Summary
Destiny 2has certainly been divisive as of late, particularly in terms of players versus Bungie, the game’s developer. Despite the recent criticism it has received, the longstanding MMO continues to press on toward bigger and better things, especially with the release ofits next major expansion, The Final Shape, ahead of it. However, asDestiny 2pushes toward its next milestone, there is something to be said about Bungie’s decisions surrounding the game’s latest season, Season of the Wish, that it should consider before taking any more big leaps into the future.
AsDestiny 2heads into The Final Shape, Bungie could learn a lesson from some of its choices regarding Season of the Wish and its announcement last November. As it turns out, manyDestiny 2players and fans thoroughly appreciated Bungie’s approach to Season of the Wish’s announcement, so this approach could benefit the developer, the game, and its reputation in future content releases.
All Destiny 2 Content Announcements Should Be Like Season of the Wish’s
Bungie Announced Season of the Wish in an Unconventional Way
One positive aspect about Season of the Wish’s announcement was its unconventional nature. In seasons past, Bungie would typically announce the name and context of a season on the day of its release, with a full trailer introducing the season’s narrative and activities. While these have always been entertaining to witness, none of them quite compare to the developer’sannouncement of Season of the Wish, which was integrated into the closing activities of the season before it, Season of the Witch.
During Season of the Witch, players got the opportunity to solvethe Imbaru Engine puzzlein Savathun’s Throne World, which became available during the fifth week of the season’s story. All in all, the puzzle consisted of four tests — Test of Cunning, Test of Strength, Test of Navigation, and Test of Truth and Lies — each of which was increasingly complex. Upon completion of the puzzle, players would then witness a cutscene that revealed the 15th wish for the Wall of Wishes, an element ofDestiny 2’s story that had remained a mystery since the days ofDestiny 2: Forsaken. This was ultimately how Bungie chose to reveal Season of the Wish to theDestiny 2community, but it did take to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate those who had solved the puzzle and officially announce the next season ofDestiny 2just a couple of weeks ahead of its release.
Players Prefer Bungie’s Season of the Wish Announcement Strategy
If there is one thing Bungie can take from its announcement ofSeason of the Wish, it’s the positive response it received from players. Many players not only praised the developer for its decision to include the “announcement” in the game itself, but also for revealing the name and context for the season two weeks before its release, rather than waiting until the day it went live to disclose anything of note.
AsDestiny 2is doing away with its regular seasonal model and heading into a new episodic way of telling the game’s story, Bungie should continue implementing this announcement strategy as the game moves forward into its new era. This means somehow including a teaser or announcement at the end of each episode for the episode that follows it. Furthermore, it should learn its lesson from past criticism and begin announcing future content further ahead of time instead of waiting until the last minute to provide players with any information. If it does implement this strategy moving forward, it could allow players to feel like they are a part ofDestiny 2’s continually unraveling storyand strengthen their connection to it.
