For all the controversy raging around it, though, this fishing video got itself a number two place on the top video list made by Destiny 2 itself. Becoming a partner with AbilityPoints, the Destiny 2 development team announced A new emblem, Hope Hues, would join the title for National Disability Employment Awareness Month. So how did the gaming circle respond? Let’s just say, at least… complicated.
What’s really going on then? Bungie is trying to do a good thing in raising awareness for disability employment while also engaging some cosmetic content for the players. The colors of the Hope Hues emblem were chosen to represent the disability community and can be earned through the TWID link that the developers have shared, yet someone down in the Tower is not very amused about it.
Divided, really. And to be honest? Largely negative. “No one plays anymore though or enjoys the game enough to care about emblems,” another voice stated, the discontentation certainly hitting the Destiny 2 team. Another read, “Exactly what the game was needing!! Thank you for saving it!!,” with dripping sarcasm marginally audible.
More interesting are the answers that accuse this of being “virtue signaling.” Another guy tweeted, “This constant, tedious virtue signalling amounts to ‘fiddling when Rome burns’. Chill out with the flags and try and bring your game back from the brink of death.” And he’s not alone- dozens of comments are saying the same, that Bungie should be addressing game issues rather than commence with social awareness campaigns.
There’s still some confusion that needs to be cleared up by Bungie as to what the emblem actually acknowledges. For example, “So everyone disabled has to have an LGBTQ emblem? I don’t get it,” one player asked, while another commented, “I thought it was trans for a moment before I really looked and read the tweet.” Basically, the color scheme is confusing the community.
One thing really stands out- the players now are using this emblem announcement to address other larger concerns about the current state of Destiny 2. Comments like “State of game? 16k player peak according to steamdb. You guys just keep on digging that hole deeper” make it clear that the dissatisfaction stretches way farther than this one emblem. It feels like the Hope Hues emblem just became a lightning rod for all their pent-up dissatisfaction over the trajectory of their favorite game.
Then they proceed to draw deep. Like: “Bungie are the ones in need of disability help” and “Majority of your Devs are disabled I believe.” That’s…. yeah, that’s a choice. And then there’s the politicization with “Where is the Palestine emblem/fundraising initiative?” which may be a little too fast of a jump.
The most revealing thing is how many players are making light of the game’s issues. One comment states, “Sorry guys, can’t fix any bugs today, gotta go dilate my rot-pocket, then decompress for the rest of the day. Don’t worry though, I got a good hour’s worth of inclusivity emblem creation done today.” That’s sarcasm!
But not all backlash. A few messages leaned toward the “pros,” one being “thank you all for supporting this cause.” So it’s not a unanimous negative, just that the negatives got louder and more … creative with their criticism.
What it really exposes is this weird tension in gaming right now. Corporations want to be socially conscious and inclusive. In contrast, players want their games to be working and fun. When it seems like those two things are in competition rather than complement each other, that’s when you end up with the reactions seen here with the Hope Hues emblem.
This has also become fascinating because emblems have morphed into the symbol of their battleground. I mean, they’re just cosmetic items that pop up next to your name, but the players are treating this one emblem as if it speaks for everything that’s wrong with the current course of Destiny 2. One player stated: “I’m retarded and disabled. Don’t care about an emblem. Just do something with the game.” Well, there’s no sugar coating that, is there?
And the timing is awkward, too-It’s currently National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and we’re practically halfway through. One player commented, “Yeah, it’ll probably start in November, because Bungie.” Fair, that announcement came rather late into the month.
Where does that leave us, then? Bungie tried to do the right thing for disability awareness, while community feedback tells us the core game experience is of greater concern to players than social initiatives. It’s like bringing a salad to a barbecue while everyone highly anticipates the burgers—nice thought but not what people wanted.
The Hope Hues looks most likely to find a home within some players’ item collections, but the reaction to the announcement paints a bigger picture about Destiny 2’s current schism with the community. Sometimes it ain’t about what you’re putting into the game; it’s about what the players feel you aren’t addressing. Right now, it feels like there’s a huge gap between what Bungie thinks players want and what players want.
In the end, emblems are cool and all, but maybe the community just wants to see those Steam player numbers gone back up a little. Just sayin’.
