A subculture has developed around speedrunning in Destiny 2. MeinMMO author Robert interviewed Redeem clan member crushTy to understand how speedrunners actually think and what tips there are for interested Guardians who want to try it.
What is speedrunning all about? The toughest PvE content in Destiny 2, such as raids or “the Shattered Throne”, can only be tackled by “normal players” through precise communication and clear role distribution.
However, speedrunners perceive these challenges in Destiny 2 differently: it’s not just about successfully completing the content, but doing it as quickly as possible.
Among the Guardians, some clans have emerged that tackle these challenges together and against each other. The Redeem clan stands out, known for hosting the best Guardians who have excelled in fighting against the aliens. Guardian crushTy has been a clan member for a few months and will provide us with some insights into the life of speedrunners.
Among other things, crushTy currently holds the world record for the solo run of the Shattered Throne and was part of the fireteam that achieved the current best time for the raid Scourge of the Past.
MeinMMO: Please explain to our readers who you are and how long you have been playing Destiny.
crushTy: Hello everyone, I’m crushTy, I’m 26 years old and I’m from southern Germany. I got into Destiny during the Alpha of Destiny 1.
I have played Destiny 2 since its release but turned my back on the game relatively quickly because it just wasn’t good at launch. I returned with the Warmind expansion.
You are now with Redeem, one of the best PvE clans in the world. How did that happen?
I started doing speedruns and challenges myself and uploading them to YouTube. Especially with my solo speedruns of the Shattered Throne, I became increasingly well-known. That’s how I met Gladd and I also joined his streams often. When he was looking for someone for a challenge, I happened to be in the chat. So he asked me if I was interested.
That’s how I also met several members of the Redeem clan and was able to do challenges with Gladd from time to time.
When the Scourge of the Past speedruns started, I was asked if I could help out as they were missing someone. After a few sessions of speedruns, I received an invitation to join Redeem.
This is how one of the best clans in the world plays Destiny 2
How are you organized in the Redeem clan? Do you have fixed teams and, above all, fixed activities that you practice repeatedly?
Currently, there are 2 teams:
- a “main team” consisting of experienced players who have been playing together for years and
- a new team that has only existed for a few months. I am currently the 6th man in this team. This team definitely has strong players and was the third team ever to complete the Scourge of the Past raid.
Basically, everyone does their own thing; many are together on Discord almost every day playing Destiny 2 (also other games) or just hanging out. Practicing usually never happens before speedruns. Most of what is learned comes from normal gameplay or is only learned when it’s time.
You mainly do speedruns and World First races. What does speedrunning actually mean? What should one imagine under it?
Speedruns mean completing an activity, or a raid, quite quickly.
With good teamwork and strategies, quite decent times are possible, as the times for the new raid show.
You have mentioned challenges frequently now. What do you mean by that?
Basically, we keep coming up with crazy challenges that we then try out. For example, we managed to take down the dogs in the Leviathan raid with just two people without picking up a single spore.
Other examples of challenges include:
- Flawless Raid (Last Wish) – also Petra’s Run with three players
- All sorts of solo challenges like Argos or even the first phase of Argos Prestige
Are there rules under which circumstances a run counts as a speedrun or not? How are these rules defined?
The rules are discussed and defined on the Speedrun.com Discord server by players and mods. If you want to submit a run, you must follow these rules so that your run is verified there and is listed on the leaderboard.
Recently, there have been some controversial discussions around speedruns for the Last Wish. Why is it so difficult to establish reasonable and universally applicable rules here?
The specific problem with the Last Wish raid was that it is possible on PC to create macros through external programs from mouse and keyboard manufacturers, which allows one to move very quickly on PC with the Titan when certain settings are made.
Generally, macros are prohibited in speedruns. However, some members of the community believe that macros do not speed up a speedrun. Disagreements have arisen in these discussions.
Since these rules are discussed so controversially, why don’t you just abolish them?
The thing is: If everyone “does what they want”, then a dilemma like the Last Wish happens. Because there were also disputes about the rules there, and then everyone did what they wanted. Then there would never be an official world record.
These rules exist partly because Destiny is a game that is available on multiple platforms. The rules are intended to give everyone the same conditions.
Of course, the PC always has a certain advantage because of loading times for menus or inventory, yet many console players have proven that they can break records.
According to the site www.speedrun.com, you are in first place for the Shattered Throne. How long did it take you?
Yes, I am, I completed the Shattered Throne in 15:05 minutes. I have invested around 15 hours in runs so far because, unfortunately, there is no reset button for the checkpoints in the Shattered Throne. So you have to finish each run, even if you made a mistake, which lengthens the process.
How do you prepare for speedruns? What do you do specifically ahead of time?
Basically, I don’t have a specific routine; I often look at the activity I want to run and what times have been achieved there so far. Then I just run, the rest will come during the runs.
What criteria do you use when choosing activities for which you want to perform speedruns?
I don’t really choose activities. I just run what I enjoy. Alternatively, I also participate in activities that the clan is currently trying.
How long do you have to play in a session to achieve reasonable results?
That depends on the activity. In some sessions for raids, several hours can add up. In the Scourge of the Past raid, we sometimes have sessions of about 10-12 hours.
How long do you actually need to play to get something competently up and running?
I don’t believe there’s really a benchmark. You should have some basic knowledge about the game, but otherwise just pick an activity that you enjoy.
Do you have tips for interested readers who also want to try their hand at speedruns?
As mentioned earlier, it’s best to just choose an activity that you enjoy. Maybe watch a YouTube video of existing runs and then just go for it.
I mean: Even if you don’t want to go for world records, it doesn’t hurt to finish a strike a little quicker using some tricks.
What qualities should one have if they want to take speedrunning seriously?
Especially stamina, perseverance, and ambition!
Have you found a best loadout for PvE content that you always use?
There isn’t really a best loadout; it always depends on which activities are being played. However, if someone wants a loadout that works for almost everything, they would use Midnight Coup, the Ikelos shotgun, and the Thunderlord, and with that, they are generally well-equipped.
For certain bosses, you can also use the Whisper of the Worm or 1000 Voices.
However, the Forsaken DLC has brought several good alternatives into play, such as the hand cannon Perfected Orchid or the shotgun Threat Level from the raid Scourge of the Past.
Have you ever considered becoming a speedrunner yourself?
