A look at the trophies reveals that significantly fewer players have completed the Leviathan raid in Destiny 2 than a raid in its predecessor Destiny 1. What is the reason for this? MeinMMO author Robert investigates in true Columbo fashion.
Here’s why raids are so important for Destiny: Who can still remember their first foray into the Glass Chamber?
The first Destiny raid ever is still (rightly so) considered one of the best activities Bungie has ever created for Destiny.
Raids like the Glass Chamber are longer instances where up to six players must face jumping puzzles, tough boss enemies, and tricky mechanics to snag the best loot the game has to offer.
The great appeal of raids lies in entering them blind at launch and working together on the mechanics until the last enemy is defeated.
A tradition has now established itself, granting special honor to players who complete a raid first.
However, with Destiny 2, the relative numbers of completed raids compared to its predecessor have dropped. What is the reason for this? Let’s first look at the bare numbers.
Initial raid completions compared: The relative numbers of initial raid completions were compared based on trophies on the PlayStation 4:
- In Destiny 1, 20.6% of PlayStation players successfully completed a raid. The heroic variant of a raid was completed by 14.3% of players.
- In Destiny 2, only 9.8% of PlayStation players completed the Leviathan raid. The heroic “Prestige” difficulty was conquered by 4.7% of players.
It becomes even clearer when expansions are included in the calculation.
While in Destiny 1, nearly 9% of players completed the raid King’s Fall, the Forsaken raid Last Wish in Destiny 2 was only completed by 1.9% of players.
Of course, these numbers do not represent the absolute truth. Some players have switched to PC with Destiny 2, which wasn’t possible with Destiny 1. Additionally, the trophy in Destiny 1 refers to a global raid completion, while in Destiny 2 it only pertains to the completion of the Leviathan raid.
So, while the numbers may not reflect the absolute truth, they do provide a good indication for the theory that “raids are not as interesting to players in Destiny 2 as they were in the predecessor.” There are several reasons for this.
The entry hurdle – Egregious differences between Destiny 1 and 2
The raid conditions between Destiny 1 and 2 compared: The Glass Chamber started with a light level of 26, which was not a great challenge even for evening guardians. Not even legendary equipment was strictly necessary.
While the difficulty level increased during the Glass Chamber, at least many guardians were able to take a look into the Glass Chamber on the first day. Between the release of Destiny 1 and the start of the chamber, players had a week to reach the required moderate level.
Now let’s jump to the new Destiny 2 raid Scourge of the Past. Between the increase of the level cap to 650 and the start of the new raid, exactly three days passed. Since the new raid starts with a power level recommendation of 640, the guardians had 72 hours to reach the appropriate level.
In the level economy of Destiny 2, it is nearly impossible for evening guardians to accomplish 40-50 power levels in three days – assuming they were already close to the former cap of 600.
As most guardians did not have the required level, many did not even bother to give the new raid a visit.
This is the problem with light levels: Content creators on Twitch and YouTube will be able to visit any raid on day 1 and have a realistic chance of succeeding.
The vast majority of players will likely give up in resignation beforehand since the level requirement cannot be met at the start of a new raid.
These players will only dare to tackle the raid (if at all) once they have the necessary level.
The loot – From the most powerful weapons to common guns
Raid weapons were so strong in Destiny 1: The weapons players could acquire in the Glass Chamber still bring tears of joy to veterans today.
The hand cannon Fatebringer in its original form is still considered the benchmark for THE primary weapon in Destiny.
Even Bungie recognized that the Glass Chamber housed the best weapons that would define the game for a long time. Measures were subsequently taken to encourage players to pick up new guns.
However, a change in perception took place. While the weapons from the Chamber and the Crota raid were considered among the best, the situation is fundamentally different in Destiny 2.
Here’s how it is in Destiny 2 regarding weapons: The weapons from the Leviathan raid left players with long faces. With a few exceptions, the raid weapons were simple variations of the firearms found in the world.
