Destiny 2 has been a game that changes its core elements from time to time. With Edge of Fate, however, it seems like the changes went too far and resulted in a frustrating mess of new systems, currencies, and bugs rather than improvements. The usual scenario of a big expansion launch and the immediate flood of forum posts filled with confusion, anger, and jokes is well known to the fans. But this time, it is said to be an entirely different story. Players don’t only wonder where the new loot is; they actually question whether Destiny 2 can handle such turmoil of its own.
The initial idea behind Edge of Fate was to redefine the concept of the grind by introducing vertical progression, difficulty modifiers, and a completely new way of chasing gear. It sounds as if things were laid out quite simply, on paper. What the expansion does is link the tiers of new loot to the difficulty and Power, with the higher tiers providing better stats. But, in fact, as soon as one gets involved in the system, the notion of simplicity disappears. You’re now expected to handle Reward Scores, Reward Ranks, Reward Packages, and a quite overwhelming list of modifiers – approximately one hundred of them. The steps are: you pick the difficulty level, then you put some modifiers to make it even more difficult, and after that, you just wait for your final score to be high enough for the loot that you actually want. Breakpoints, calculations, and the hidden rules of the system are so confusing that even the most experienced Destiny creators cannot figure them out and hence explain them.
After that, there is a problem with money. Right after Bungie decided to put an end to the Legendary Shards, it added Armory Requisitions and Arsenal Credit. Instead of making players’ inventories lighter, the situation is such that we have more items to juggle than before. Zavala, the commander, offers you the chance to get powerful new gear every week, but to be able to grab it, you will have to govern these new currencies. Many players find it enough to make them long for the time when only engrams would overflow in the postmaster’s inventory.
However, the bugs are the biggest problem. Edge of Fate came with what seemed like a huge number of bugs. In fact, recent expansions have had their share of problems, but this time it is particularly difficult to handle due to the magnitude of the issues. Since almost all major systems have been replaced – weapon behavior, armor rules, leveling, ammo economy – it is quite a surprise that the game is still running. The list of Known Issues is quite long and includes: inoperative raid banners, missing exotic rewards, invisible Warlock ornaments in PvP, missions not giving loot, soft locks during boss fights, and even the Vex Mythoclast shooting incorrectly. To make matters worse, some PlayStation users who bought the Ultimate Edition were not able to access the expansion at all. Bungie corrected the mistake quickly, but the reason for that was the fact that it affected sales.
Meanwhile, Eververse appears to be in good shape, working without interruption, and constantly notifying players about the new items they can buy. If the rest of the game were as solid as its microtransactions, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
It is important to mention that all of this is happening during a very stormy period for the studio. Apart from the layoffs, Marathon’s beta wasn’t received well, and Destiny 2’s player base keeps shrinking. This pressure can be felt by the veteran players as well. Desyncs cause the breakdown of raids in the middle of the fight, morale is low, and the community is wrapped in a fog of frustration. Many argue that the newly implemented systems inherit the worst features of several live-service models and hence result in something that is intricate, unrewarding, and tiresome to use.
For players who devoted thousands of hours to Destiny 2, this situation resembles a crossroads. A rebound from Bungie is not out of the question – fans who remember the times of double primaries in the early days know the studio is capable of making a dramatic turnaround. But, at the moment, it is quite difficult to see a clear way forward. The game urgently requires bug fixes, a more straightforward economy, and an emphatic stance towards the fans who have been with the game through every expansion, every balance patch, and every inconvenient currency overhaul.
Currently, Destiny 2 appears more as a challenge to one’s patience rather than a game. If Edge of Fate is a glimpse of what is coming, a significant number of Guardians might soon be scouting for an alternative place to settle.