In the MMO shooter Destiny , a crisis is unfolding at the end of January 2016. The past weeks brought little good.
Pessimists would say: Destiny is in a crisis at the end of January. The mood is at an all-time low. Optimists would say: Great, the low has been reached, now it’s time to rise. Also, to risk looking like a grump: Let’s take a look at the situation.
These 3 problems plague Destiny
Currently, there are 3 major problems with Destiny:
- The last novelty for PvE came in September, since then only temporary events have been introduced, such as the Festival of the Lost or the Sparrow League, and the challenge modes in December were merely a drop in the bucket. There has been really little to do in PvE for a long time.
- Bungie has not made any efforts to inform players about what comes next, when there will be changes in PvE, or when new weapons or challenges will arrive. There is hope for March, but the Guardians have been left in the dark for months. We only hear week to week: Nothing is coming soon. On Friday, anonymous sources reported: Bungie’s schedule is shaky and Destiny 2 has been delayed. Currently, Bungie reassures players week by week with promises of new information after a long pause. The expectations are now so high that even positive news (“We are bringing an event”) can be interpreted negatively (“But we want something substantial”).
- Bungie has changed the PvP matchmaking behind the players’ backs, accepting a worsening of lag to solve a problem (one-sided matches) that many players do not even see as an issue.
The lag destroys Plan B
The interplay of these 3 points is currently angering many players, even the enthusiastic fans. The reddit forum for Destiny has temporarily been renamed to “Rahool’s Salt Emporium,” an ironic allusion to the current flood of tears.
Large US sites are publishing articles like “Destiny in Crisis – The Division has its chance to steal players” (Forbes) or “Now is the perfect time to quit Destiny” (The Verge).
The steadily worsening lag is also causing Bungie’s plans for how to get through February and provide variety to not unfold as hoped. Because now, two PvP weeks are starting with the Iron Banner this week and the Valentine’s Day event “Crimson Days” next week. But if the lag remains as bad as shown in this video, it will hardly bring any relief:
Guardians hope for positive signals, receive bad news
Since November, there has been hope that Bungie would send some sign, some signal that clearly outlines how things are progressing. What Guardians can look forward to and prepare for. In recent weeks and months, Bungie has indeed sent signals, but they have rather had the opposite effect. Instead of exuding confidence, they are rather unsettling players.
If the main source of information is any insider leaks that go uncommented but later prove true, it becomes clear: Bungie really needs to outline its vision for Year 2 in Destiny and present it properly.
Players have been promised since November that they are only at the beginning of Year 2, that there are big plans and excitement to talk about. It seems they missed the timing somehow and since then the record has not been changed.
One can be curious about how the MMO shooter will progress. After a fantastic start to Year 2 with the widely acclaimed expansion “Taken King,” Destiny is currently going through a tough phase.
