The Destiny 2 Twitter account of Bungie made a playful post and engaged players in choosing among the ‘Renegades’ update weapons as a codename for a new ‘Lawless Frontier’ job that would be done incognito. Yet, this fun interactive way of communication was very quickly turned into the main source of the problem over community postings that insisted on a roadmap for the game and complained of the grind mechanics and of feeling the game was receiving less attention. The interaction thus reflects a large gap between the company’s marketing efforts and the gamers’ main issue which is the current trajectory of the game.
So, Bungie is like, “Okay, Guardians! You are going undercover, choose your weapon code name!” And they even include a very nice graphic of all the Renegade weapons. It’s a fun little thing for the community, you would think people would love to pick up names like “Outlaw” or “Silenced Sidearm” or whatever sounds coolest for a spy mission.
But oh no, if you scroll down, that is not the case. It is a downright barrage of players who simply… don’t accept it. The very first reply already gives the tone: “Please start to publicize the upcoming events.” And it just comes down like an avalanche from there. “Where’s the road map?” “Where is the effort to show that you are working on the game?” It’s almost as if the main thread was taken over by a single, unified demand from the players. The question was not answered but rather completely ignored in favor of a much larger one.
It is quite surprising to see. One user, Rodrigo Vilaça, is already expressing his sentiments like he is finished with the current content saying, “We have already collected everything from God Rolls from Lawless Frontier and Equilibrium including the crystals and catalysts for all the exotic weapons.” It’s like the content has been consumed, digested and now the plate is empty. What’s next? The kitchen seems quiet.
And then you have the pain of specific grinds. J just states, “Nah, I am tired of collecting lightsaber crystals that will not drop. I am done.” The frustration is almost palpable. Another player, liv, gives a somewhat flattering criticism, saying the new weapons are fine but the previous season’s lightsabers are “just so much better,” and then she continues to criticize the SMG recoil making her feel like a Stormtrooper. It’s a whole vibe.
But the real heat in the replies is the permanent, looming threat of Marathon, Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter. Players are making direct connections between roadmap gaps and the new project. Cam asks straightforwardly, “how are you guys expecting people to go to marathon with your ongoing horrible neglect for PvP in destiny?” Ouf. Another player, Wizard, speculates that Destiny 2‘s fate is intertwined with Marathon’s fortune: if Marathon is good, D2 gets less content; if not, D2 gets new stuff. It’s a rather pessimistic view of your favorite game’s future.
Some of the responses are just pure, unfiltered bitterness. Samson Fraser proclaims, “None, because I’ll never pay for a half-quality slop expansion…” and goes on an extensive rant. Another person, Cecot, just replies, “Not Swapping Deluxe AIDS Edition,” which is, a strong opinion. And then there’s the meme lords like Dredgen Sale, whose codename is “great value 40% sale.” That one is actually quite clever, I must say.
Not everyone, though, still engaged the prompt! Revived is going to “rock the Outlaw energy,” which sounds nice. RePete is going full ninja with “Silenced sidearm.” And Josh is genuinely excited by saying, “Can’t wait for shadow and order need something new to grind.” See, there are people who are interested and prepared for what is next. They just really, really want to know what is next.
All this creates an awkward situation. On the one side, Bungie is trying to do something entertaining with the current season’s equipment. On the other side, the community is making the very post a megaphone to shout about the lack of communication. One user, Stu, even made a humorous comment suggesting Bungie should actually release a weapon named “Roadmap” as a super troll. At this stage, gamers might even want to farm it.
This situation is starting to become a common trend in live-service games. The developers are trying to create excitement for the current situation, while players are worried about the future. When the “future” seems uncertain, the “present” can start to feel empty, even if many nice codename weapons are offered. The Destiny 2 community is clearly very dedicated and fanatical—they play on PlayStation and Xbox.
