Destiny 2
When Destiny 2 launched, it was met with a solid initial reaction that burned out rather quickly due to changes in the sequel that removed some of the grind players enjoyed. The excellent shooting mechanics that Bungie was known for were still intact, but changes to the weapon system and overall gameplay loop left many longtime fans upset.
In particular, the decision to remove the ability for weapons to drop with random perks really eliminated a lot of the fun from the looter aspect of this looter-shooter.
Fast forward a year and with the release of Forsaken the game got some smart system changes that made the game much better like randomly rolled drops and an overhauled weapon system. Once again Bungie was able to reinvigorate their community by adapting to the desires of their fans.
Forsaken brought with it plenty of redesigned systems but none as significant as the way that players would now receive future content. Bungie began to add new weekly events for players to do and see following the release of the expansion.
This strategy was also applied to the new annual pass system where instead of smaller drops of content over the year, fans would now get three complete seasons of new things to do.
Bungie is now attempting to strike a balance between always having something for you to do and to look forward to. While they haven’t quite nailed it perfectly just yet, it is undoubtedly a welcome change to the DLC releases of the past.
As for the future of Destiny 2, there is still some uncertainty as to what is coming after the final season of content finishes later this year, but now that Bungie is independently publishing the series there has been a renewed trust between the developer and their fans.
The top quality first-person shooting mechanics of Destiny 2 were able to support the game through a rocky first year, but with the amount of competition the game now has in the online looter-shooter genre, it may not be able to go through something similar again.
Hopefully, Bungie has learned from their mistakes, and the freedom independent publishing offers can give them the flexibility needed to meet their ambitions for the future.
