With the start of the new Season 8, Bungie is introducing a kind of Battle Pass for Destiny 2. Many Guardians view this feature skeptically. However, this system isn’t that new. Destiny 1 already had something similar with the Grimoire Cards, and many Guardians thought it was great.
What is the Battle Pass? Bungie wants to make the upcoming Season 8 a bit more exciting. Therefore, there will be the possibility to level up within a total of 100 seasonal ranks – in a kind of Battle Pass. For the various rank upgrades, you can then snag rewards. All you have to do is play Destiny 2 and earn experience points. Those who own the Season Pass will have access to many more rewards.
After a season ends, the ranks will reset, and it all starts over again. The Battle Pass system will be available at the beginning of October.
That’s why this system is not really new:
With the “The Dawning” expansion, Bungie introduced the Grimoire Books in Destiny 1 to reward Guardians in-game. To do so, one simply had to play Destiny 1, complete various challenges, and earn experience points for the book. This allowed players to level up in the book and receive loot. Many Guardians appreciated this system and eagerly completed their tasks to complete their Grimoire Book and earn loot.
These tasks included, for example, completing an activity between the release of Destiny 1 and “The Darkness Rises”.
For this, there were usually cool rewards such as emblems and badges, Ghost shells, or armor pieces. Additionally, the Grimoire Book was a great way to keep track of one’s achievements – like in a kind of diary.
The two systems are not that different. Nevertheless, the Battle Pass and the Grimoire Book share both similarities and differences.
What is the same in both systems:
- Players receive various rewards for leveling up.
- The system is divided into ranks.
- Experience points help in leveling up.
- Both target passionate players.
How the Battle Pass and Grimoire Book differ:
- Rank upgrades in the Grimoire Book are only achieved by completing challenges.
- The Grimoire Book remained available to players. Many milestones could be completed without time pressure. However, the content of the Battle Pass disappears from the game after the respective season.
- The Battle Pass introduces a kind of catch-up mechanic. This gives players the opportunity to purchase missing ranks towards the end of a season.
This is what the Guardians say about this feature: The “new” Battle Pass is raising concerns among some players. Most are still viewing the feature skeptically. The Battle Pass format, known from games like Fortnite, faces rejection from some because it often comes hand in hand with microtransactions. Additionally, concerns are raised that Bungie may throttle rank progression for all “normal” players, making it extra hard to encourage spending money in the game and on the Battle Pass.
Others recall with joy the Grimoire Book and the fun associated with it. They view the upcoming feature as a good addition to the current grind, find the parallel to Destiny 1 and the Grimoire Books fantastic, and try to alleviate the fears of the skeptics. After all, this format also worked great in Destiny 1.
What do you think of the “new” Battle Pass? Do you remember the Grimoire Book? Let us know in the comments.
