Keith David is Destiny 2's new Zavala, but Lance Reddick's performance will remain untouched

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The devs say that Reddick's "impact on our Guardians, our community, and Bungie as a whole will never be forgotten"

Destiny 2's Zavala
(Image credit: Bungie)

Bungie has announced that Keith David will voice Destiny 2's Commander Zavala "in The Final Shape and beyond" following the death of the character's previous English language voice actor, Lance Reddick.

"Lance’s iconic voice led us through the most intense moments in Destiny’s history and his impact on our Guardians, our community, and Bungie as a whole will never be forgotten," the studio said in its announcement. And to that point, Reddick's existing in-game lines will remain untouched even with the launch of The Final Shape.

Keith David is a prolific actor, having appeared in everything from John Carpenter classics like The Thing and They Live to more modern films like Nope. He's had numerous voice acting roles, as well, including some notable video game characters like Captain Anderson in Mass Effect and the Arbiter in Bungie's own Halo games.

"I am honored to continue the great work of Lance Reddick as Zavala," David said as part of the announcement. "Lance captured the character's sense of integrity so wonderfully. It is my intention to continue that work."

"The passion and professionalism Lance brought to the role over the last decade was unmistakable and loved by all," Bungie said. "Lance’s iconic voice led us through the most intense moments in Destiny’s history and his impact on our Guardians, our community, and Bungie as a whole will never be forgotten."

Horizon Forbidden West previously added a heartfelt tribute to Reddick, the voice and face of Aloy's (sometimes) ally Sylens. 

Dustin Bailey
Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.