Destiny 2 Continues to Pose Significant Challenges for New Players

Destiny 2 has long held a prominent spot among looter-shooters, thanks in part to its intricate and satisfying build-crafting system. For nearly ten years, players have relished the diverse ways to specialize their Guardian characters for a wide range of activities, often pushing customization to extremes, such as achieving triple 100 stats in armor. However, newcomers to the game, known as New Lights, might find themselves missing out on this creative exploration, which could affect the game’s ability to retain them.

Ever since the original campaign storyline was retired, Destiny 2 has faced challenges when it comes to welcoming new players into its expansive universe. These New Lights often express feelings of being overwhelmed by the sheer size of the game and uncertainty about where to begin. In addition to the loss of the Red War storyline, there’s a critical gameplay feature that’s off-limits to them, which might be more of an obstacle than an advantage.

The introduction of Guardian Ranks with the Lightfall expansion was intended to create a more structured onboarding experience for both new and veteran players of Destiny 2. While many of the rank-related challenges don’t offer much beyond progression, access to significant gameplay elements like mods is tied to advancing through three specific ranks:

– Rank five grants access to armor mods.
– Rank six provides weapon and armor energy unlocks, along with three loadout slots.
– Rank seven offers armor charge mods.

These mods, along with subclasses, form a crucial part of developing a specialized build. While it might not be immediately apparent to a beginner how to maximize the potential of these mods, the ability to experiment with them is crucial for tailoring a character to fit a desired gameplay style.

Despite the intention behind Guardian Ranks to simplify the mod system’s introduction, it hasn’t quite worked out that way. Many new players report confusion about the purpose and application of mods, often observing more experienced players using tools that they themselves can’t access yet. The link between Guardian Ranks and the mod system might be straightforward for seasoned players, but for someone diving into Destiny 2 for the first time, it is far from intuitive.

Granting access to mods from the beginning might not significantly change the experience for new players, as they are still learning what makes an effective build. Despite this, the lack of experimentation opportunities due to progression barriers might diminish their overall enjoyment. Although the initial Guardian Rank goals are relatively simple, new players may not immediately understand what they’re supposed to aim for.

Balancing Destiny 2’s complex world has been a tricky endeavor, especially in recent years, with so much content available—and much removed. The key lies in satisfying the current player base while also welcoming newcomers. Currently, locking mods behind progression seems to hinder the experience for New Lights more than it benefits.

Bungie’s upcoming rework of the armor system with the Frontiers expansion aims to focus on reducing reliance on random stat rolls. This overhaul could also bring changes to the mod system, potentially making it more intuitive for beginners, which would address some of the challenges the game faces in engaging new players and encouraging them to stay.