How far in the future is Destiny set?

As a hardcore Destiny enthusiast, new light players often ask me – just how far in the future do these games take place? With epic sagas spanning years of expansions, it‘s an understandable question. While Bungie keeps some key plot points close to their chest, analyzing available lore and clues gives us enough insight to chart Destiny‘s rich future history. Set centuries after a bright Golden Age of advancement, through a catastrophic collapse, and now hundreds of years later, it‘s quite the journey for humanity – and one still clearly far from over.

Let‘s examine what we know so far about the Destiny timeline – when these games are set, where we‘ve been, and where we might go next in epic future releases.

The Golden Age – Centuries of Advancement

Prior to the dark age Guardians now struggle through, humanity experienced a literal golden era – a time of immense breakthroughs that enabled colonization and longevity. Officially known as the Golden Age, this period lasted for centuries before the events seen in Destiny (according to lore entries like The Dark Age).

So what enabled these huge advances? Breakthroughs hinted at in Destiny‘s lore paint the picture – revolutionary solar energy tapping the power of stars themselves, nano-technology transforming medicine and computation, quantum-entangled communications enabling exploration across the solar system, and more. Drifter, one of the few who lived through those ancient days, describes humanity wielding our Sun‘s raw power – utilizing solar energy in ways we can scarcely imagine today (Ancient Apocalypse Robes).

With Lifespans over 3 times our current limits and colonies spread across Sol, Earth itself transformed into a paradise, now unrecognizable. While concrete details remain lost to time, we can envision shining cities harnessing the Traveler itself as a beacon. For centuries humanity advanced this way – until it all ended.

The Collapse – Century Spanning Golden Age Lost

Virtually overnight, this Golden Age collapsed – and humanity entered a dark new era that endures through Destiny 1 & 2. Little concrete information exists about how such advanced civilization fell so swiftly, now relying on rumors and legends, obscured by allegory and myth. entryConstellations, Vol. II: The Shattered by Dead Orbit describes "forces beyond comprehension" unleashing a cycle of death across colonies and planets. Leading theories posit these invaders as a hostile alien force or some cosmic imbalance tied to the enigmatic Traveler itself.

While the details may never fully emerge from humanity‘s shattered history, examining clues shows a cascade of failures struck in quick succession:

In the span of ~100-200 years, Golden Age prosperity evaporates – billions perish as civilization crumbles, Former colonies across much of the solar system are left abandoned. Only one city on Earth clings to survival, protected by the Traveler now silent and weakened.

For perspective, even the longest lived humans then would have only witnessed around 300 years of history – unable to fully comprehend the loss as Golden Age knowledge faded. Held safely under the Traveler as chaos raged across Sol, entire lifetimes soon passed trying to explain what happened.

This sets the stage for Destiny‘s main storyline – civilization picking up the pieces centuries later, still vastly less advanced than ancestors they struggle to understand.

Destiny 1 and 2 – Fighting to Reclaim Our Future

The earliest Destiny adventures depict guardians fighting to protect and reclaim humanity‘s future centuries aftercollapse abruptly halted progress. Through scattered details we can chart a loose timeline of events:

While details from the 500-700 year "Dark Age" period are murky, some legendary guardians today like Lord Saladin date back to these times – passing down traditions like the Iron Banner PvP rituals. Hardened by generations battling Fallen scavengers, hope emerges as the Traveler‘s power grows – enough to establish the wall and begin fighting back.

The launch of Destiny depicts events just after the establishment of Last City, beating back encroaching Darkness. While threats remain, stability lets Guardians start to explore lost ruins across Sol – rediscovering secrets of past Golden Age societies. Expanding on this renewed cosmic conflict, Destiny 2 continues the fight against Ghaul‘s Red Legion coup and beyond – jumping slightly forward down this centuries long road toward an unseen future.

What Comes Next? – Lights in an Uncertain Future

Upcoming expansions Lightfall (2023) and Final Shape (2024) progress Destiny‘s epic storyline toward an as yet unclear resolution with the enigmatic entities behind this cosmic war. Bungie themselves describe these releases completing an overarching narrative started with the first game (Showcase 2022).

While concrete details are scarce, we can speculate where this saga‘s climax may lead. Possibilities include revelations linking the Traveler and the Pyramid fleet from beginnings in an ancient universe, the true nature of Paracausal power to channel Light and Darkness, or unveiling Destiny‘s next undiscovered country – Neomuna hidden on Neptune introduced in Lightfall.

One thing‘s for certain – with expansions and seasonal content pledged well beyond 2024, there are more chapters still to unfold in Destiny‘s century spanning space opera (GameInformer).

While another full sequel is not confirmed, Destiny 2 will clearly continue building on a living world that already spans over 1000 years of turbulent events – epic history still in the making. For now as Lightbearers our horizon holds hope of confronting the root causes of collapse and regaining lost wisdom – securing a new Golden Age for generations to come.

I hope this breakdown helps orient fellow fans through Destiny‘s dense lore and distant future setting! What lost secrets do you hope emerge across epic sagas still waiting over destiny‘s horizon? Let me know in the comments.