Highlights
Destiny 2's Lightfall expansion left players disappointed as it failed to address their concerns and instead introduced a plethora of new unsolved mysteries. This has resulted in heightened frustration and a noticeable decline in the player population since its launch.The Season 22 Raid in Destiny 2 is encountering difficulties as it faces limited alternatives for remaining Raids. Additionally, players may experience disappointment, as well as conflicts with the highly-anticipated early access release of the game Starfield.
With both the Season 22 Raid and Starfield being released on the same day, there is a possibility of decreased participation and viewership for the Raid's World First race. Many players might opt to prioritize exploring Starfield or watching it on streaming platforms. This decision could have significant consequences for the future of Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 soared to impressive heights with The Witch Queen expansion, accompanied by compelling seasons that generated excitement for the upcoming release of Lightfall and the conclusion of the Light and Dark saga in The Final Shape. However, Lightfall failed to meet player expectations on various levels. It not only neglected to address the plethora of questions players had, but also introduced even more queries. Consequently, some players have become less enthused about future releases, raising concerns about a potential repeat of this pattern with Destiny 2's Season 22 Raid.
Although the Season of the Deep has provided players with answers and enriching lore pertaining to the overarching storyline, recent statistics reveal a decline in the player count since the release of Lightfall. This is far from desirable for any live-service game. In the case of Destiny 2, the downturn seems to be attributed to a general dissatisfcation with unresolved issues in the game, exacerbated by Lightfall's contribution of additional concerns. Consequently, the decision to schedule the Season 22 reprised Raid alongside the highly-anticipated game of the year does not bode well for Bungie.
Destiny 2's Raid's Conflicting Schedule With Starfield's Early Access
Bungie's tradition of releasing a new Raid each year alongside the main expansion, followed by a return of an older Raid a few months later, remains intact. However, Season 22's reprised Destiny 2 Raid is already facing a significant challenge. This is due to the limited options left, with only two Destiny Raids that Bungie has not yet brought to the game. The first, Crota's End, is quite short at best and can be considered more of a Dungeon. The other, Wrath of the Machine, already has its unique Exotic featured in the game, and Bungie has expressed no interest in reintroducing SIVA.
Creating new assets for Wrath of the Machine from scratch could be problematic because they could not be reused in the future. On the other hand, reprising Crota's End could be underwhelming due to its brevity in the original version. One possible solution would be to reintroduce one of Destiny 2's vaulted Raids, such as the Leviathan. However, this option could potentially upset some players considering its monetization. Additionally, Bungie has chosen to keep the identity of the Raid a secret, which could backfire, especially considering its release date coincides with another sci-fi game.
The Season 22 Raid is set to launch on September 1, coinciding with Starfield's early access. This could have significant implications for Destiny 2's player count, considering its position as a live-service game that players can return to at any time. When combined with the brewing community unrest, the consequences could be even more severe. Destiny 2 Raids are usually highly anticipated events, particularly due to the World First race where top players and their teams compete to complete the activity before anyone else. However, this time around, participation and viewership may be lower than usual.
With Starfield's early access launch happening on the same day as the Raid's release, it is likely that many potential Destiny 2 players will switch over to explore Bethesda's new RPG first. Those who do not have access to Starfield yet might opt to watch it on streaming platforms instead of tuning into the Raid race. Since Starfield's official release is on September 6, it was not the ideal time for Bungie to launch their new Raid, especially considering that they typically coincide with the start of a new season. Nonetheless, this decision could have significant repercussions for Destiny 2, regardless of how inevitable they may seem.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
