Destiny 2 is getting complete crossplay with the new Season 15. Bungie has presented the new feature for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, as well as on PC (Steam) and Google Stadia. You will receive a new name so you can save the universe together. When and how will crossplay affect you?
Crossplay is finally coming to Destiny 2 on August 24. Guardians scattered across all platforms have been waiting for this for a long time. However, the feature will not have all functions at launch. We explain what you need to prepare for and what will be different.
That’s why you will receive a new name: Destiny 2 will finally launch crossplay in the next Season 15 and bring all Guardians together, regardless of whether they are playing on consoles or PC. Merging the platforms will require some adjustments and bring changes that Bungie explained in detail on July 29.
- So that all of you can save the universe together and find each other through crossplay, you will receive a so-called Bungie Name. This is your new and only identity as a Guardian.
- The new name will then be the same across all systems – your Bungie Name will not change if you take your Guardian from PlayStation 5 to Steam, and everyone on Xbox will see the same name.
- For example, on Steam, it is possible to use letters or symbols that cannot be used on consoles.
- If a name cannot be written, you cannot invite or add that person as a new friend. Therefore, you will receive a new “Bungie Name” and will soon be able to find “Bungie Friends”.
Crossplay brings much more than just new names. We summarize the most important information about crossplay for you. Among other things, the player search and cross-platform communication will change.
The most important questions about crossplay in Destiny 2 answered briefly
Bungie has released quite a bit of information about crossplay. In this article, we focus on the most important information and summarize it for you.
Your Bungie Name in Destiny is made up of your previous player name, which you see in the game, plus “#” and a random string of numbers.
All names must also go through a filter that removes offensive terms and all symbols that are not cross-platform. Later, there will be the option to change the Bungie Name. If you have a name that is completely filtered out, you will be called “Guardian+random number” until then.
Thanks to crossplay, you can also find players across platforms, invite them, or make new friends – the system is called “Bungie Friends”. With the Bungie Name, you can search for players who are not on your home platform. This can be done in-game or through the Bungie.net friend finder.
You will then see your Bungie Friends in the fireteam menu. Clans in Destiny 2 currently function in a similar way. You can also see your Clan Guardians when they are saving the universe on other platforms.
Destiny 2 offers a fireteam finder on Bungie.net and via the official companion app. This works with crossplay across platforms (previously, you had to specify your platform and only saw players from there). You can also send invitations to all systems in-game.
Yes, but neither voice chat nor text chat will be available at the launch of crossplay on August 24.
Voice chat for crossplay in-game is scheduled to be integrated shortly after the start of Season 15. Text chat is expected to function on consoles like it does on Steam before the next expansion (early 2022).
This is how Bungie makes crossplay fair for PC and console players
It’s that simple in PvE: If you play PvE content like strikes, raids, or just want to hang out with Bungie Friends on the planet, there are no restrictions. There is actually a “global player search pool” that does not distinguish between platforms.
What to keep in mind in PvP: Different crossplay rules apply at launch for regular Crucible matches, Iron Banner, Trials of Osiris, and Gambit:
- PC players (Steam) will automatically be matched with other PC players. Console players (PS4/5, Xbox One/X/S, and Stadia) will play together.
- Bungie does not seem to differentiate based on the input method, meaning whether you use a controller or mouse and keyboard on PC, only the platform matters.
- Mixed fireteams of PC players and console players will automatically be in PC lobbies. So if you invite a friend from Steam while on PS4 and play PvP, you will fight against other Steam Guardians or mixed fireteams.
According to Bungie, the lobbies will be balanced to create “competitive parity”. Recently, the responsible weapon and sandbox leads stated that Guardians using mouse and keyboard have a significant advantage over controllers in Destiny 2.
You don’t have to worry about turning into cannon fodder for streamers who perform true magic with their mouse while you want to stay strictly on consoles. Many feared that cheaters on consoles would have free reign.
All new features and timings of crossplay at a glance
This is what crossplay can do right from the start: Crossplay will launch on August 24 along with Season 15 with these features:
- Cross-platform invitations, multiplayer, and player search
- Bungie Names and Bungie Friends come as features
- New cross-platform search functionality and better privacy settings
What features are still to come to crossplay?
- Later in Season 15, cross-platform voice chat will come as well
- In Winter 2021, before the new expansion “Witch Queen,” the following will come:
- Change of Bungie Names – so pick a name that is compliant beforehand, or you might end up as Guardian#1234
- Text chat display on consoles
- Text input via USB keyboard on consoles (keyboard only for chatting)
Are you already excited about crossplay in Destiny 2? Are you looking forward to finding new Bungie Friends or reuniting old fireteams across platforms that have lost touch? Does the Bungie Name bother you because you like to change your ID or is it a good idea to make it easier to find each other? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
