Eagle-eyed Destiny fans spot a low-key reference to the game's Necrochasm weapon in the credits of last night's Treehouse of Horror Halloween special.

With a player base in excess of 20 million, there should be little doubt that Destiny is one of the most popular games of the moment. However, last night's episode of the The Simpsons demonstrated that the title has reached a whole new level of pop culture relevance.

Last night, casting associate Nick Conti was credited as Nick 'Necrochasm' Conti. Destiny fans will of course recognize this as an auto rifle added in the game's The Dark Below expansion, although it has to be said that the reference will likely have gone over the heads of anyone unfamiliar with the title.

Conti's credit is followed by the phrase 'still don't have it', alluding to the complex series of steps Guardians need to follow to earn the weapon. Exotics like the Necrochasm are among the most sought after pieces of gear in the game, and sometimes the conditions for procuring them can be rather obtuse.

For more than two decades, The Simpsons has aired a 'Treehouse of Horror' Halloween special in late October or early November. To commemorate the occasion, the familiar names of cast and crew seen in the credits are changed to spooky puns and references.

To begin with, these gags focussed on classic Halloween fare — series creator Matt Groening became Bat Groening, for instance. However, given that the series aired its 26th Treehouse of Horror special last night, the jokes have become far more eclectic as time has gone on.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about this Destiny reference is how subtle it is. Most network televisions shows would perhaps have opted to call out low hanging fruit like Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty — but, even years after its prime, The Simpsons remains a little better informed about the wider world of popular culture.

Now it would seem that it's time for Bungie to return the favour. It remains to be seen whether the studio will acknowledge the nod, but stranger things have happened — perhaps we'll see a gun named Santa's Little Helper or a helmet resembling Marge Simpson's blue hair added into the game in a future update.

Destiny is available now for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Source: Reddit