Bungie has declared the yearly Dawning festival for Destiny 2, and the fan-favorite chaotic event as well as complaints from the players are coming back with it. The most significant news is a brand new and limited-time PvP mode called ‘Snowball Fight’ where the Guardians can blow off steam with non-lethal ordnance rather than by using bullets. It is currently open to all players and will be enjoyed until the 6th of January, 2026. That’s really a long winter, isn’t it?
Anyway, players’ feedback about the matter should not be interpreted too positively for Bungie because it is… let’s say, mixed with a grain of salt. The official @DestinyTheGame tweet encourages players: “Celebrate the Dawning by throwing your fellow Guardians a snowball to the face.” Isn’t it adorable? However, the replies are stuffed with a lot of very different statements. The discussions go less on the snowballs and more on what else has changed this year.
So what exactly is the Dawning? For those who are new to the game, it is the Christmas event that Destiny has. Making cookies (yes, they are real) for different NPCs, getting holiday loot, and snowballing in PvE are the activities that are generally held in the event. The new PvP mode Snowball Fight is of a totally new nature, placing the Guardians in a third-person duel scenario with snowballs being the only weapon they can use. Amazing, right?! But, as always, the devil is in the details—or rather in the quest steps and the loot.
And no! The players are firing honesty bullets at Bungie and they are doing it very openly. One of the top grievances is the elimination of the daily bright dust bounties. This was a wonderful medium of income for the premium cosmetic currency through simply being part of the event for the players. But, with this going away, they are feeling the loss very strongly in the community. User @timfarnam bluntly expressed his dissatisfaction saying, “The one thing everyone loved about the Dawning is now gone. Bring back the bounties.” Another user, @Animus2879, accompanied with a similar theme of complaint, shared: “The bright dust missions were the main reason many participated in this event. Don’t decrease our ways to get bright dust.” This is a recurring theme; many veterans feel that the engagement loop of the event is cut off for them.
Moreover, players also complain about… the issue of PvP. The new Snowball Fight mode sounds fantastic at first sound, but Bungie attached a quest step to it, requiring players either to win or at least give a good fight in snowballing to be able to progress. This game move is indeed very risky because the game is known for having a divided PvP and PvE player base. User @Klaus_718 has just put it: “next time for those who don’t enjoy destiny pvp, don’t include a pvp step in the dawning quest!! I would of much preferred a pve option. thanks…………..”This comment triggered a minor debate in the replies section, with @the_screeb_god pointing out, “It’s just ONE game of it and you don’t even have to win,” while others like @God_redux were simply telling complainers to “Quit whining.” Typical Destiny dichotomy.
There are also some users who are dissatisfied with the game due to bugs, which has become kind of a standard for video games but still irritating. @Lucifer_Doggo reported that a friend of his cannot even start the Dawning event because an old Iron Banner quest is in the way. @ponsonby_whooa said that they cannot collect the rewards that they won from the vendor Spider. @braingoopfeast was like, “1. I can’t give the Dean cookies 2. Snowball throwing action seems different 3. Snowball fight is good.” So, every fun part has its quirks.
In spite of a lot of criticism, there are still some other discussions happening. @SwitchMrDuck is asking for a cosmetic upgrade of the Star Wars-themed armor set, he is asking for a hood that could serve as the set’s tentacles. @UndeadExo3 is curious when the new ‘Renegades’ soundtrack will be released for sale. And @myYouTubetrash is concerned about grind, sharing an image of a shader that may require “1200” plays of the mode, asking “No one wants to play some janky PvP mode 1200 times for a shader.” It shows a community that is very engaged but at the same time is feeling the friction. For some, like @KitPickles, the changes are the last drop.