Here’s how it is regarding raid armors: The armors also caused disappointment: While the armors in Destiny 1 came with abilities specifically tailored to the raid and its enemies, the armors from the Leviathan raid were regarded as simple armor skins without function upon release.
This is the problem with Destiny 2: If equipment that must be earned in one of the hardest activities is just disappointing loot, guardians lose the motivation to chase after it.
With perks on armors from the Leviathan raid as well as the Forsaken raid Last Wish, Bungie attempted to turn the tide, but the relative trophy numbers suggest that these measures came too late.
The raid sectors as fun brakes
What are raid sectors anyway? During the first year of Destiny 2, Bungie abandoned the raid gameplay and introduced changes that were not well received by all guardians.
Instead of a completely new raid, the existing Leviathan raid was expanded with additional areas, known as sectors.
Thus, the gigantic area of the Leviathan served as a theme park where guardians could engage in various activities. While new raid content came with the raid sectors, it was still in the old setting. But this was not the only issue.
Here’s how the raid sectors were received: Not only did the raid sectors thematically fit within the Leviathan, but players were also reluctant to face these challenges due to the equipment available there.
While some new weapons were added, the armors were considered junk that were not worth the effort.
Curiously, guardians primarily visit the raid sectors to farm the catalysts of exotic weapons like the Sleeper Simulant.
This is the problem with the raid sectors: Too short, lousy loot, and the already known setting deterred many guardians. However, the activities were sometimes quite challenging and fun. Bungie failed to dangle the carrot in front of the guardians that would have urged them to continue playing the raid sectors.
Raids in Destiny – Are we just tired?
This was the magic of raids in Destiny 1: With the release of the Glass Chamber, guardians were confronted with a challenge that had not been seen in the shooter genre before. The raid was a completely new experience – refreshing, mysterious, and rewarding all at once.
The intertwining of gameplay mechanics, jumping puzzles, and shooting segments will stay in players’ memories for a long time. However, this magic of the “new” seems not to be as omnipresent in Destiny 2 as it was in the predecessor.
Here’s why raids were so popular in Destiny 1: I believe that the old raids remained in discussion for a much longer time. There were many reasons for this. Who does not remember bizarre rounds through the Glass Chamber, where the Templar was chased around the arena like crazy to finally be thrown into an abyss?
There were also numerous exploits with Atheon that had the most peculiar outcomes. The absolute highlight was finally reached with Crota. The sword-swinging son of Oryx could be manipulated using a cleverly pulled internet cable.
Raids in Destiny 2 are also not without their flaws, but rarely are these bugs a fun factor for the guardians.
They seem more polished, which provides a better player experience, but on the other hand, it also means that the new raids remain less in conversation and lose public attention more quickly.
Conclusion – Raids in Destiny are simply not as cool as they used to be
This is the 3 problems with Destiny 2: Significantly increased entry hurdles at raid start, less prospect of great loot, and the unpopular raid sector system have scared many guardians off when it comes to raids in Destiny 2.
Even if the numbers from the PlayStation trophies are not representative, they paint a clear picture. At first glance, it seems a reasonable measure that Bungie even offers rewards for teams that complete a new raid within 24 hours or even as a first.
However, upon closer inspection, it shows that the gap between hardcore players and casual guardians continues to widen.
Content creators and streamers will always have the opportunity to play raids early and consistently, while the majority of guardians turn away in disappointment.
What must Bungie do to draw more guardians back into the raids? The following measures could significantly increase the player population in the raids:
- Reduction of entry hurdles – A new raid must be accessible with a moderate time investment. Strong players will still compete for the World First crown, but significantly more players will gain earlier access.
- Better loot – With the Last Wish, Bungie at least brought back armors and weapons that are useful. The exotic fusion rifle One Thousand Voices is fantastic and worth it. This first step should be continued in upcoming raids.
If Bungie cannot manage to engage more players in raids, the critical question must be asked whether the high programming effort is worth it.
What do you think? Are you also less interested in the new raids in Destiny 2, or are you still having fun uncovering all the secrets as quickly as possible?
