As Bungie announced, the Trials of the Nine will not return as expected with the new Season 5. Destiny 2 players will have to wait at least another 3 months. Not good news for the longevity of the game, believes our author Robert.
No Trials of the Nine in the Season of the Forge: As Bungie recently announced in the Destiny subreddit, there will be no comeback of the Trials of the Nine in the new Season 5. As Cozmo23 wrote, the team is currently working on creating an experience that meets player expectations.
This has not been achieved yet. Guardians will be informed of details as soon as they are available or when the plans take more concrete form. This means that there will be no Trials held in PvP for the next three months either. Specific details can be expected at the earliest in February 2019.
Bungie did not provide a definite return date when they removed this elite PvP activity from the program for reworking. However, many players had firmly expected the Trials to return with Season 5. Numerous fans are now disappointed.
The Trials of Osiris were the lifeline of Destiny 1: What were you doing in July 2017? Most likely, you were looking forward to the last Trials of Osiris before Destiny 2 or playing private matches with your friends.
At least for me, these two activities were the only things that kept me engaged in Destiny 1. Many other players must have felt similarly. Especially hardcore crucible players are longing for a long-term engagement.
Granted, the top weapons such as Luna’s Howl, Not Forgotten or the new weapon the Summit provide motivation. But is that enough? I fear not. Because the population in the crucible will decrease across all modes, and that’s a problem.
The smaller the player base, the more frustrating the gaming experience for everyone
Players need reasons to log in regularly: Players who play the Trials log in regularly to stay sharp. They also shake up the other playlists. Those who have earned their top weapons will have little reason to continue visiting the crucible regularly.
Sure, the Iron Banner can help here. However, the event only appears once a month. Every multiplayer game must create incentives to make players return permanently. Otherwise, the player base decreases, leading to frustration for all players:
- Matchmaking takes longer
- Games with poor connection quality increase
- Players of significantly different skill levels are mixed together
- Out of frustration, more players leave ongoing matches
Players can already observe some incidents, although it is still far from being the norm. However, in two months this could look different. I am curious what arrows Bungie still has in its quiver to keep PvP players entertained until the Trials of the Nine finally return.
What do you think? Will the removal of the Trials harm the game in the medium term?
