Declining Player Engagement
Destiny 2 is grappling with a concerning drop in player numbers, consistently losing around 10,000 concurrent players each weekend. The reasons behind this trend have become increasingly clear.
The Impact of The Edge of Fate
The launch of The Edge of Fate has significantly diminished the game’s scope. While Edge of Fate provided a decent amount of content, it lacks the weekly story updates that players have come to expect. However, the core issue lies with The Portal, which has introduced a new tiered armor and weapon system that effectively sunsets most of the game’s previous content.
Systematic Sunset of Playable Content
This isn’t an exaggeration. In a game now centered around the pursuit of power and tiered items, the new system has rendered all prior campaigns, destinations, playlists, dungeons, and raids irrelevant. Players can still run these old activities for outdated gear that cannot be upgraded to match the new system. For example, playlist vendors have completely eliminated their reward tracks, and the popular Pathfinder system has been scrapped entirely. Additionally, Grandmaster strikes are no longer available.
In total, this represents roughly 80% of the playable content in Destiny 2, a claim that can be supported by observable facts.
A Predictable Strategy Moving Forward
Looking ahead, it’s likely that Bungie will once again start to reintroduce and reissue older weapons within the new tier system. This may include a few updated perks and the chance to obtain tier 1-5 weapons. While Destiny has a history of revisiting gear with each new update, the repeated cycle has become frustrating for players eager to earn the same beloved items, such as the Hung Jury.
The Uncertain Future of Destiny 2
Currently, there seems to be no satisfying resolution to this problem. Bungie’s intention appears clear: they want players to engage with the new content, particularly in light of dwindling player counts since the release of Final Shape. This has led to a strong push to direct players toward newer activities.
The Permanent Presence of The Portal
The Portal is here to stay, having fundamentally changed the structure of the game. Even if tiered elements are added to other features, The Portal will remain central to the Destiny 2 experience. This situation is troubling, especially since Bungie has struggled to balance gameplay within The Portal itself. Weeks have passed with players gravitating toward the same two activities for loot, leaving other content feeling wasteful.
Conclusion
While The Portal could have enhanced the game’s ecosystem, its current status as nearly the sole focus of Destiny 2 may ultimately jeopardize its future. Players can only hope that this is not the case.
