Bungie has published a formal announcement detailing the upgrade options for the current Dawning event in Destiny 2, yet the reaction from the players has been quite the opposite of a party. The two principal enhancements that got the most explanation and the studio’s description were coming from Eva Levante, the seller: the ‘Bountiful Harvest’ upgrade that would raise the amount of baking materials and the ‘Essential Harvest’ upgrade that would raise the Dawning Essence. During the event, still on until January 6, 2026, players would earn both enhancements by completing the daily Daunting challenges and carrying out Vanguard Orders. Still, the announcement turned out to be a mighty and negative response from the players who expressed their utter displeasure with the game, its prices, and the amount and quality of its content.
The negativity was loudest right from the start, if there were any responses at all. One Twitter user, @Shullcopjr98, confessed ruthlessly, ‘I’d rather shit in my hands and clap them together than purchase anything.’ Ouch. Even in the driest areas of the Destiny community’s criticism, such a strong dislike is hardly ever brought forth. Others also expressed their dislike of the situation, with @rynomaestro going as far as to label the ‘commercialized’ post as something that would make them afraid to return to the game. That certainly doesn’t fit the image of a holiday event with lots of cheer around.
Still, the players’ disgust is most profound in their unwillingness to purchase upgrades. Players are airing numerous complaints, some of which are rather familiar. @Aelphaeis_PS5 stated, ‘The matchmaking is even worst now,’ accompanied by a screenshot to support his claim. Another point that is made is the one regarding some activities not being counted for challenges—@zaffy2005 could not understand why the Snowball Fight mode does not count as a ‘Portal activity’ for weeklies just because it is accessed through the Portal. ‘I swear you people need to just reset things back to Day One because every time you change something you just fuck it up more,’ they wrote. That’s definitely a player who has reached their end.
The grind itself has become a major issue. Numerous guardians claimed that their luck with the new items was extremely bad. @theJthatmatters told of a nightmare: grinding the ‘Lawless Frontier’ activity without getting crystals, invading with no red crystal drops, and running the dungeon ten times with no black crystal. ‘Why would I keep playing?’ was their question, and they even tagged the Destiny 2 team in it. @JonHanson17 had a similar complaint about red crystals from Invasions, saying they had done over 25 with no more and hated PvP. It is that classic feeling of channelling your energy into the hunt for the drop that just… won’t… occur. Honestly, it could easily lead you to the conclusion that you would rather not log back on and never come back to the game.
Moreover, there are also players who describe the situations they are in as really broken or unclear. @smokin360 mentions not being able to complete a quest because ‘lord salad bar isn’t here’—a reference to the Iron Banner vendor Lord Saladin not being present. @CommanderJay44 also complained, saying they will lose the chance to get the upgrade if they don’t have PS Plus. A Chinese player, @mxs122l, is even asking that the PSN Hong Kong DLC price be reduced because he ‘cannot afford to double the price.’ It seems as if these issues are popping up with gamers everywhere.
Are you asking me what the point of the argument was? Oh yes, the core gameplay loop. Players are asking for larger changes beyond the event. @CallumT05370944 just threw that question up in the air: ‘Bungie please bring back the old raids I beg or at least just scourge.’ @jalenveal123 made it easy for developers by just giving a three-word demand: ‘bring back BD bounties,’ and was referring to Bright Dust, the premium cosmetic currency. The elimination of guaranteed Bright Dust sources is a continuous sore topic that is summed up by @OdomsBen: ‘No bright dust = no play.’ It’s an economic protest straight to the point.
Some comments were pretty specific regarding weapon balance. @vlone_savage21 made a detailed request to bump ‘Vorpal Weapon’ perk on heavy guns arguing that it has been nerfed for too long and is not up to par with newer perks. ‘I just want the perk that once used to be king to be viable,’ they said. It might seem a niche complaint, but it still shows a community that is very much in touch with the game’s sandbox and feels neglected concerning the little things.
There have been many negative reactions, but among them, there were a couple of semi-positive comments, with some players engaging on Xbox and other platforms.
