7 fun ways Bungie can win back the Destiny 2 community

It’s easy to get so caught up in forward motion that we forget to pause and enjoy the beauty in the details. This is true in games as it is in life, and Destiny 2 players and developers have been witnessing the fallout from trying to maintain a Breakneck (get it?) speed for too long.

We’ve talked for months about how to fix Destiny 2, but one thing I keep seeing is players saying the game feels like a job and just isn’t fun anymore. With that in mind, I came up with seven ideas I think could help make Destiny 2 fun again. These are ideas that are largely centered around putting a smile on your face, but a few dip their toes in practicality that would improve the gameplay loop. Let’s dive in.

1. Daily login bonuses

There are a couple of ideas I’m going to pull straight from Monster Hunter World, and a daily login bonus is one. It’s clear Bungie wants you to sign on and spend time in their game, so how about some incentive to do so that increases the reward for each successive day? Monster Hunter World does this, and so does Red Dead Redemption 2. Would it be so bad if, after seven straight days of logging on, players were given a Pinnacle drop? Would that destroy the Power balance? How about if you received five materials for the first day you signed on, 10 Legendary Shards the second day, and maybe an XP boost for a couple of hours the third day?

2. Your own Guardian quarters

You pass through a door in the Tower and enter your own personal Guardian apartment with members of your fireteam. It’s got windows overlooking The Last City, and even a balcony. Inside are armor and weapon racks to display your old but still-loved gear. There’s a plaque on the wall commemorating the date of your first clear of The Last Wish raid. There are dozens of ways to customize every aspect of your apartment, and there are things to unlock for it through gameplay. Do you think players would be quite as upset at the thought of sunsetting weapons if they could display them on a wall in their apartment? If there was a way to honor the past, Guardians wouldn’t be so hesitant to let go of it.

3. A noodle shop

Pop by the noodle shop in the Tower and sit down for a meal while you watch a random match from the Crucible currently being played. That meal, depending on which one you buy with Glimmer, gives you a small gameplay buff. Maybe you take less damage for 30 minutes, or you can jump higher for 30 minutes. Some noodles give you a stronger melee for 30 minutes. Perhaps your super ability recharges slightly faster if you order spicy ramen. Or maybe there’s just a noodle shop where you can sit and chill while you spend 30 minutes waiting for the other members of your fireteam to bounty up. Just remember to disable the buffs in PvP, but what would it hurt in PvE?

4. Debris from the Almighty kills Tess

This one is an easy sell for most of you. How about we stop the Almighty and save the Tower and The Last City, but the ship breaks up and we get debris falling from the sky. Miraculously, not a single soul is hit by falling debris, except Tess Everis. Tess, who we all love dearly, is lost. She is replaced by literally anyone who isn’t cool, up to and including a self-service kiosk that already exists in your menu. Brother Vance looks pretty bored these days, maybe we replace Tess with him so when Bungie inevitably oversteps with microtransactions again in the future, we can kill his ass too and nobody will be sad about it. Wouldn’t Tess’ death be a good healing moment for the community?

5. A shooting range

Guardians need a shooting range where they can test damage and recoil patterns. Maybe a place to toss grenades and practice throwing them effectively. What if you could take your friends, none of whom were as lucky as you to get One Thousand Voices to drop on your only clear of The Last Wish raid, and let them play around with that gun they don’t have in that environment only? Maybe this range has an obstacle course to clear where you can judge your time against others. What if you could practice hitting targets that pop up and down to refine your skills with Hand Cannons? What if we could just have a shooting range because it would be cool, and people would love it?

6. Arena mode

What makes grinding in Monster Hunter World acceptable? You face the same monsters repeatedly, often farming them for specific drops, but you do it in various circumstances, including an arena. What if you could fight the Genesis Mind in an arena? Maybe you could unlock some cool cosmetic (No, Bungie, you may not sell everything!) to fancy up your Guardian quarters. Imagine having all strike bosses available in an arena mode. You can make it work with the lore calling it a simulation. Offer rewards for successive clears, or whatever. Just give people new ways to enjoy old content. Who wouldn’t be in the arena tonight if it existed? Maybe we could call it the Prison of Elders. They will try to kill you. Kill them back.

7. Let the Gunsmith do his job

You know what sucks about random drops being the only way to get god rolls of weapons? Everything. It sucks hard. How about we turn the Gunsmith into a… gunsmith. You know, we let the Gunsmith do what he does. Maybe you take two copies of the same weapon to him and have him infuse your desired perks from each into one gun like The Division 2. Let Guardians build their own weapons. I can honestly say I’m more likely to go grind for five of the same Shotgun if I know I can pick and choose the perks I want from the guns that dropped for me. Let us do the same with armor. Give folks more control over their weapons and armor so they feel invested in the process.

Well, that’s all seven. I’ll be impressed if we get even one of them, but when I step back and imagine a game that includes some or most of these, that seems like a fun game. I’d love to invest in unlocking and displaying my old achievements and gear in my own quarters. I’d like to let my buddy try out my curated Threat Level or One Thousand Voices. Who wouldn’t love a noodle shop? And can you even begin to imagine how popular the Prison of Elders would be with all the bosses we’ve ever faced in the rotation? We can dream, Guardian.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.