The Taken King expansion’s September 2015 release saved Destiny after a disastrous vanilla launch, completely overhauling systems and proving live-service games could redeem themselves through quality expansions.
The Redemption
Vanilla Destiny (2014) launched with beautiful gunplay but shallow content, confusing story, and grind-heavy progression. The Taken King added Nathan Fillion’s Cayde-6 as comedic relief, Oryx as a compelling villain, a coherent story, revamped leveling, better loot, and the addictive King’s Fall raid.
Systems Overhaul
Bungie removed unpopular systems (light levels tied to gear), added quest tracking, created legendary item paths, and introduced the Dreadnaught patrol zone. The $40 expansion essentially relaunched the game. Reviews improved from 76 to 87 Metacritic. Player population surged.
Live Service Template
The Taken King established the “broken launch + redemption expansion” pattern that No Man’s Sky, Fallout 76, and Destiny 2 itself would follow. It proved studios could recover from failed launches if willing to invest in substantial improvements.
The hashtag represents live-service gaming’s double-edged sword - charging players for the game they should have received initially, yet delivering experiences that justify continued investment.
Sources: IGN 8.7/10 review, Kotaku redemption coverage