Major Problem #1: Microtransactions
3 Major Destiny 2 Problems and How Bungie Can Fix Them in 2018
While it can be argued that there are bigger, more fundamental issues with Destiny 2 right now, the most talked about problem is that of the prevalence of microtransactions. Eververse’s presence in Destiny 2 is way more pervasive than it was in Destiny 1. Previously a place made up mostly of silly cosmetic emotes to make some extra bucks for Bungie/Activision, Eververse has grown to a shop that locks away legitimately good armor pieces, and is now holding events like The Dawning hostage by hiding away most of the rewards behind a paywall. It was incredibly disheartening for me, a player that was looking forward to grinding out some hours to get that sexy new Dawning armor to find out that it would almost be impossible without whipping out the credit card. The Curse of Osiris expansion was an opportunity to set this issue that was teetering on the line of controversy straight, but if anything, it threw more fuel onto the fire and Eververse is being scrutinized more than it ever has before.
Not all is lost on this front though, assuming Bungie is interested in fixing the problem. The first step is to pledge that the Eververse going forward is going to remain cosmetic. It’s safe to say at this point that the ol’ litmus test on whether fans would tolerate armor being in Eververse has failed, and it’s time to change direction before it does irreparable damage to the franchise if it hasn’t done so already.
Going back and releasing everything that’s already there would only infuriate people who have spent money rolling to get them; instead, Bungie should close out this dark chapter with a big clearance sale on old items. Throw ’em all into the store for a week or two, get rid of them for a much lower Bright Dust cost, and then start anew with a more palatable/acceptable Eververse similar to what was seen in Destiny 1.
The existence of microtransactions at all in Destiny 2 is going to turn some fans off no matter what, even if it’s done in a more fair way like suggested above. However, this article is about realistic solutions and it’s extremely unlikely that Bungie is going to completely pull the plug on Eververse at least for Destiny 2. So a compromise, then, would be the next best option.
