Recently, both Prestige Raid Lairs, the Spire of Stars and the Last Wish, started in Destiny 2 … The community had been waiting for months. But now that the elite challenges are in the game, no one seems to care. Worse still: the fans are mostly disappointed. Our author Sven wonders: Why?
The Prestige Raid Lairs – Highly anticipated, yet disappointing for many
After the Prestige Lairs were long awaited and had been postponed, it was finally time with the release of the July update: On July 17, the Prestige mode of the Last Wish launched, and the next day the Prestige version of the Spire of Stars was opened.This is what happened:
- In the first raid lair, the world was still somewhat okay. The race for the World First in the Last Wish still enjoyed some attention. Not as much as at the start of a new raid lair and certainly not as much as at the start of a new raid, but the eyes of the Destiny community were for the moment focused on the new Prestige Lair.
- But just a day later, when the second raid lair opened its gates, hardly anyone seemed to care anymore.
The second Prestige Raid fizzles out: The reactions and the (dis)interest of the fans and the gaming press speak a clear language – the highly anticipated Prestige modes disappoint and do not truly spark much interest.
On Reddit and other platforms, there is little to no discussion. The press barely reports on it. Even on YouTube, one currently has to search with a magnifying glass for videos about the Prestige raid runs in the Spire of Stars. It used to be different.
What is the reason? The mood was already dead before the start
Too much revealed: Bungie revealed too much about the new raid lairs ahead of time. While there wasn’t really much to say about the topic, in a “This Week at Bungie” blog, the studio discussed the Prestige Raid Lairs. In doing so, they revealed a crucial detail that left fans puzzled.
No new mechanics: The developers explained that there would be no new mechanics during the individual encounters in the Prestige modes of the raid lairs. This fact alone turned out to be a mood killer and took away the excitement of many fans for the challenge.
And this premonition was confirmed in practice. After the first runs, even parts of the Destiny celebrity community, like the exceptional player Gigz, admitted: While it was okay, they would have preferred the classic Prestige experience with new mechanics and higher difficulty. Other fans shared this opinion.
Too easy: While Bungie announced that limited weapon loadouts and new Prestige modifiers should provide more excitement and variety, these have not proven to be a significant obstacle. Additionally, some fans are rather annoyed by this and feel constrained. After all, the studio keeps emphasizing that Guardians should play as they wish.
There’s also a lack of loot
Hardly any worthwhile loot: The new raid lairs currently represent the only opportunity to obtain weapons with a power level of 400 before the Forsaken expansion, but the elevated level cap only offers a real incentive for very few players.
Soon it will be Forsaken: Because at power level 400, you will only be able to obtain the armor from the upcoming Solstice event – just under a month before the power level will again increase with the Forsaken expansion, this time to 600. Then, one will likely reach the 400 cap within the first few story missions effortlessly.
Many fans simply lack the incentive here. The power level carrot does not entice everyone. But at least through the new raid-exclusive masterwork catalysts, the new Prestige modes gain some appeal for certain fans.
The timing problem in Destiny 2
One problem is the timing: Guardians have been waiting for the challenge for over half a year. They thought something great, truly challenging, and innovative was coming, which would also test the toughest players. The elite players prepared for this challenge for half a year. Their gear steadily improved.
Most players expected something different than a raid that could be completed in 20 minutes.
Prestige Raids were supposed to be a highlight, but feel loveless
Bungie seems to only be fulfilling a duty: Parts of the community feel that Bungie is just fulfilling a duty to the Guardians with this implementation of the Prestige modes. They had promised fans Prestige Lairs long ago, and now they delivered them – the “how” does not seem to have been that important.
Responsible for the feeling is likely the uninspired and uncreative design that completely avoids new mechanics.
Many Guardians are disappointed: The new Prestige Lairs will certainly keep some Guardians entertained until the Forsaken expansion. However, interest seems not to be as high as it was during the release of the regular raid passages. Most fans likely expected much more here.
What do you think? Why is interest in the World First races and the new Prestige passages limited?
