In Destiny 2, Bungie has modified the Crucible algorithm to ensure stronger players are now evenly distributed. You should feel this in the current Iron Banner.
This is what the experiment is about: If you have played in the Iron Banner of Destiny 2 on the evening of March 25 and wondered if something was different, there is a reason for that. Bungie has adjusted the PvP algorithm.
As the Destiny developer revealed in the latest TWaB (via Bungie.net), teams in a lobby are now divided differently – it is supposed to run fairer this way. This change is a response to the matchmaking adjustments from June 2020, which aimed to bring fun back to PvP. Since then, connection quality has been prioritized in the search for Crucible matches, while player skill only plays a critical role in “Survival” (Comp) during matchmaking.
Bungie and apparently the Guardians themselves weren’t entirely satisfied with the removal of skill-based matchmaking. The latest changes are based on your feedback and data collected by Bungie.
Crucible like in gym class
This is how you should imagine it now: Bungie itself writes: “With today’s changes, we’re giving our lobby balance formula in the Crucible an update to balance the teams through an altered algorithm.” Sounds a bit more tangible, doesn’t it?
It becomes clearer with a comparison to gym class: You should picture this as two team captains choosing players for their teams. First, Captain 1 picks the strongest player, then Captain 2 picks the second and third strongest players. Now it’s Captain 1’s turn again, who picks the fourth best warrior, and so on.
This is supposed to specifically ensure in PvP that no imbalance of strong Guardians exists within one team. It is important to note that matchmaking is not directly affected. The new balance only sorts the players already found in a round into both teams based on skill.
Matchmaking is often a controversial topic in PvP, as there are several criteria by which games distribute players: By skill, by connection quality, by local proximity, or by something like “who has how many wins in the Trials?” (card based). Often games also use a mix of methods.
Behind the scenes, complex algorithms are running, which developers occasionally tweak to improve the online experience – and sometimes make worse.
However, these are still tests that only apply to the two Iron Banner playlists for the moment. Bungie wants to review your feedback over the weekend. Later, depending on the player experience, the new algorithm will be expanded to other PvP modes.
Overrun or be overrun, that is the question
This is how Guardians feel about the Iron Banner: Whenever the monthly Iron Banner event is on the horizon, Guardians dust off their best PvP gear. Because here, just for participating, you get 4 times the coveted top loot, and with small quests, the event weapons are automatically added to your inventory.
However, matches often end extremely quickly. Either you overrun the opposing team, and within minutes the “Mercy Rule” activates, ending the round prematurely, or – which seems to happen much more often – you are mercilessly wiped out. This clear one-sidedness rubs many Guardians the wrong way. After 3 defeats in record time, motivation significantly decreases, and even as a winner, it’s hardly possible to complete triumphs.
Are these all Iron Banner issues? If the new balance addresses this specific imbalance within a lobby, that would certainly be a significant plus.
- However, even though the Iron Banner generously distributes top loot, the weapons themselves have unfortunately only been re-skins for a long time. Sure, they come with new perks and can be quite appealing.
- However, players can no longer see the event armor, which has simply been identical for years.
- Players are also getting increasingly annoyed that the Iron Banner only caters to the Control mode. While there are campfires instead of flags, the blocking mechanic is mostly responsible for why good teams can march through so quickly.
Have you felt any changes in the Iron Banner yourself? Are the matches now more balanced or still very one-sided? Provide feedback to Bungie and discuss with other Guardians in the comments.
Our MeinMMO author Philipp Hansen has been wondering for a while: Where is the Iron Banner that I fell in love with years ago?
