Season 8 is coming to an end, all its contents are now live. However, if the season of the Undying embodies what awaits us in the course of the third year, then Destiny 2 faces a big problem, says our author Sven.
What is currently happening in Destiny 2? In just under three weeks, on December 10, Season 8 will officially end. With the weekly reset from November 19 and the start of Vex Offensive: Final Assault, the current season has probably fired all its rounds.
No further content has been communicated and none is expected.
I took this as an opportunity to look back at Season 8 and compare it with previous seasons. It was not a good idea. Because this comparison makes me currently a bit worried about the future of my favorite game.
What did Season 8 have to offer? Excluding the content reserved for owners of Shadowkeep, Season 8 offered:
- The Vex Offensive including Final Assault (basically just a new boss) – an activity where you have to face waves of Vex.
- Quest for the Exotic Bow Leviathan’s Breath
- The new season pass rewards as part of the battle pass system
In addition, there were free seasonal updates. These include among others:
- The Moon
- The seasonal artifact
- The finishers
- Armor 2.0
- 2 new strikes
- Crucible updates including 2 returning and one new map as well as the return of elimination
- new ritual weapons, which were introduced instead of new pinnacle weapons
This is how I see the season of the Undying: At first glance, this may seem like a lot – even compared to previous seasons. But one should not assume that every season from now on will bring a new location or 2 new strikes. Also, the introduction of new core mechanics like finishers or the new armor system Armor 2.0 is very unlikely to happen regularly.
All these things were introduced with Shadowkeep and Season 8, but they are not really seasonal contents – even if Bungie referred to them as such in the roadmap. They are clearly tied to the expansion.
The contents that define the season of the Undying for me are therefore
- the new activity Vex Offensive
- the new exotic bow
- the season pass rewards
- and the ritual weapons
And almost all of this content disappoints me – especially compared to previous seasons.
That’s why Season 8 disappoints me so much: For example, comparing the Vex Offensive with activities like
- the Menagerie from Season 7
- Gambit Prime and Reckoning from Season 6
- or the forges from Season 5
it quickly becomes clear to me that the content from Season 8 cannot compete in terms of quality and fun gameplay.
The Vex Offensive is one of the worst activities to waste time in Destiny 2 for me. Once you’ve farmed a good roll for the 6 weapons in the loot pool, there is basically no reason left to participate in this activity.
In comparison, the Menagerie with the chalice system, Gambit Prime with its armors and a large weapon palette, and even the forges offered more substance and, above all, replayability. This was not changed by the disappointing finale fight for the Vex Offensive. In short: The seasonal content of the “old” system entertained me much more.
I also find the new ritual weapons disappointing and see them as a step in the wrong direction. Because the feeling of the previous pinnacle weapons does not reach me.
Although that was exactly what Bungie intended, it is not really beneficial for my motivation throughout the season. The hunt for the pinnacle weapons was among my absolute favorite activities.
Where is the cool new exotic quest?
I see the new battle pass system as less critical, after all, it rewards players with endurance and dedication. But even here, Bungie makes it somewhat too easy and too convenient, in my opinion.
Instead of coming up with a cool exotic quest for the exotic weapon Ariana’s Vow and providing guardians with another, even if short, adventure, the weapon is simply given (over time).
It is also a shame that the coolest armors (or ornaments) of the entire season are tied to the season pass and cannot be earned through an activity. So currently, the prettiest things come from exactly 2 sources – the battle pass system and Eververse. The Vex Offensive or PvP could really use a bit more love in terms of rewards.
What is particularly bitter is how little effort Bungie has put in this season. It feels like there are more recycled resources than ever before.
The most recent example: The “new” boss from the final assault of the Vex Offensive, who also originated from Destiny 1, uses attack drones that go after the player.
These drones were also copied from another activity – namely the Menagerie. But they didn’t even bother to adjust the drones for the new boss. If the drones hit you, it states that you died by the Menagerie boss Pagouri – not by the Undying Mind.
Why the new season model could become a problem: Do I have enough to do in Season 8? In itself, yes – but it is not really due to the season, but to the contents of Shadowkeep.
Do I feel well entertained? In principle, yes – but that is also largely due to the Shadowkeep expansion.
And next season, that might look quite different. Because there will be no major expansion anymore to compensate for or cover up the lack of seasonal content. And that could become a huge problem.
Because it is indeed cool new activities or new exciting rewards that keep players motivated in the long run, and they are hardly available in Season 8 – at least not within the season.
If Season 8 is to be representative of how future seasons in year 3 will look, then it will be very difficult for Destiny 2 to keep guardians entertained in the long run, that is, over an entire season – not with activities of the quality of the Vex Offensive.
My conclusion: Looking at just the seasonal contents in S8, I have much less to do and also much less fun with the Vex Offensive than I did in the Menagerie, the forges, or even in the Gambit Prime that I despised.
Even this mode managed to keep me engaged longer than the new Vex activity – and that’s despite the fact that I have found the Vex fascinating since Destiny 1 like no other enemy race. The activity is simply boring and offers basically no incentives to play it after just a few runs.
The ritual weapons give hardly any reason to chase them. One of the 2 seasonal exotics is basically carelessly thrown at you with the season pass, and for the coolest armor (from the season pass), you just have to play – no matter what. Or go to Eververse.
Even though there may seem to be a lot on paper – effectively, Season 8 has less to offer than previous seasons. And what it has to offer is noticeably of lower quality and does not entertain nearly as well as earlier seasonal contents.
I hope Bungie is aware that next season, it is about the season itself and its contents, and that the Season of Dawn will be significantly larger and of higher quality than the current Season 8. However, if the seasonal content remains just as meager as it is now, then I see a dark future for my favorite game.
I’m all the more curious now about when the upcoming Season 9 will finally be presented and what it will offer in detail. I wish Destiny 2 and all of us the best of luck.
How do you see Season 8 (without Shadowkeep)? Did you enjoy it and did it entertain you well? Would you have wished for more or better content? And where does the season of the Undying stand for you compared to earlier seasons?
