After the big Forsaken expansion, Destiny 2 players can purchase an Annual Pass, which according to Bungie is supposed to be purely optional. Will the activities in the Annual Pass bring new power levels? What impact would this have on the remaining players?
The era of classic DLCs is over: Unlike Destiny 1 and the first year of Destiny 2, Bungie will no longer release classic DLCs. Many activities are intended to be open to all players. Those wanting bonus content will have to opt for the Annual Pass, which will cost 35 euros and provide the following content:
- New story and raid content
- New exotic and legendary gear
- Triumphs and bonus rewards
No information about power level yet: Whether the story content and raid sections available in the Annual Pass will exceed the global Forsaken power level of 600 has not been communicated by Bungie so far. This question is quite relevant and carries several consequences.
In the past, all expansions have always brought an increase in power or light level. At least regarding Forsaken, there is clarity: Those who do not buy the expansion will not be able to keep up in competitive modes (Iron Banner, Trials of Osiris) in the future.
Therefore, three possibilities arise:
Option 1: The power level increases for Annual Pass buyers
Players without the Annual Pass are left behind: Freely available content for everyone, such as Iron Banner, Nightfall strikes, and Trials of Osiris will still be playable for all after a level cap increase, but Guardians without the Annual Pass will experience significant disadvantages.
Because the level advantages for Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris will be reactivated with the Forsaken expansion. Even though the content is officially available to all, players with a low power level will essentially be excluded. Thus, the free content could be seen as a “false promise.”
At least the issue of the Nightfall strike could be circumvented with a separate variant at the power level of 600. How significantly the power level advantages would be felt in practice remains to be seen.
Option 2: The power level for Annual Pass buyers does not increase
Power level will stagnate for at least a year: Buyers of the Annual Pass will be able to play new story and raid content. However, the gear found there will remain at the maximum Forsaken power level of 600.
Therefore, there will not be any vertical progression in year 2. Since Annual Pass buyers will have access to new exotic and legendary gear, this could shift the balance in the Crucible.
Weapons like the Wings of the Vigilance or the Graviton Lance have disrupted the Crucible meta. It is not excluded that new exotic weapons from the Annual Pass could do the same (which become unattainable for non-purchasers).
Option 3: The power level increases for everyone!
Theoretically, it would also be possible that all players can increase their power level, meaning existing activities would also rise in power level. Buyers of the Annual Pass could thus choose through which activities they will level up.
Those who do not purchase the Annual Pass can then reach a new level cap through the existing activities.
Regardless – Bungie has to perform a balancing act: If only buyers of the premium content receive level advantages, the player base will be divided. Generally, in all open activities, non-buyers would experience a significant disadvantage.
If there are no level advantages, many players might quickly miss their “carrot” – the incentive that keeps players engaged for months or even years.
What’s next after year 2? Presumably, there will be another Annual Pass. But what will it look like? Will there be a “transition phase” with a new power level? Or will we still be dealing with a power level of 600 at the end of year 3?
Even if this is unlikely: The manner of implementation and players’ access to activities will determine whether Bungie will be successful in the long run.
By the way: We have requested a statement from Bungie regarding the level cap within the framework of the Annual Pass. However, we have not yet received a response.
What do you think? How would you like the progression system after Forsaken?
