Edge of Destiny was supposed to be a solid new cornerstone for Destiny 2's future development, but instead it kicked off the most disappointing phase to date for the ten-year-old sci-fi shooter.In September this year, Bungie promised to release a roadmap outlining its development vision for the service-based massively multiplayer online game in the next year.Two months later, relevant plans are still changing.Bungie now says that it won’t be able to announce the subsequent development direction of “Destiny 2” until early 2026.At the same time, the studio is urgently adjusting its upcoming Star Wars expansion packs in an effort to achieve a 180-degree turn.
"We continue to adjust our strategy based on player feedback and currently need additional time to develop a long-term strategy for the future of the Destiny series before releasing a full game status report and multi-year roadmap next year," the studio revealed this week.Instead, Bungie is introducing what it calls a new "content calendar" to players.There are no grand ideas and no major innovations, but it previews all the content of the "Rebellion" expansion pack and the first major update launched on December 2.
Core highlights include: all players can reach the new power limit simply by participating in "Rebellion" related activities; the warehouse capacity will be increased to 1,000 cells to accommodate all new loot; all exotic armor decorations can now be interchanged between equipment of the same profession and the same part, greatly promoting the development of fashionable gameplay in "Destiny 2".The seasonal events "Festival of Dawn," "Iron Banner" and "Call to Arms" will also return.Returning players may be confused by Bungie's mention that "Vanguard Alert will bring back some of the Sunset activity experience," but in short: Insurrection promises to significantly reduce the tedious grinding content players faced in July's Edge of Destiny.
The following is Bungie’s brief review of this expansion pack, which has the lowest player participation and the most negative reviews since the launch of “Destiny 2”:
“With Edge of Destiny, we present a different vision for the future of Destiny 2’s core gameplay. The original intention is to refocus the game updates and player actions, allowing players to pursue power increases and climb higher equipment levels in a familiar but deeper way through more activities that support custom challenges and corresponding rewards.
"But it quickly became clear from player feedback that this wasn't the right direction for the Destiny franchise.
"Even if our execution was perfect (which it clearly isn't), it's clear that grinding power can never replace the sense of accomplishment that comes with loot. There's nothing compelling about grinding through inconsequential levels over and over in the process of acquiring the gear you want. Additionally, the portal system significantly diminishes the sense of place and exploration that is the hallmark of the Destiny series. Our team has learned these and many other lessons over the past three months."
I have no doubt bungie takes all negative feedback seriously.Just in terms of morale, this is probably one of the toughest times the game has ever been since it launched.But whether the studio can successfully reverse Destiny 2's decline in 2025 remains to be seen.The challenge, as always, is to keep things fresh when players replay the same content over and over again more than a decade later.Maybe that's simply not possible, or maybe Destiny 2 just needs a pragmatic back-to-basics reboot—at least in terms of progression and weekly grinds.I’m still rooting for it.
