Destiny 2: microtransactions to be toned down, XP to be tweaked again, and all Season content free to everyone
Destiny 2 is getting an economy shake up which should please critics of the loot box system, Eververse.
Destiny 2 game director Christopher Barrett has addressed major complaints about the loot shooter and Bungie's frustrating lack of response to feedback.
Riffing on Bungie's frequent comment of "we're listening", Barrett said the team is no longer "just listening" - "We are doing". The huge laundry list of changes coming to Destiny 2 over the next few seasons is one example of that, as it contains many community-requested features.
However, the developer has made more immediate adjustments to Destiny 2 which are worth highlighting on their own, and these pertain to Destiny 2 loot box driven economy. Before we get into that, it's worth going over what Barrett said about Destiny 2 in general.
First, Barrett drew a distinction between three kinds of ongoing Destiny 2 content. Expansions are premium add-ons that include things like Story, Crucible, Strike and Raid Lair content, as well as gear and even Destinations. Curse of Osiris is an example.
Seasons, on the other hand, are quarterly line-ups of free events and free to all players, regardless of which Destiny 2 expansions they own. This currently includes Faction Rallies and Iron Banner, and in the near future, Season rewards from Crucible, Strikes and Trials of the Nine will also be free to everyone. Season content returns soon - a new Faction Rally starts January 16 and Iron Banner returns January 30.
Finally, there's Eververse content - customisation items, emotes and boons (things like XP gain tokens). This is the bit that's really interesting, because Barrett said Bungie recognises that "the scales are tipped too far towards Tess at the moment" in Destiny 2.
"Eververse was never intended to be a substitute for end game content and rewards," he said.
To try and course correct, Bungie will be adding Ghosts, Sparrows and ships to activity rewards, so that Bright Engrams are less essential to Destiny 2's endgame.
The developer also promised Destiny 2 will feature gameplay paths to earn Bright Engrams and all rewards, include event-exclusive loot, which was a big issue with the recent The Dawning event. Finally, adjustments to Bright Engrams and direct purchase options will make it easier for players to get the stuff they want more frequently than the current RNG allows.
Hopefully that means Destiny 2 will be rewarding however you play, as opposed to the situation we're in currently, where hardcore players grind public event for XP for loot boxes - and don't do much else, especially after they collect the Raid gear.
It sounds great, and it's definitely right on point when it comes to things Destiny 2 players have been complaining about. Bungie's even implementing all these Eververse changes as early as Crimson Days, which kicks off February 13.
However, the XP situation is still up in the air, as Bungie is still working out how to adjust adjusting XP rates for both fairness and transparency. The difficulty seems to be in making rewards fair both to players who grind and to those who don't, which is tricky. Apparently its first solution was bugged to hell, so it's currently working on a new one.