavala.
Just went into Destiny 2, and, yeah, players are gathered around Commander Zavala, paying tribute to his actor, the late Lance Reddick
Really touching.
RIP https://t.co/uan1MEaoaY pic.twitter.com/qdvd3d7gBa
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) March 17, 2023
Stephanie Reddick, Lance’s wife, posted a message on his Twitter account to address his sudden passing. She also acknowledged the Destiny community by saying, “…to the thousands of Destiny players who played in special tribute to Lance, thank you. Lance loved you as much as he loved the game.”
Bungie also put out an official statement following the news stating that “Lance Reddick was an iconic presence on screen, in Destiny, and most importantly, in person. His love for our community shined through in Commander Zavala, in his uncompromising dedication to his craft, and out of the radiating kindness that touched those around him. To say he will be missed is a profound understatement, yet no less true. Rest in peace, Lance.”
In the words of Commander Zavala, “Eyes up, Guardian.”
Update: Added a statement made by Lance’s wife, Stephanie Reddick.
Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler as well as check out his curated IGN Playlists.
