Over the course of its nearly 7-year history,Destinyhas had a lot of moments that felt like they were make or break. The launch of Taken King brought the fan base back and showed them whatDestinycould be.Forsaken had a similar effectforDestiny 2, while also introducing deeper systems that helped keep players regularly coming back. But it isDestiny 2: Beyond Light’s release that is arguably the biggest because the game is in a good place, but potential misfires on changes (or lack of changes) could hurt the experience for players.
Specifically, it will be howDestiny 2deals with the ideas of sunsetting and leveling that will have a major impact on the game moving forward. One of those changes has already been announced and detailed, but its success won’t be determined untilBeyond Lightreleases. The other is a part of the game that has felt outdated for a while now, and the hope is that Bungie will do something for Year 4.
Weapon Sunsetting
The concept ofgear sunsetting inDestiny 2was controversial from the moment it was announced. Bungie’s goal with sunsetting is to make it so that current weapons and gear are dropped in favor of new loot, and that players find new loadouts that work in PvE and PvP. But some players see it as a way for Bungie to nerf weapons without actually nerfing them and feel that it invalidates their effort.
For over a year now, aDestiny 2loadout consisting of Mountaintop and Recluse has been suitable for completing almost any top tier PvE activity. Some weapons, like thenew Falling Guillotine sword, have appeared to stake their claim on the best boss DPS category, but most can agree that the current meta needs some refreshing.
However, in order to do that without sunsetting, Bungie would need to introduce perks and weapons that are better thanMountaintop and Recluse. This would result in higher damage output, which would, in turn, force Bungie to rebalance PvE to meet those new standards. It’s a concept called “power creep” that Bungie hopes to avoid by using sunsetting.
But manyDestiny 2players feel that if they put in the effort to acquire a weapon, they should be able to use it for as little or as long they like. For some, getting Mountaintop or Recluse requires a lot of effort, and they don’t want to have that invalidated.
Ultimately, it will come down to whether or not Bungie will be able to create weapons and perks that feel just as strong as without repeating the same formula. What would really frustrate players is if they were just chasing a different submachine gun with a different damage and reload perk. Or, conversely, if weapons felt weaker because all of the useful perks had been phased out. That’s Bungie’s challenge and hopefully, the studio will be able to give some hints at what to expect beforeBeyond Light releases in November.
Armor Sunsetting
While there is a good amount of support for weapon sunsetting inDestiny 2, there is more concern as it pertains to armor. Because of how much RNG, farming, and material usage go into crafting a strong armor loadout, players are worried about seeing all of that go to waste.
In Shadowkeep, Bungie introduced a new way to Masterwork armor, a couple of new materials, and avery involved mod system. Even at launch, the approach to armor was problematic, but Bungie made changes to help ease that frustration.
Still, getting the right piece of gear, with the right stat rolls, and then masterworking the piece requires time and rare resources. To some, Ascendant Shards and Enhancement Prisms are a dime-a-dozen, but others only have a few, so choosing to use them now feels pointless.
If Bungie were to change course on any part of sunsetting, armor feels like the area where it could adjust the plan. At the very least, the developers could make the armor acquisition process better, the stat rolls predictable (or able to be influenced), and the masterworking costs cheaper.Umbral Engramshave shown the possibility of that idea but there is still room for improvement.
Power Leveling Revamp
Destiny 2’s leveling system has been a major point of discussion for years within the community. Most feel that the power level chase is one of the worst aspects of the game, because of how unpredictable it is and how it gates people from content.
There are a lot of proposed solutions to the power leveling problem, but the general consensus is that a change is necessary. Bungie talks about letting players earn power as they want, but the Challenges don’t represent that ideal. Someone who prefers PvE is still encouraged to play PvP in order to gain power.
On top of that, the Smart RNG system doesn’t work in the way that many hoped, and it usually results in making it feel like time is wasted. There is no worse feeling than spending an hour completing an activity you don’t like, only to get a piece of gear that isn’t an upgrade.
It doesn’t seem like the power level is going away so the next best option is to give players the freedom to gain power however they want and whenever they want. Even if there are faster ways to gain power levels, it should feel like everyone’s time is valued.
With stiffcompetition in the form ofCyberpunk 2077andAssassin’s Creed Valhalla,Destiny 2: Beyond Lighthas a lot it needs to get right. Obviously, the expansion needs to deliver an engaging story with fun new environments to explore, but current fans have little doubt about Bungie’s ability to do that. It is how Bungie justifies sunsetting with new gear and any potential changes to leveling that could impact the game and how players perceive it.
Destiny 2: Beyond Lightreleases July 20, 2025 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
