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Destiny 2 is among the most popular first-person shooter titles in the current gaming market. Released in 2017, the game has a huge player base and a highly active community. However, this wasn't the case during the initial years of its release.
There were many things in Destiny 2 that cannot be seen in the game right now. Although veterans will still be able to relate to the overall visual landscape of the game, Bungie has introduced many important changes over the years, and some more will be going live with Lightfall, the next expansion in the series.
While almost every change in the game was a major one, some had a huge impact on the game's overall feel. Others, although important, didn't amount to a lot. Here are five significant changes that Destiny 2 has witnessed over the years.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.
Destiny 2 evolution log: 5 most important changes
The changes listed below have left a long-lasting impact on the game. They've made the FPS title more fun to play than it used to be, giving everyone a reason to return to the game daily.
1) Going Free-to-play
Destiny 2 wasn't always a free-to-play product. During the initial release, Guardians had to pay to play almost every content the game offered. However, post-2019, Bungie split from Activision Blizzard and took the free-to-play route.
While most content is still locked behind a paywall, Guardians no longer have to pay to experience Destiny 2. The game's free-to-play content is enough to give everyone a fair experience of what the game has to offer. Moreover, following the game's availability on the Epic Games Store, the 30th Anniversary pack has also been made free.
2) Seasons
Seasons have always been an integral part of the Destiny 2 structure, but it took Bungie a while to make it to the seasonal structure that is seen today. Every new season in the game has its only seasonal storyline, a seasonal artifact, and new weekly quests for at least 10 to 12 weeks from the day the new season begins.
This wasn't the case previously. Before the Forsaken expansion made it to Destiny 2, seasons did exist, but they weren't that appealing at all. With Forsaken, the first Annual Pass was introduced.
The Annual Pass had four unique seasons with interesting seasonal content. While that model is being followed extensively to date, Bungie has done a lot of refining to the system to bring it to its current state.
3) Weapon system changes
The game's overall weapon system has seen many changes over the years. First, random item rolls weren't always a thing in Destiny 2. There was a time when one specific weapon was dropped with the same curated rolls. However, Bungie changed that, and weapons started dropping with random rolls.
While random rolls still happen to be relevant in the game right now, Bungie gave the system another overhaul when they introduced the crafting mechanic. With this mechanic in place, Guardians can now craft certain weapons in the game. And as they keep defeating enemies with these crafted weapons, they level up.
At higher levels, newer and more powerful perks are unlocked for each and every weapon, allowing Guardians to tailor these weapons to their playstyle even more. While this reduced the grind in weapon roll hunting, the overall grind still exists because crafting a weapon is a tedious process in Destiny 2.
4) Armor ornament customization
The entire Destiny 2 community was unhappy when Ada-1 and Black Armory left the Tower. However, Bungie quickly brought her back and introduced a brand new feature in the game known to everyone as armor transmog. With this feature, Guardians could craft their own armor ornaments based on previously existing armor sets in the game.
Before this system, there were very limited armor ornaments available. This meant minimal customization options. With armor transmog in place, Guardians can stylize their armor according to their taste. The fashion options in the game right now, thanks to this system, are limitless.
5) The Destiny Content Vault
The Destiny Content Vault is the stuff that Guardian nightmares are made of. That said, there is still some logic to this. To create space for new content and remove comparatively weaker activities, Bungie started vaulting content from Destiny 2. The latest piece of content affected by this was the Forsaken campaign.
While fans understood the move, it made things difficult with respect to the storyline for players who joined the game post Beyond Light. During its recent showcase, Bungie announced that it wouldn't be vaulting any more content in the game. This news came as a relief to most players.
Moreover, the Light and Dark saga, which began with the Shadowkeep campaign, is expected to conclude with the Final Shape expansion, scheduled to be released in 2024. For now, anything related to the entire saga can still be found in-game, and won't be leaving, so that's a relief.
