The Destiny 2 community is overflowing with feedback, some useful and some less-so, after spending a few days exploring the game’s ongoing beta. And a handful of Destiny 2 devs took time to respond to that feedback in Bungie’s weekly update. Some answers will be more popular than others. But it’s nice to see the studio communicating faster than we’ve seen in the past.
Ammo drops have been the target of a surprising amount of ire this week. Power Ammo has been much harder to find in the Destiny 2 beta than it was in the first game, but it’s used for a greater variety of weapons than ever before. Many players feel like they’re carrying a second weapon they never get to use. And the rare occasions when they do get to use those firearms, the results don’t feel nearly effective enough to justify the scarcity. It’s a complaint that Destiny 2 game director Luke Smith was quick to address on Twitter. But the Weekly Update offered a bit more insight, courtesy of Destiny 2 beta design lead Rob Engeln.
“The PVE game tuning has changed pretty significantly since the Beta build was deployed. The nature of a Beta of this scale requires that it’s based off a build of the game that is now months old. So, in many cases, your feedback is helping us validate changes that were previously made based on internal feedback and playtesting,” Engeln wrote. “For example, we too felt that ammo (especially power ammo) was too scarce in PvE. In addition to retuning the drop rates, we built a system that guarantees power ammo drops for you and your Fireteam from certain enemies, giving power weapons a more reliable and predictable role in your arsenal.”
The Weekly Update also confirms a number of other changes we’ll see in the launch build of Destiny 2, including more-effective grenades, changes to boss vitality and further weapon DPS tuning in PvE. The post also features a brief Q&A with Crucible design lead Lars Bakken that offers some insight into the studio’s matchmaking process. The whole post is definitely worth reading if you’re feeling a bit down about Destiny 2 after a few hours in the beta.
For more on the Destiny 2 open beta, take a minute to review the trailer published last week. Then head down to the comments section and share the most interesting experience you’ve had since the test servers opened their doors on Tuesday.
Destiny 2 is in development for PS4, Xbox One and PC. The upcoming Destiny sequel heads to consoles on Sept. 6 and the PC port debuts Oct. 24.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Destiny 2 news in 2017 and however long Bungie supports Destiny 2 in the years following launch.
