Destiny 2 Is Getting Tweaks Again To Address Loot and XP

There's been no shortage of criticism for Destiny 2 thanks to it's loot box driven economy and the XP grind that supports it.

Players ought to be glad to hear that the team is no longer "just listening." Game director Christopher Barrett addressed the complaints and the scant response that Bungie has given to feedback, by declaring, "we are doing."

A huge number of changes have already been listed that are targeted to come over the next few seasons, many of which are community requested features like improved fireteam tracking and private matchmaking. However, Bungie has also made some immediate adjustments that are worth highlighting, as they to the game's economy.

Barrett said that the team at Bungie currently recognizes that "the scales [of the Eververse marketplace, where premium currency goods are sold] are tipped too far towards [NPC vendor] Tess at the moment."

"Eververse was never intended to be a substitute for end game content and rewards,” Barrett said. To help correct that imbalance of rewards, Bungie will be adding Ghosts, Sparrows and ships to the list of rewards received from normal activities so that Bright Engrams are less essential to the endgame. 

Bungie also promised additional 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, leaving them less at the mercy of the RNG.

The intent is to make Destiny 2 rewarding however you play, rather than what we have now where hardcore players grind public event for XP for loot boxes, and do little else once they've collected their Raid gear.

This all sounds great, and lands exactly on the primary complaints of players. That Bungie will be implementing these changes to the Eververse as early as February 13, when Crimson Days kicks off, is also welcome news. 

As for the XP situation, things remain unclear. Bungie says they are working on adjustments of XP rates for both fairness and transparency, but making rewards fair both to players who grind and to those who don’t can be tricky, and the tweaks they made late last year were buggy as hell.