Destiny 2 players gathered at the Tower in honor of the late Lance Reddick, who passed away yesterday at the age of 60.
After the news broke yesterday, the Guardians began flocking to Commander Zavala, who is famously voiced by Reddick, to pay their respects. The news spread quickly in the Destiny community because Reddick not only an avid fan of Destinybut sometimes interact with players on social media as Commander Zavala.
Although it’s a bit quieter in the Tower today, in almost every case there were Guardians standing solemnly in a circle around Zavala yesterday using the “Humanity’s Sheild” emoji to signify a larger-than-life presence of the character or sit among their fellow Guardians while attending an impromptu candlelit vigil.
On the subreddit /r/DestinyTheGame, post honoring Reddick It quickly became the 2nd most popular post on the whole of Reddit, with lots of community members and former Bungie developers sharing their favorite memories of Zavala or Reddick himself.
Reddick’s pass is especially close to the Guardians, as they’ve spent the past nine years alongside his character in the game. When I went on various Twitch live streams yesterday, it seemed like that was all everyone was talking about. Likewise on Twitter, where nearly everyone in the Destiny community is sharing screenshots of the Tower or posting videos showcasing all of the Guardians who have gathered to pay their respects to Zavala.
Just entered Destiny 2, and yes, players are gathering around Commander Zavala, paying tribute to his actor, the late Lance Reddick
Really touch.
Tear 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 deal with his sudden departure. She also acknowledged the Destiny community by saying, “…to the thousands of Destiny players who played in memory of Lance, thank you. Lance loves you as much as he loves the game.”
Bungie too released an official statement after the news said that “Lance Reddick is an iconic presence on screen, in Destiny, and most importantly in people. His love for our community shines through in Commander Zavala, in His uncompromising dedication to his craft and his contagious kindness moved those people.” around him. To say he will be remembered is an understatement, but equally true. Rest in peace, Lance.”
In the words of Commander Zavala, “Raise your eyes, Guardian.”
Update: Added a statement by Lance’s wife, Stephanie Reddick.
Matthew Adler is a Trade, Features, Tutorials, News, Previews and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler as well as my test Selected IGN Playlists.
