Preparing for Year Two
After House of Wolves was released it was time to prepare for what was to come next for Destiny and its millions of Guardians. Although House of Wolves brought some amazing new modes and a few changes, Destiny still wasn’t quite right just yet. In June of this year, Bungie finally revealed their plans for the future: The Taken King. This would be a major expansion that would cost a hefty $40, and the studio would spend quite some time defending it.
Many fans were a bit upset at how it catered to newcomers while pretty much leaving veterans in the dust. Exclusive emotes, shaders, and more were part of the deal for those who spent a bit extra on the full package. Those who had already purchased Destiny and its Expansion Pass either had to re-buy everything or just miss out on the extra loot. Bungie spent most of the summer going back and forth with the community looking for some sort of middle ground while also still trying to bring changes to the game.
To give players something to do in the meantime, Moments of Triumph was introduced to the game and it brought everyone back in as they tried to complete all of the difficult tasks available for the game’s anniversary. Beating both Raids on hard, defeating Skolas in Prison of Elders, finding ghosts, and wrecking in Crucible were all on the menu. It brought players together again as they helped each other out to complete the seemingly impossible tasks.
Bungie also used this time to share some of the major changes coming to Destiny. Exotics were being overhauled with some getting nerfed and left behind (such as the Gjallarhorn and Thorn), Leveling was receiving a change, and Light was getting completely transformed. Players would finally be able to level up by simply playing, no more of the convoluted, completely random nature of finding specific gear. Light was to become a direct reflection of your defensive and offensive capabilities, and that brought along the addition of stats to items that previously had none (Ghosts, Class Items, and newly introduced Artifacts).
Not everything was well-received at first, there was still some confusion as to how it would all work out. But questions regarding the new feel of Destiny were immediately addressed when Year Two finally hit in earnest with The Taken King.
