Destiny 2 is coming to PC and the excitement for the launch is drowning in a sea of tears.
The PC release of Destiny 2 has delighted and frustrated PC gamers for years.
PC Release of Destiny 2 – An Emotional Roller Coaster
- Even before the console release, Activision was sweet-talking PC gamers: Destiny – it would fit well on PC, they said back in September 2014. A contract had even been signed for a PC port planned for 2016.
- From 2014 to 2016, there were repeated rumors about a PC port. However, those hopes were dashed each time. Destiny 1 took place without PC gamers.
- Until 2017, when the news came: Destiny 2 is coming to PC! Many were excited at that time. It seemed clear: Great, we will all start with Destiny 2 on September 8!
- In May 2017 came the nasty surprise. Suddenly it was said: “The release date of Destiny 2 on PC will be later than for PS4 and Xbox One.”
- PC gamers cautiously hoped: Maybe it’s only 14 days.
- Later it turned out: PC gamers would start a full 6 weeks later. Only on October 24 would it begin.
An up and down of emotions. And this was all long before a PC gamer could lay their hands on Destiny for the first time!
PC Gamers are First-Class Citizens
To justify the late PC launch, Bungie said, the PC version just takes longer to be really good. They could have postponed the PS4 and Xbox One launch as well but chose not to. Bungie assured that they wanted to treat PC gamers well. Love them, and consider them as first-class citizens.
More on the topic: Destiny 2: Disappointment! Bungie values PC gamers but disadvantages them
Despite all assurances, the decision for the late start was poorly received by PC gamers: “6 weeks longer to wait?” – that dampened the mood.
PC gamers suspected: Every secret, every story twist, every trick would have already been known if they started with Destiny 2.
The Beta was Really Good, But That Doesn’t Matter Now
The beta for Destiny 2 on PC went well, however. Players acknowledged that Destiny 2 on PC has a lot to offer. It didn’t feel like a console port, but like a real PC game. The new Guardians were excited for Destiny 2 on PC – a game with high frame rates and great resolution.
However, this excitement is hardly felt a day before the release. Destiny 2 is in a felt crisis as 6 weeks with Destiny 2 on PS4 and Xbox One have revealed some weaknesses. Especially the motivation to replay content is lacking, and PvP is a major point of criticism.
Especially many people who play Destiny 2 and post in forums are frustrated about design decisions made by Bungie and Activision. There is a desire to “fight back” and express their discontent to the world.
Under articles about Destiny 2 on PC, players advise against starting now. The mood is low. The momentum is lacking.
One thing is clear: The negative mood is not all-encompassing, and there are indeed players who are satisfied with Destiny 2. However, the negative voices are loud and clearly audible.
Bungie and Activision Misjudged
On closer examination: Even if everything had gone perfectly with Destiny 2, a new game with story and PvE content traditionally reaches a first low point after 6 weeks. The initial honeymoon phase has faded. Story and content are through, and faults and deficiencies become apparent. Hardly any game with PvE content looks better 6 weeks after release than it did at launch.
This is what years of experience with games that have a similar content structure to Destiny shows.
- With The Elder Scrolls Online, the planned launch on PS4 and Xbox One was postponed by a year in 2014. 6 weeks after the PC release of ESO, the mood was at an all-time low.
- Even with The Taken King, the peak of Destiny 1, the mood 6 weeks after launch was more like: “Now the next DLC could come.”
- Also, with games like The Division, the excitement faded after 6 weeks.
- Exception: Only a “PvP-only” game like Overwatch can traditionally avoid such mood crises. But it has entirely different content structures than Destiny.
Decision for Late Launch of Destiny 2 Raises Questions
Did Bungie and Activision really believe the mood around Destiny 2 would be ideal for a PC launch 6 weeks after release? Destiny 2 would have to be the glorious exception to the rule. The content of Destiny 2 offers no reason for such hope, especially since Bungie itself knew that Destiny 2 would not be a long-term success, speaking of respecting “the time of the Guardians.”
Either someone completely misjudged the situation or the skeptics are right who said: The late PC release was not a decision by Activision and Bungie, but was linked to concessions with Sony/Activision.
In any case, the late release raises even more questions than it did back in May when the decision was made.
How do you see it? Does the current mood affect your desire to play Destiny 2 on PC? Or are you unaffected by such things?
If you are eager to play Destiny 2 on PC, we recommend this article:
What you need to know if you are considering playing Destiny 2 on PC
