It is undeniable that a community can make or break a video game. This known fact is why most developers and studios try their hardest to create a community around their game and nurture it. For instance, RuneScape wouldn't be as popular as it is today if it weren't for old and loyal fans who revived this series. However, for a community to exist and survive, it must maintain a constant flow of new players. Sadly, this isn't the case for Bungie's popular MMORPG shooter, Destiny 2.
Released by Bungie in 2017, Destiny 2 is a AAA looter shooter set in a mythical science fiction world. It features both PVP and PVE game modes along with an expansive open world, an intriguing story, and satisfying gun mechanics. The main gameplay loop revolves around slaying bosses to acquire loot and then defeating bigger bosses for rarer loot. While this can be boring, Destiny 2 keeps players engaged by introducing new elements and expansions every so often.
While veterans and MMORPG fans boast about Destiny 2's in-depth mechanics and story, a bigger problem lies below. Bungie's biggest title suffers from an unaddressed new player issue that has been plaguing the game ever since its launch. Although Destiny 2's complex systems and story reward older players, they alienate new players who can't keep up with the overwhelming mechanics and plot.
This is further exacerbated by an outdated forced tutorial recycled from Destiny 1 that only teaches players movement, mechanics, and abilities. When players finish this tutorial, they are then greeted by dozens of unrelated missions and exposed to a large world with multiple travel destinations. By bombarding players with an overwhelming amount of contextless quests, Bungie discourages new players from continuing their immersive sci-fi journey.
Destiny 2 is marketed as a free-to-play game, meaning that anyone can install and try out the title before deciding to purchase it. However, players will quickly discover that during their free gameplay, Bungie pressures them onto buying expansion packs. Currently, there are four DLC packs available for purchase, and each set vastly differs from the other. For example, the Forsaken content set is a five-year-old pack that features outdated elements, while the Beyond Light campaign introduces an entirely new class of powers that's inaccessible for non-DLC owners. Where it stands, new players have to research and carefully choose which DLC expansion to purchase to avoid wasting money.
One of Destiny 2's most charming aspects is its deep story. From stories of betrayal and humanity to world-ending events, the universe of Destiny 2 has more than enough narrative elements for players to sink hours upon hours into lore discovery. However, this depth comes with a cost as new players are almost guaranteed to understand little to nothing about the story. This makes their experience even more confusing, as there's a surprising amount of dialogue and missions that expect the player to understand the entire story.
Since Bungie has not attempted to solve this issue nor address it, veteran players have taken matters into their own hands. Destiny 2's subreddit has become the best platform for new players to learn about the game and seek advice. In this community, veterans provide in-depth guides and articles that explain everything about how the game works. While these community efforts are great, it's apparent that Destiny 2 does not maintain enough of a flow of new players -- and this might spell the end for this MMORPG.