We’ve known for some time now that things are going to meaningfully change forDestiny 2in Year 11, with the start of what is currently known asFrontiers. A recent leak, however, alleges some hugely unpopular changes forDestiny 2‘s content model, and players are already skeptical of it.
Theseleaks aboutDestiny 2came about very recently, alleging that Bungie is moving the game away from the current model (one yearly DLC with 3-4 seasons/episodes) to something lighter and easier to maintain. It would purportedly consist of two smaller DLCs and two seasons per year, with a lessened focus on narrative progression in lieu of activities, loot, and pure gameplay. This is too little information to go on – even if it is true – but the players are already a fair bit worried about what it might mean aboutDestiny‘s future.
If the leaked plans for Destiny 2 are true, players won’t be happy about it
The biggest source of concern for the community is the leaker’s claim that there will be no more “week-to-week story beats or story released all at once.” Instead, we’d be getting only “one intro mission explaining the ‘why’ of the Season. That’s it,”they claim. “Only thing other than that is traditional character banter throughout the [seasonal] activity.” A non-insignificant number of players are extremely unhappy about this potentially being true.
Some players, specifically, believe that Bungie is attempting to turnDestiny 2into a “lobby simulator” such asFortniteand/orApex Legends. This, presumably, refers to the fact that these games don’t put any meaningful emphasis on their lore and story development, opting instead to go all-in on gameplay. It’s not a decision without practical merit, to be sure, as keeping theDestinystory going is no mean feat. Yet, the story was a crucial reason as to why some players kept coming back to the game in the first place. I, myself, find the leaks worrying, if they’re true.
It is, perhaps, surprising just how manyDestiny 2players have chimed in on this thread saying that they’re still playing the game almost exclusively due to the story. Then again, Bungie’s had a serious knack for out-there narrative developments for decades now, fromPathways Into Darknessonwards, and there’s potential here for the studio to alienate its oldest fans ifDestiny 2does end up turning into a “lobby simulator” in the end.
Now, to be perfectly fair, it wouldn’t be the first time that we’ve seen a wildly popularDestiny 2leak end up being a total wash in the end. Moreover, even if these leaks are all true, Bungie could end up injecting enough Grimoire-style content every season that the narrative ends up trucking along at a reasonable pace.
Personally, I feel the bigger problem is thatBungie has lost a fullthirdof its staff very recently, including some key veteran staff such asLuke Smith and Mark Noseworthy. The studio claims that this won’t affectDestiny 2in the slightest, but I find that very hard to believe. The fact of the matter is that Bungie hasn’t told us virtually anything aboutFrontiersyet, and so it’s not hard to see why the community might be worried about it, given what’s been happening as of late. It’san uncertain time to be aDestinyfan, that’s for sure.
