In Destiny 2, the new PvP mode “Trials of Osiris” has been struggling after just a few weeks. It has too few players. Now Bungie announces initial changes. However, the things many players look forward to are still far away. There are also considerations to stop offering the mode for free.
This is the situation: Some vocal PvP players have long demanded that Bungie bring back the Trials of Osiris. This is a weekly PvP event. Especially Twitch streamers benefit greatly from the mode – even financially.
Trials are rarely played – only 2.6% on PC, 5.7% on PS4
The PvP event was successful in Destiny 1 for a while, in Destiny 2 the concept was revised but later removed. Bungie was disappointed with the new Trials and apparently wanted to replace them with the new mode “Gambit”, their then favorite mode that came in September 2018.
Now the Trials were reintroduced with Season 10, but the mode doesn’t work. The Trials were supposed to be the highlight of the current Season but only reach a few players.
According to current values from warmind.io (as of Sunday, 1:50 PM), the Trials are played by:
- only 2.6% of players on PC
- 4.1% on Xbox One
- about 5.7% of players on PS4
The numbers surely vary – but especially on Sundays, the percentage participation in the Trials of Osiris is frighteningly low. On Fridays, at the start of the Trials, it is surely higher, but still so low that Bungie is announcing changes now.
Bungie has identified 3 problems:
- Strong teams continually eliminate weak teams in the early rounds. They do this to farm certain items, such as a powerful shotgun. The weak teams give up in frustration – the Trials are not worth it for them.
- There is too little incentive for teams to play through to 7 wins
- Cheaters ruin the Trials.
More materials and tokens with Season 11
These are the changes Bungie is bringing with Season 11: Bungie has presented two major changes for Season 11 in Destiny 2:
- Making rewards for reaching milestones “more worthwhile.” The Trials should drop additional tokens and more upgrade and infusion materials
- there should also be rewards even if players only participate but lose most of their matches
Season 11 should start in about a month in May.
Trials soon only for players who purchase a Season?
What about cheaters? Bungie wants to take a tougher stance against cheaters. For the Trials, they have some ideas: Players might need 100 hours to participate in the mode. But that is still not set in stone.
Additionally, Bungie now believes it may have been a mistake to offer the Trials for free and not as part of the paid Season Pass. It could be that this changes: then only players who pay for the current Season could participate in the Trials.
Nothing will change in Season 10, but Bungie “will reevaluate the decision”.
It is said: If Bungie has to choose between accessibility and integrity, they will make the Trials a “sacred, protected place”.
What about the wishes of the fans? Hardcore players had actually hoped that Bungie would bring special rewards. They primarily wanted to see unique weapons for reaching the Lighthouse.
Bungie does not want to comment specifically on this, but only says: Such things might come in “future seasons.” If it comes, it will probably be different from previous rewards, which were Adept Weapons.
They are currently looking at this and want to reveal more later.
Bungie is putting a band-aid on the problem instead of operating on it
This is what’s behind it: Anyone hoping for clear communication from Bungie regarding the Trials will be disappointed. If real comprehensive changes are coming, then probably not until fall.
For Season 11, the Trials will be a bit more rewarding, but not substantially.
Bungie has decided to communicate short-term solutions for now. The access conditions to the Trials seem to be far from settled.
But it seems to lead towards restricting access to the Trials if Bungie cannot get the cheater problem under control.
The “communication offensive” that Bungie has announced is starting rather meekly in terms of the Trials. There are answers and improvements, but they are more of a band-aid than real surgery.
The Trials are already in a poor state. The top PvP streamer, GernaderJake, had envisioned very different solutions for the Trials. However, he now praises Bungie for their openness. The changes are a “great start for the future of the event.”
