Bungie’s controversial Destiny 2 Content Vault may have removed huge chunks of the game from players, but one developer is now working to bring some of those lost locations back for preservation.

When Bungie introduced the Content Vault alongside Beyond Light in 2020, it removed story campaigns, destinations, activities, and other content from Destiny 2 in an effort to make the game easier to maintain. While the decision was defended on technical grounds, it became one of the most unpopular moves in Destiny 2’s history, particularly because much of the removed content had previously been paid for by players.

Now, years after those locations disappeared—and following Destiny 2’s transition away from active development—fans are beginning to find ways to explore some of them once again.

Videos recently shared online show players moving through areas that have been inaccessible for years, including locations that were never fully implemented. The footage comes from developer stanuwu, who is creating a project called Destiny 2 Shadowkeep Singleplayer Exploration Mode.

The upcoming tool is designed to let players explore environments from the final Destiny 2 build released before the Beyond Light vaulting. However, it won't restore the old game or allow players to replay removed campaigns, strikes, raids, or other activities.

Instead, the project is specifically focused on exploration and preservation. According to the developer, no gameplay mechanics will be implemented. Players will instead explore empty versions of the game's old destinations, without enemies, NPCs, or activities.

The tool will also include features such as flight and noclip, allowing players to freely move around areas that haven't been accessible in the live game for years.

For longtime Destiny players, that could provide a fascinating opportunity to revisit forgotten locations. Areas such as Io's Echo Basin, which disappeared from Destiny 2 during the 2020 vaulting, could once again be explored despite having been absent from the game for years.

However, the project's biggest value may ultimately be preservation rather than nostalgia. Destiny 2 has accumulated an enormous amount of environmental art and level design over its lifetime, much of which is no longer accessible through the current game. With Bungie's own approach to vaulted content leaving many of these areas unavailable, projects like this could help ensure that they aren't completely forgotten.

Stanuwu currently plans to release the exploration tool within the next two weeks. Once available, it is expected to be free and open source, giving Destiny 2 fans another way to experience pieces of the game's history that have otherwise been lost.