With the Warmind DLC, Bungie introduced a revised progression system in Destiny 2. However, this system is now criticized by many fans. Many find it unbalanced. Bungie has heard the feedback and wants to continue refining it. The first changes will come in May.
Leveling is now harder: Even before the Warmind expansion, Bungie announced that leveling would become harder. For maximum progression, players must engage in as many weekly activities as possible since the release of DLC II if they want to progress. The Raid and the Trials of the Nine are supposed to provide the biggest boosts.
Progression system under criticism: On the way to the new maximum power level of 385 (380 without mods), Bungie has implemented a sort of cap – the Soft Cap. From a power level of 345 (340 without mods), progression slows down significantly and only in small increments. Only milestones and endgame activities effectively advance the players.
Once these are completed, many fans believe it hardly makes sense to continue playing with the respective character until the next reset. Additionally, players feel the transition from Soft Cap to Hard Cap is too steep. Up to 345, it goes way too fast. After 345, it becomes very sluggish. Bungie needs to find a better balance and also offer worthwhile activities outside the milestones.
Progression system in Destiny 2 to be further optimized
Bungie wants to refine progression: The studio has heard the fans’ feedback and wants to improve this in the future. The system has improved with the Warmind expansion compared to the Curse of Osiris status. However, even in Bungie’s eyes, it is still not what they envisioned as the final result. It is a step in the right direction, but further steps should follow. And these steps will be defined by the feedback from the fans.
These changes are coming in May: On May 29, Bungie intends to make the first small change. Initially, the heroic strikes will receive an upgrade.
- Key fragments for the Escalation Protocol will have a 100% drop chance in heroic strikes. This allows players to target farm for them in the strikes if they want to secure the best loot in the Escalation Protocol.
- Every 3-5 heroic strikes, there will be legendary items that should elevate the Guardians to a power level of 360 (without mods). This makes the rewards more in line with the difficulty of this activity. Additionally, it makes it somewhat easier for solo players to find another source for upgrades while leveling.
They are looking for solutions to these problems: There are still several other crucial aspects for which Bungie currently has no direct solution, but they intend to change in the future.
- The transition to the endgame grind should be smoother. Currently, players hit a sort of invisible wall after finishing the story once they reach a power level of 345. Progression tempo shifts from fast to incredibly slow. This situation is also a concern for Bungie. Accordingly, they are looking for ways to make this transition smoother.
- Further incentives should be created to play the game after completing the weekly milestones. Currently, there are hardly any rewards left to chase after that. Exotic masterworks and seasonal ranks are already intended to provide more variety. However, even that is not seen as enough by the developers. Upcoming random rolls on weapons and the emblems should provide further relief. They are currently considering more ways to optimize this aspect.
- The endgame progression should gain more tiers after the Soft Cap. At the moment, players receive similarly large upgrades for everything between 345 and 385 without further distinctions within this level range. Upgrades within this window do not lead players to new activities, which could then allow them to reach new progression levels with even more new activities. They are also looking for a solution for this, but it should not be expected before September.
- The quality of the rewards should, in the future, align more with the difficulty of the activity.
What do you think? How could Bungie further optimize the progression system in Destiny 2? Have they correctly identified the issues?
