For a long time, Bungie remained silent about the future of PvP in Destiny 2. Now the studio spoke about its future plans for the Crucible and what players can expect in the near future.
Actually, it was expected that substantial new information about the future of Destiny 2 would only come with the upcoming reveal of the Witch Queen expansion on August 24. But in the middle of the week, unexpected news emerged on a controversial topic that hasn’t been discussed officially for quite some time – PvP.
What Bungie says about the future of PvP
Where does the information come from? Many Guardians have long complained that PvP in Destiny 2 is being neglected, not getting enough love and attention. Some even believe that Bungie has given up on the mode. Now there is finally a sign of life again.
In a series of tweets, Joe Blackburn, the Assistant Game Director of the game, spoke about the Crucible and presented a rough roadmap for the upcoming Seasons – well into the year 2022.
He assured that competitive modes are an integral part of Destiny 2 and make the game special. The ultimate goal is for players to consistently receive new maps and modes each year. In the first half of 2021, a lot of time was spent laying the groundwork for the future of PvP (Stasis nerfs, meta shift, etc.), and in the second half the teams will focus on fresh maps and modes. Here’s an overview of the plans:
What to expect in Season 15: The next season, Season 15, starts on August 24. There, it is planned to
- nerf Three-Peeking
- and polish up Trials of Osiris (more information is expected on 24.08.)
What to expect in Season 16: Season 16 is likely to start hand in hand with the new major expansion “Witch Queen” and will bring back 2 old Destiny 2 maps from the Destiny Content Vault. Which maps they are is not yet known, but the following 8 have rotated into the content vault with Beyond Light:
- Meltdown
- Solitude
- Retribution
- The Citadel
- Emperor’s Respite
- Equinox
- Eternity
- Firebase Echo
- Gambler’s Ruin
- Legion’s Gulch
- Vostok
Here Blackburn emphasized that it’s not just a matter of pressing a button to bring back these maps (and modes) – even if they actually originate from Destiny 2. With the release of Beyond Light, there was an update of the engine, and porting old maps to this engine requires a lot of work and is done by hand.
What to expect in Season 17: In Season 17, a brand-new Crucible map is set to follow – from one of the newer locations that we haven’t seen in PvP yet. More information about this has not yet been provided.
What to expect in Season 18: Season 18 will introduce a returning map from Destiny 1. Here too, there have been no hints or suggestions yet as to which map it could be.
What else is coming in 2022: Bungie is also working on the following items that should find their way into the game sometime in 2022 (no specific timing yet):
- The PvP mode “Rift” from part 1 is set to come to Destiny 2. It’s all about grabbing a spark and smashing it into the enemy’s Rift.
- Multiple brand-new modes for PvP. However, they don’t want to spoil anything just yet.
- After the dust of the Trials update in Season 15 has settled, they want to take a look at which other areas of the PvP ecosystem need systematic improvements. They plan to release something of the caliber of the aforementioned Trials rework from Season 15 for PvP every year.
What do you think of this announcement? Does it already make your PvP heart race or is that not even close to enough to excite you (again) for the Crucible? What are your most urgent wishes for the PvP of Destiny 2? Let us know in the comments.
