Destiny 2 has the highest participation for the Trials of Osiris ever, even higher than at the launch of the PvP activity. Despite the criticism, Guardians want the new meta weapon.
Here is the record: Last weekend, 407,234 Guardians participated in the Trials of Osiris. The mode, commonly referred to as “Trials,” is the PvP endgame of Destiny 2 and is considered elite. Here, the best players sweat to achieve 7 consecutive victories and reach the mythical lighthouse to receive the rare Flawless loot.
The number of participants even exceeds the previous absolute high of about 380,000 Guardians. The Trials were last this popular about a year ago during their introduction or rather their return. The prestigious mode known from Destiny 1 has caused more negative headlines on MeinMMO since 2020:
- Long-awaited mode in Destiny 2 nearly dead after 5 weeks
- Destiny 2 cancels PvP endgame after just one day
- Destiny 2 suddenly cancels the Trials – PvP activity suspended indefinitely
Just before the start of Season 13, participation was at a low with under 100,000 players. What broke the vicious cycle of declining player numbers or unplanned cancellations that leads to this Trials record?
Guardians love weapons, especially when it’s a hand cannon
Why are the Guardians storming the Trials? Season 13 provided the Trials with new weapons and armor, which many Guardians are eager to flaunt. The items look good and are among the best that can be currently equipped. Bungie has ensured that the most coveted item from the Trials collection has never been easier to obtain: the Igneous Hammer.
This is a hand cannon that has phenomenal status values, with its rate of fire of 120 and high damage per shot belongs to the PvP meta. Last Wish, a similar revolver, almost single-handedly revitalized the Gambit playlist – but the Igneous Hammer is even better.
If something is meta, it belongs to the strongest weapons or skills that provide significantly more advantages than disadvantages in the current patch – hence, many informed players use the meta.
Alternatively, meta can also be used to describe something that goes beyond the actual game. The term can be translated from Greek as “beyond.”
That’s why the weapon was simply available:
- Normally, the Trials are very sparing with their hot loot. But each week you can “earn” something from the loot pool once per character. The reward for 3 victories is guaranteed from a bounty just for participating.
- This time, the 3-victory reward was the hand cannon Igneous Hammer. Even Guardians who have never won a match or who are not interested in PvP could obtain the hottest weapon of Season 13. Those who had no desire could also simply jump off the map and after about 10 matches have a copy of the revolver without seeing an opponent.
- Due to the increased population, there were also more “achievable” players in the playlist, and many were able to achieve the regular 3 victories. This secured them another copy of the coveted revolver. Igneous Hammer comes with random rolls, so each drop depends on luck to have good perks and attachments on your weapon.
Every Guardian thus already had 3 chances for a God roll of the hottest meta weapon. Did Bungie do this to apologize for all the Trials failures of Season 13?
Are the Trials now saved?
The question now is whether the population of the PvP endgame will remain this high. Bungie cannot “give away” the hottest loot every week. Otherwise, Guardians will soon run out of carrots to chase.
The established record is not necessarily synonymous with the salvation of the Trials, as a large part of the criticism of the mode has not been resolved. The mode continues to be plagued by cheaters (especially on PC). The generous loot can only briefly mask unfair tactics and the image damage from win trading and cheaters. Generally, players wish for more attention for PvP, which was largely ignored over the past year.
This is what Bungie plans: Recently, the Destiny developer announced how they want to fix the Trials. This includes, for example, the elimination of the controversial three-peeking, the balance between Light and Darkness classes, and a significantly expanded security team. Bungie reported on March 25 about a ban wave against cheaters (via Twitter) to send a message and show that they care.
Have you also secured one or more Igneous Hammers? Share your best rolls with us in the comments.
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