The hardest PvE challenge is returning to Destiny 2. This time it should finally be more rewarding for the big streamers and players.
This challenge is coming: With the weekly reset on July 21, Destiny 2 is bringing back its ultimate Nightfall challenge. This is the Grandmaster difficulty for the Nightfall: The Ordeal.
The task is to complete a well-known strike mission while all adversities are cranked up: enemies well above the max level and more negative modifiers than usual in the game are supposed to break the challenger.
This mode is clearly aimed at hardcore players and big-name streamers. But hardly anyone found the challenge appealing in the last season. Will that change this time?
Grandmaster mode should be perfect for streamers, but it flopped
The mode was seen as ideal for streaming beforehand; it was supposed to be “watchable” – essentially the PvE counterpart to the PvP activity Trials of Osiris.
Viewers were supposed to watch streamers grind through, adjust their loadouts to the conditions of the mission, and then triumph against the odds – a classic hero’s journey in principle.
What was criticized? The biggest Destiny streamer, Gladd, didn’t care for the Grandmaster mode. The main issue was the lack of enticing rewards.
He was not alone in this. Generally, it was criticized that the loot did not noticeably differ from other difficulty levels in The Ordeal.
In the end, almost only title hunters struggled through the Grandmaster difficulty. Because anyone who completed every available Nightfall of the season was rewarded with the title “Conqueror”.
The exciting streams with cheering viewers fell by the wayside. Hardly any Guardians wanted to put themselves through that torture or watch others do it.
However, the big Twitch streamers were still doing well with Destiny 2:
That is changing now: In Season 11, Bungie wants to make the Grandmaster difficulty more attractive. And this for all Guardians. More loot should entice more players into the mode.
Especially the rarest resources are now meant to drop from The Ordeal. These materials will soon be needed more, as the armor and weapon sunset demands a lot of reinvestment from players.
In detail, the loot changes are as follows:
- Masterwork material drops have been increased for the Grandmaster difficulty of The Ordeal.
- Grandmaster completions at Platinum, Gold, and Silver levels now have a higher chance of exotic armor dropping.
- A Grandmaster completion at Platinum level now guarantees one Ascendant Shard (and there is a small chance of another) and four Upgrade Prisms (and there is a moderate chance of 1-2 more).
- A Grandmaster completion at Gold level now guarantees two Upgrade Prisms (and there is a moderate chance of two more).
- A Grandmaster completion at Silver level now has a small chance of two Upgrade Prisms.
These changes are clearly aimed at encouraging players to replay the activity multiple times. Because the better you perform, the richer the material drop will be.
This way, streamers could showcase the best loadouts and routes through the Grandmaster difficulty, and viewers would eagerly follow their example and snag the rewards themselves.
What do you think about it? Will you try the toughest PvE challenge in Season 11? In Season 11, you even have (alas) more time for it. You can read what the extension delay means for you here: Destiny 2 extends Season 11 – Here’s what’s next for you
