A minor, but important thing is noted during the prologue, pertaining to the state of Earth after the Collapse: while the most we see in canon are some ruined cities and towns (as well as the Traveler's shard in the EDZ), the damage as portrayed in this story is much greater, with swaths of land corrupted by the Darkness. It's also faintly implied that some of the wildlife was mutated as well. The only saving grace is that this time, humanity is rebuilding around more than just Sanctuary/the Last City, with several nations and states emerging from the chaos.
