Bungie released the first full Act of “Revenant” in Destiny 2 yesterday, dropping the first of three Acts all at once rather than stretching it out for several weeks like traditional seasonal content. However, to no one’s surprise, the release was incredibly short.
In less than 24 hours of release, the experience has already and immediately soured, leaving many players feeling underwhelmed, as it took less time to complete Act I than it did to download the update. As Bungie shifts from its repetitive seasonal model toward what they now call “Episodes”—four months long, three times a year instead of Seasons at three months long, four times a year—the changes have raised new concerns about the game’s future direction.
In trying to remove the grindy, recycled nature of past seasons (by forcing players to replay the same things over and over to pad and inflate metrics), which were often dominated by reused content, Bungie aimed to create a fresh experience with each Episode through a semi-new narrative delivery. Yet, this effort seems to have backfired, as players have criticized “Revenant” for its unsurprisingly short length and lack of any true gameplay innovation.
The first Act, released in full, could be completed in under 90 minutes, leaving fans frustrated and sparking debate within the community with many claiming it took more time to download or re-install Destiny 2 after a break than it did to complete the entire story aspect of Act I. Other players argue that Destiny fans are impossible to please and can never be happy or simply just love to complain. There may be some truth there but it seems like the deeper issue lies with Bungie’s ability to innovate and deliver long-term meaningful content.
To put it bluntly, shuffling the same parts of an already universally disliked content release formula will never create a satisfying experience for players.
Best Act system:
— Paul Tassi (@PaulTassi) October 9, 2024
For nearly a decade, Destiny has struggled to introduce any substantial new mechanics to the franchise. Yes, the game features stunning visuals, impressive skyboxes, and creative supers, but at its core, Destiny’s gameplay formula has remained largely unchanged. The “underwater bubble” mechanic from the Season of the Deep was a weak attempt at shaking things up (and is in no way capable of being considered a new game mechanic), and many fans, including myself, refuse to acknowledge it as a serious new feature. Don’t even get me started on fishing.
In fact, since the launch of the Franchise back in 2014, no one can reasonably argue that the player does anything more than jump on a plate, stand on a plate, throw a charge, dunk a charge, shoot the door, or hack the door. That is 80% the entire experience of Destiny with the remaining 20% being jumping puzzles and trying to understand Bungie’s UI and commerce philosophy.
To elaborate on mechanics, the one new thing that Destiny 2 added over Destiny 1 that could not be replicated (aside from new Super animations) is mantling (ledge grabbing). Other than that, our Guardians have no new interactions with the environment and no new equipment to use in the field. As a looter shooter than has existed for 10 years, the game should feel different and we should feel a deep, unparalleled connection to our characters. And we don’t. And that makes the player experience feel incredibly meaningless. And no release formula will change that. Not on a weekly, bi-weekly, seasonal, nor episodic format. Destiny 2 just feels hollow, no matter what is released. But especially when the campaign itself is so incredibly short.
The point is- the recycled nature of Destiny 2 is undeniable, with a significant portion of the game’s locations and enemies being reused from earlier content albeit with a few new coats of paint over it to create the illusion of feeling new. Even the new locations introduced over the years often end up being repurposed or revisited in some way.
And while Bungie seems to be stuck in an endless cycle of trying to appease a divided fanbase, the truth is that they’ve dug this hole themselves. It’s unrealistic to expect Bungie to create and release substantial, fresh content every four months that takes more than a few hours to complete. With the episodic model, the problem has become even more apparent. Fans aren’t surprised that the first act of “Revenant” was so short, and it won’t shock anyone when the remaining acts follow the same pattern, possibly only extending the experience through a new dungeon or two.
Live-service games are struggling across the board, with high-profile titles like Marvel’s Avengers and Kill the Justice League failing to capture long-term interest, despite strong intellectual properties and respected developers. Destiny 2, despite its longevity, is not immune to these challenges. One could argue that the only reason the game has survived this long is due to the success and addictiveness of Destiny 1, which was a full-priced, non-free-to-play game. Destiny 1’s success gave players an emotional investment in Destiny 2, but as Bungie has continued to struggle with delivering new content, this goodwill has been and will continue to be rapidly eroding.
The ongoing layoffs at Bungie underscore the fact that the current pace and scope of content creation aren’t sustainable. Even Destiny 2’s yearly expansions have failed to generate enough revenue to prevent staffing cuts. If these large-scale expansions aren’t enough to keep the studio afloat, it’s hard to imagine the new episodic format or the planned “Rise of Iron”-sized expansions succeeding either. Bungie is facing a critical moment, and their only hope might be a massive overhaul, potentially with Sony stepping in to help steer the ship.
Investigate unknown transmissions intercepted from a derelict Braytech station.
New Dungeon: Vesper’s Host. Available October 11, 2024.
🌌 https://t.co/NIXlAvrfpn pic.twitter.com/PC3ig2mBWK
— Destiny 2 (@DestinyTheGame) October 9, 2024
Looking ahead, Destiny 2’s fanbase remains cautiously hopeful but realistic. Many of us have little interest in the episodic model, beyond getting our hands on legacy items like the Ice Breaker sniper rifle releasing with Vesper’s Host. After that, it may be time to take another long break from Destiny and explore other games that offer more fulfilling experiences.
Bungie’s ability to survive this turbulent period and keep players engaged will depend on whether they can break free from the repetition of recycled content and deliver something truly groundbreaking—before the fanbase loses what little faith remains.
