PSA: Don't Try To Pry Your Destiny 2: The Final Shape Collector's Edition Open Like Me

Destiny 2: The Final Shape may still be a few months away due to its delay, but its collector's edition is now beginning to ship to those who preordered it. Bungie sent one our way, and while we've already covered the nice nostalgia-packed items it contains and some potential story implications for where things might be going, I also wish to impart a more practical tip to anyone who gets one: Keep the screwdrivers and other prying tools away.

The centerpiece of the CE is a replica of the Tower from the original Destiny. It comes with a pair of figurines representing Zavala and Ikora, which can be placed atop the Tower to hear some dialogue lines. (The quality of the speaker, it should be said, is disappointing, but it's a minor gripe given this is going to sit silently on a shelf rather than be used to play audio.) But if you remember what was promised when preordering the thing, you know there should be a third figure, one for Cayde, who's set to return in some capacity in The Final Shape.

Not seeing him in the box, I frantically looked through all of the packaging, thinking Cayde must have just fallen out. That produced no results, sending me back to the original product listing on the Bungie Store. There's a tease there that got my mind grapes going: "Eido mentioned that there are messages of hope, inspiration, and wisdom that can be discovered through thorough examination of the Tower architectural replica and its accessories."

That led me to more closely examine the Tower. There are some subtle features on it--a button on the left and right side of the top area that blend right in with the architecture and which don't stand out as inputs unless you know to look for them. Those are used to turn the Tower's lights and sound on and switch between its modes, such as allowing it to interact with the figurines and playing some ambient music. Not finding any other buttons, I looked at the underside and back, the latter of which is home to two conspicuous panels.

One seemed to rattle when I touched it, but with no button I could find to open it, I was left wondering if it was simply a battery compartment, given that the lights and audio can function without needing to plug the collectible in.

Wanting to know if Cayde was hidden inside or if there were some other secret contained within, I felt I only had one choice: Try to pry that sucker open with a screwdriver.

At first, I used a small flathead meant for repairing glasses. I had some luck in moving the panel slightly, but it wasn't easily coming open. I suspected I might be acting rashly--this seemed like a lot of unusual effort to get in--but I also suspected that this panel must open. And while I took a stand against exploiting Destiny's old loot cave because of laughable moral scruples, I wasn't about to let the possibility of a poorly made latch keep me from my precious Cayde figurine.

And so in addition to my screwdriver, I took out a tool for prying up electronics and used that to help provide further leverage. At this point, the panel was starting to come closer to letting me in, but it still wasn't opening in the way it seemed like it should. As I was doing some minor cosmetic damage to the plastic, I began to acknowledge that I had gone down a misguided path, not unlike the decision to spend an unfortunate number of hours grinding the old Reckoning mode to get Gambit Prime armor. (At least I have those armor ornaments unlocked?)

Thinking there's no way Bungie would have you do something like this that could damage the biggest part of a $175 collector's edition, I stopped trying. Eventually, I had a eureka moment regarding how to open that back panel (read: GameSpot writer Phil Hornshaw told me what to do).

I'll explain how to open it down below for those who can't figure it out and don't mind spoilers, but suffice it to say everything you need to do so is included in the box, as a more reasonable person than I might expect.

Overall, the collector's edition is a neat package. The Tower is, admittedly, somewhat underwhelming at first--the box itself that everything comes in looks so good that the Tower couldn't live up to my expectations. But it's ultimately a piece of plastic that is just one component in this CE. As I've had the Tower sitting in my office, though, I've come to appreciate it more; the fact that it doesn't need to be plugged in to have the lights on, and the nice dose of nostalgia it provides to commemorate the 10 years I've spent playing this series make me happy to have it on my shelf. And the lore tidbits contained within the accompanying items are very neat, though there are some deep cuts that might send you to look up some more obscure names. You do get word from Fenchurch, which really tickles me.

Since the Bungie layoffs and the Final Shape's delay, I've been on a break from the game. But by leaning into the nostalgia I've accumulated from countless hours playing Destiny and Destiny 2, this CE has warmed me back up to the notion of playing again. I would undoubtedly have done so with The Final Shape being the culmination of a decade-long story, and perhaps that expansion's narrative will disappoint me again, as Lightfall's did. But whatever the future of it may hold, Destiny will forever remain a big part of my life, and I appreciate being able to memorialize that with a tribute to the in-game location I spent so much time in over the years.

How to open Destiny 2: The Final Shape collector's edition's secret compartment

First, ensure The Tower collectible is powered on by pressing the button on the left side--it's the right of the two building tops toward the back. Then, enable Interactive mode, which you can cycle to by pressing a button on the right side. This one is located just in front of the upper gun facing the rear.

Now, keep your screwdriver far away, and instead take the Zavala figure and place him on the platform between the two towering structures with the blinking red lights. It's on the opposite side from where the blue light is that's used to trigger dialogue from the figurines. If you position it correctly, you'll hear a noise and the panel will pop open. Inside, you'll find the Cayde figurine, who can also be used to trigger dialogue by placing him on the front of the Tower, near the blue light. As an added bonus, try placing two figures there at the same time for some extra dialogue.