After nearly a year, the popularDestinyevent Sparrow Racing League will be making its return again this holiday season. The news was discovered during aWIRED interviewwith developer Bungie’s head of events Jerry Hook, where they discussed the event, its fans, and whether or not it would become a permanent staple ofDestinyin the future.
Before League, Sparrows were simply a means of transportation for Guardians on the ground. But Bungie wanted to add something new toDestinythat would mix things up in a different way than players were used to. Enter Sparrow League Racing.
The new racing event wasn’t just another way for players to prove something through competition, but also a way to obtain new and unique items and gear only available during the limited time event. Hook and the staff at Bungie were thrilled by the positive feedback from the community and have since decided to bring Sparrow Racing League (SRL) back this holiday season.
When WIRED asked why it wasn’t a permanent event, Hook began by saying Bungie always struggles with what they want to remain in the game as a constant. But the appeal of creating “giant moments” is why events like SRL are yearly. However, he reveals that sufficient demand could change that.
“We listen to our players - most of what we’ve been trying to do is listen to feedback and the top ten lists Reddit brings to play, or what players bring into the forums. If there’s this huge outcry to make it permanent, we’ll definitely look at that. Right now, we just love how it feels - a key moment that is very exciting for players during our winter holidays.”
While there are obviously no immediate plans to keep SRL around in-game forever, that does not mean it it won’t happen in the future.
But it’s likely fans aren’t clamoring for its permanence quite yet anyway. There is a ton of new content around the corner that has everyone’s attention.Destiny: Rise of Iron, the game’s newest expansion, will be keeping players very busy when it launches next month. So busy, in fact, thatother more commonDestinyevents are taking a hiatusso players don’t become overwhelmed. Hook also hints that this new content will eventually become a part of the next season of SRL, such as race through the snowfields of the Plagelands, the new setting inRise of Iron.
Despite the Fall season approaching fast, there is still a lot in store forDestinythis year. Aside from Sparrow League Racing, next month will see a swell of Guardians, old and new, playing the expansion with a brand new raid that willincorporate some big changes. There will also be new elements in the game’s PVP,including private matches.
After the playerbase has settled and the new content fully explored, SLR will come back to reinvigorate the community. It’s an important function and the strongest argument against making the event permanent. However, if fans push hard enough, it could definitely happen.Destinyhasone of the most determinedand loyal communities in gaming, so anything is possible.
Destiny: Rise of Ironwill launch July 17, 2025 on PS4 and Xbox One. Sparrow Racing League will return in December.
