Destiny 2 is finally out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, giving fans of Bungie’s shared-world shooter four massive new zones to explore, five new strikes to master (six on PS4) and a smorgasbord of equipment to loot and customize. But many fans are lamenting the lack of Sparrow access during the early hours of the game.
The bad news is that it takes a bit more work to add a Sparrow to your Guardian’s inventory in Destiny 2. The good new is that we’ve already written a guide -- and you’re already reading it! -- that explains when/how you can get another hoverbike for your Destiny characters.
According to Bungie, the only way to get Sparrows in Destiny 2 is to get lucky when opening Bright Engrams. The change was confirmed during a recent review event (h/t Polygon) and was apparently made to encourage players to spend more time exploring the nooks and crannies of Destiny 2’s much larger environments. Admittedly, it would be much harder to spot the graffitti that lets players know a Lost Sector is nearby. But we suspect that argument isn’t going to hold much weight when the Destiny community begins prepping for the Leviathan raid. The lack of Sparrows will also slow anyone planning to grind for faction reputation after hitting level 20.
It’s a big change from Destiny, where players were given their first Sparrow during the game’s fourth campaign mission. But we suspect players will have a much greater appreciation for their hoverbikes as a result. Even if it's only for a few weeks. That said, we’re not looking forward to the inevitable angry reddit threads and Change.org petitions demanding Sparrows not be tied to Tess’ Bright Engrams. Microtransactions aren’t the only way to acquire the special loot crates but we don’t give it more than a few days before someone claims purchased Engrams are more likely to drop Sparrows than the free ones earned by Destiny 2 players.
Players do at least have several ways to earn Bright Engrams in Destiny 2. A handful of Bright Engrams are awarded during the game’s campaign and players also receive one each time they collect enough experience to gain another level (after hitting the cap). Neither solution is as fast or convenient as paying for the crates. But it’s better than nothing, right?
Destiny 2 is in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The game heads to consoles on Sept. 6 before making the jump to PC in October.
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 ahead.
