Returning or new players might not realize it, given the current state of excitement and glee, but the Destiny 2 community has been on fire for the last several months. Spirits and community sentiment were at an all-time low following built-up frustration and what seemed like a constant flow of bad news from Bungie. However, four hype streams and a meaty content update changed everything.
Destiny 2 has been a wild ride over the last year or so. The game went from record-breaking concurrent player numbers with the launch of the Lightfall expansion into a spiraling player decline that reached a tipping point after Bungie announced layoffs and a delay for The Final Shape expansion. Players were already frustrated by the lackluster Lightfall expansion and a disastrous State of the Game, not to mention the initial boring reveal of The Final Shape. All the while, reports began surfacing describing Bungie’s “soul-crushing” studio atmosphere following the layoffs. It was a perfect storm that called the longevity of Destiny 2 into question as player falloff exponentially grew.
How did Bungie win players back?
Bungie’s efforts to win players back began in earnest with the plentiful rewards it started doling out after the Season of the Wish story concluded. Between the super-easy-to-get Riven’s Wishes loot and free weekly Bright Dust, it was a good start. Then, the spotlight hit Destiny 2 again when hoverboards came to the game. These moves got positive attention on Destiny 2 and set the stage for Into the Light.
Players had known Into the Light was coming since the delays were confirmed, but Bungie remained secretive about what the content would entail. The studio announced that it would host three streams on Twitch to showcase some of what players could expect from Into the Light. This announcement included a piece of art depicting a group of Guardians entrenched with defenses fighting against Hive in the Last City. Immediately, the community hoped for a long-requested horde mode. At the same time, API leaks hinted that some sunset weapons would return. The hype started to return to the Destiny community.
Into the Light and a tease of what’s to come
To put it mildly, the three Into the Light streams knocked the socks off most viewers. The first stream introduced players to the main course of Into the Light, a horde mode called Onslaught. The second stream focused on weapons, confirming that some sunset favorites would return alongside another constant community ask, a matte black Shader. These reveals already had players riding high, but the third stream took things to the next level, announcing two fan-favorite Exotic missions were coming back along with new PvP maps and a completely unexpected Raid boss rush mode called Pantheon.
In the aftermath of the excitement, Bungie revealed it had one more well-guarded surprise up its sleeve. At the close of the third Into the Light stream, the studio announced that a fourth stream would be held a half-hour before the update’s release. The fourth stream was a surprise gameplay reveal for The Final Shape, with some Bungie employees noting on social media that if players liked the Into the Light reveals, The Final Shape gameplay showcase would blow them away.
The gameplay showcase for The Final Shape certainly delivered on the hype built throughout the three Into the Light streams. With over half a million views on Twitch as of this writing and a constant stream of excited comments throughout, players were thrilled to see The Final Shape answer some initial concerns brought up after the expansion’s initial reveal. Chief among these was the inclusion of a new Subclass, Prismatic, and a new enemy faction for players to fight.
On to better days
Now, Into the Light is out, with players chasing after shiny Brave weapons, testing their Warlock, Titan, or Hunter builds against Onslaught, and reentering or experiencing some of the best Exotic missions in Destiny 2 for the first time. Players are enthusiastic about what’s in the game now and excited about the future with all that The Final Shape will introduce.
In a review of the update on X, formerly Twitter, The Destiny Show said, “Into The Light is the perfect send-off to a turbulent year in Destiny 2. It prepares Guardians for the future while celebrating Destiny’s historic past. Did we mention it’s FREE for all players? This DLC is everything we could have hoped for and then some, invigorating the game with new activities, awesome loot, collectibles, and an experience players will enjoy for many hours before The Final Shape.”
As Forbes’ resident Destiny expert Paul Tassi noted, Into the Light and The Final Shape gameplay reveal have sent Destiny 2 back to Steam’s Top 10, with player numbers outperforming the launch of Season of the Wish. And it’s not just the fact that players are returning to the game or starting their Destiny journey for the first time contributes to the upbeat mood. In some ways, Bungie has shown that it’s been actively listening to players.
Of course, the obvious example is the Prismatic subclass and a new enemy faction after fans voiced disappointment following The Final Shape‘s initial reveal. But that’s not all. After players learned that half of the Brave Arsenal was to be time-gated, Bungie chose to meet the community halfway and eliminate time-gating after April 30. These may not seem like significant gains, but for the Destiny community, it feels like we’re being heard for the first time in a long while.
There’s no telling if this positive aura around the game will last, and there’s no way to know how the relationship between Bungie and Destiny 2 players will develop after The Final Shape releases in June. Hopefully, Into the Light marked a needed change for the game that will continue for as long as Destiny 2 persists. Right now, it just feels nice to get some of the things the community has always felt the game has been missing and have a good time engaging with it.
