Destiny 2: Can Bungie Win Back Its Lost Players?

It has been almost a decade since Destiny 2 was released. The game has captivated millions of players with its rich and engaging lore, and despite the passage of time, I remain deeply invested in its universe.

But things are looking pretty grim nowadays for Destiny’s future. Honestly, I don’t feel the same way I used to. Back in the day, Destiny 2 was all about the hype for its multiplayer gameplay. People loved it because it was challenging, and the updates they brought were impressive.

And now, I’ve noticed loads of players like me are losing interest in what Bungie’s been up to lately. Can Bungie create something that will make players want to come back before The Final Shape launches? That’s the question that’s been on my mind recently.

Where Did Everything Go Wrong?

Back in the day when Destiny 2 was at its peak during the Forsaken era (2017-2018), if I had said that the game would eventually face a crisis and an uncertain future, people would have thought I was a madman. But now, we’re in that exact situation, which nobody could have seen coming.

I don’t want to point fingers, but I think some pretty clear reasons caused some rifts in the community. As any fan of Destiny knows, the Forsaken expansion was incredible and almost revolutionized how the game was played. Unfortunately, that golden age didn’t last very long.

Destiny 2 players were frustrated when Bungie introduced “sunsetting” or vaulting content. This meant that loot they had spent time and money on would become obsolete and only accessible at a certain light level. Many players felt disappointed and disrespected, especially those who had worked hard to obtain top-tier loot. The introduction of sunsetting left a sour taste in many players’ mouths in the Destiny 2 community.

There was no shocker that the community didn’t take it well. That’s one of the significant reasons Destiny 2 steered towards its downfall: The developers hardly interacted with the player base.

Sunsetting and Introducing DCV Was A Big Mistake

Nobody could have predicted that sunset would hit them like a freight train, but it did. I understand why some overpowered weapons need to be toned down to balance the game’s sandbox, but sunsetting them and rendering them useless isn’t the solution.

Bungie stating they think the download size is where they want isn’t healthy for the game.
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Bungie’s introduction of Destiny Content Vault (DCV) was a ridiculous decision and as a result, many players lost their hard-earned weapons, and some key locations were removed to make space for newer expansions and planets. According to the developers at Bungie, the game size would have become too large if they had not removed some content.

Of course, No one will digest this decision based on the excuse of allocating game resources. Furthermore, Bungie seemingly gave no response to the backlash, which was frustrating and, to this day, my biggest pet peeve.

FOMO And Seasonal Model Harmed Destiny 2 More Than Bungie Can Admit

Destiny 2 has been plagued by FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), since the early DLCs. The problem arises from Bungie’s flawed seasonal model, where each season introduces fantastic weapons tied to a particular activity. As a result, everyone rushes to that activity to obtain those weapons before the season ends. This cycle is repeated every season.

Bungie really needs to rethink the seasonal model
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Players love getting loot. But what about newbies or casual players like me who missed out on all the cool stuff from the past season that no one cares about anymore? With so many other activities to grind, like dungeons, raids, nightfalls, and crucibles, it’s tough for them to catch up.

The constant grind is as frustrating as it sounds, which can speak volumes of why people are shifting towards Helldivers 2 nowadays.

Shrouded In Uncertainty: Will Bungie Make Its Triumphant Return?

Bungie’s future is uncertain, as the company has shifted its focus towards the upcoming DLC, The Final Shape. Following the disappointing outcome of Lightfall, Destiny 2 has suffered significant setbacks and was subjected to public scrutiny due to the layoffs of over 8% of its workforce last year.

Everyone was hyped about Lightfall after Witch Queen’s success, and pre-order sales skyrocketed. However, it seems people are cautious now regarding The Final Shape, which significantly hurts its pre-order sales.

Sony has expressed concern about Destiny 2’s post-storyline engagement and whether Bungie plans to keep players invested. It is essential to consider that some players may lose interest once the main storyline concludes. Sony is interested in working with Bungie to find solutions to this potential issue.

Players and Executives alike, Bungie needs to be upfront about what they plan to offer after The Final Shape campaign. As a long-time player, I need to know I’ll have something to do once the main story is over, which has kept me hooked for almost a decade. It’d be great if they could give us a roadmap of the upcoming content so we can have more confidence in the game’s future. 

We’ll have to wait and see if Bungie managed to bring back the spark for Guardians. I can only stay hopeful and look forward to meeting the Witness to end it all.