The Trials of Osiris have not been long back in Destiny 2, but they are already struggling with serious problems and declining player counts. We take a look at the reasons and Bungie’s reaction.
Which mode was missed so much? In Destiny 1, Guardians traditionally gathered in front of their screens on weekends, as the Trials of Osiris were going on. A hardcore PvP mode, where a small team had to prove itself in a competition and ultimately reach the mythical Lighthouse and cool loot.
In Destiny 2, the mode launched under a different premise. Instead of the setting reminiscent of ancient Egypt, the mode was now called Trials of the Nine – and it somehow didn’t really resonate with the players. To overhaul it, Bungie put the Trials format into a hibernation that would last for years.
In the current Season 10, the Trials of Osiris finally celebrated their return and were accompanied by plenty of hype. Destiny players were really excited about the PvP class of kings.
For example, the Guardians built the Lighthouse themselves in Season 9. Bungie promised during the announcement of the Trials that the mode would not return “half-baked” (via YouTube). But how are the Trials of Osiris doing now?
Are the Trials of Osiris in Destiny 2 already dying?
Here’s the state of the Trials: The Trials started on March 13, 2020, and good 5 weeks have passed since then. Nearly 400,000 Guardians joined the PvP mode during opening weekend. Each following week saw a decrease in player numbers. Currently, it has nearly halved to around 200,000 Guardians.
Player attrition is common, but the extent to which players are currently leaving is anything but typical. It is noticeable that particularly on PC, the number of players in the Trials is significantly lower compared to consoles.
Here’s what the player distribution looked like on April 20 in Destiny 2:
While about 12% of Guardians enjoy the Trials on Xbox One and PS4, only 5% are found on PC. Only on Google Stadia is the number even lower at 2%.
Why are players leaving the Trials in droves?
It’s completely normal for a mode or even a game to lose players after release. However, that the Trials, which were introduced as the highlight of Season 10, are struggling with declining player numbers so quickly is due to various reasons. Forbes has highlighted 3 of these reasons, which we want to discuss in more detail.
This is why weaker players leave the Trials: Due to the big announcement and the in-game focus, the curiosity about the “new” Trials was high among both veterans and newcomers. However, quickly hurdles became apparent for weaker players, which soon became seemingly insurmountable.
To claim the coveted Trials loot as one’s own, at least 3 matches must be won. The catch is that the competition ends with 3 losses by default, and one must start the contest anew. There are bounties that grant reward tokens upon completion, but these are useless without the 3 victories. Some brave fighters have thus not earned any loot after an entire weekend.
Compounding the problem is that the actually cool bounties have another flaw. Strong players quickly discovered that farming the bounties is significantly easier at the lower ranks. Much to the chagrin of weaker Guardians who were overwhelmed. Here we have taken a closer look at the problem:
This is why stronger players leave the Trials: If a team achieves 7 wins in a row without a loss, it reaches the Lighthouse, which is called Flawless. This should actually be the highest, the sacred goal in the Trials.
However, many Guardians find the effort not worth it. There is no special reward for this, except for a few cosmetic incentives. In Destiny 1, the so-called Adept weapons were tempting, which were only available for Flawless runs. Recently, the Trials title has also become accessible, after which many hardcore PvP players do not want to take on the stress anymore.
Due to the player decline, these players are now encountering tougher opponents, and every game becomes very sweaty. Thus, well-known PvP experts currently assert in many places that there is no reason for them to pursue Flawless:
Cheaters annoy honest players: In the Trials, everything is at stake; a loss can mean the end. Unfortunately, many dishonest Guardians see this as a reason to cheat rampantly. This problem mainly affects Destiny 2 on PC – probably one of the main reasons why player numbers are dropping fastest there.
What does Bungie say about this? Bungie has announced that they want to address 3 major problems in the Trials. However, the Guardians feel that there is a lack of concrete details and tangible timelines.
The Destiny developer is aware of the desire for precise problem-solving. In the TWaB from April 16 it says:
We understand that there are more topics that were not addressed and about which you probably want to learn more. Eververse, Trials improvements, our plans for managing “fear of missing out”, the struggle with the bounty problem, and more. There are also questions like: “What if players can’t play the way they want to? What about ritual weapons, anti-cheat improvements, etc.?”
Further, it is mentioned that they will get back with concrete details in the coming weeks and outline some short-term changes that should “ease the pain”. However, some of the solutions will take longer than others. Bungie also does not want to make quick “promises that we can’t keep.”
Do you have ideas for both short-term and long-term solutions that could restore the Trials to their former glory? In the eyes of many Guardians, one weapon is also tyrannizing PvP – even in the Trials of Osiris.
