A Destiny 2 Eliksni Quarter event theory suggests the Spider is embezzling money through the charitable initiative, capitalising on players’ goodwill to achieve personal gain.
While there appears to be no hard proof of such embezzlement in the space game so far, circumstantial evidence paired with the Spider’s ruthless approach to business dealings indicates the fan theory may hold some water.
Upon hitting the community event completion goal of 400 million treasure donated, fans began to notice that the improvements to the Eliksni Quarter didn’t appear to warrant such a cost. The funds helped enhance the area, but the staircase, plants, and minor renovations didn’t strike players as 400 million treasure worth of improvements.
The Spider is not a Vanguard enemy, though his dealings often lead him to striking back-room deals and working alongside known criminals. The game portrays him as a ruthless businessman who has no issue breaking the rules to achieve personal ends. Even at the outset, it seems suspect that the Spider would lead the fundraising efforts.
For example, early in the Season of Plunder, the Spider receives Glimmer from the Vanguard to supply and arm the Guardian, yet still attempts to take a cut via his “engram roulette.” This activity forces the Guardian to pick from one of three prizes, and the Spider uses a static jammer to ensure the Guardian chooses a worthless piece of gear at least some of the time. While the Guardian’s Eliksni ally Eido eventually disables the Spider’s scanner, it remains clear Spider’s intentions are not always pure.
Further, in the past, the Spider’s brother has criticised the criminal mastermind for ties to the human race. Now, even in the current season, the Spider remains sceptical about his alliance with humans.
While there is no proof of the Spider’s underhanded dealings, embezzlement remains within the realm of possibility. Even Redditors got behind the theory, with a poster suggesting the event exposed the extent of corruption in the Last City.
The renovation efforts also inspired Twitter posts and memes, such as one from KackhisHD that suggests the Spider is counting his embezzled money somewhere and a tweet from D1 Alpha Vet inquiring about a jail sentence.
Why isn't Spider in jail yet? Why are you being quiet about this fraud?
— D1 Alpha Vet (@D1AlphaVeteran) November 24, 2022
Many players have shared that they found the community event underwhelming, perhaps partly due to an Eliksni Quarter donation fund exploit that allowed players to donate infinite treasure to the community fund.
With the Spider in charge of the improvements to the Eliksni Quarter, he could have attempted to skim the donation pot. However, if Misraaks were to find out the Spider had done so, the Spider would most certainly be kicked out of the Last City, which would pose a serious challenge for the black market entrepreneur.
Unfortunately, Guardians will have to wait until the Destiny 2 season 19 release date or perhaps even the Destiny 2 Lightfall release date to determine whether the Spider may have embezzled funds during the event. Although he’s proven a valuable ally to the humans, he’s not without his faults, and his greed could cost him his comfortable space in the Eliksni Quarter.