Destiny 2: The Witch Queen could force me back into the game

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen could forcefulness me back into the game

(Image credit: Bungie)

Bungie finally took the wraps off the upcoming The Witch Queen expansion for its hit game, Destiny ii. Destiny and I get way back. From the Firm of Wolves in the starting time game on, I've devoted thousands of hours to Bungie'southward shared-world first-person shooter.

From ballsy raids to glorious wins in Trials of Osiris, some of the all-time moments I've had in gaming vest to Destiny. But something changed, and I'm withal not sure if it was with me or with Bungie. I distinctly recall feeling this shift when Shadowkeep launched in 2019 (which also marked Bungie'due south separation from Activision).

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The expansion was dull and boring, and I establish at that point that I couldn't care less virtually Destiny 2. This was after hundreds of hours put into the game in the year prior thank you to the awesome Forsaken expansion and the Annual Pass. I drifted away from Destiny, feeling guilty and like I'd wasted years of my life.

My backlog had grown larger and larger in the concurrently, too — Destiny 2 was all I played since information technology launched in 2017. And then when I stepped away to play other things, I felt a sense of shame. I'd always been a solo player, and so information technology wasn't similar I'd left friends backside. I couldn't figure out why I felt this way, until it hit me non likewise long ago.

Drifting away from Destiny 2

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen - screenshot — (Image credit: Bungie)

Just like people tin can abound apart equally they age and change, so too can a person motility on from something they previously loved. That was what happened with Destiny and me: I'd grown tired of the game's chore-like grind. I didn't care anymore, and my social anxiety kept me from truly finding the sense of community so many beloved Destiny 2 for.

What really toppled things over for me was the introduction of sunsetting, where Bungie would negate older weapons in high-level activities. That meant my favorite guns, many of which I'd worked incredibly hard for, didn't matter in height-tier activities. This was extremely demoralizing and it discouraged me from chasing those pinnacle weapons, many of which crave hours of grinding to obtain. Thankfully, Bungie realized sunsetting wasn't the right direction for the game and reversed the conclusion.

I came back for Destiny 2'due south Beyond Low-cal expansion last year, simply afterward seeing the utterly broken country of many components (such as the new ice-based Stasis subclass and the rampant cheaters on PC), I gave up again. In fact, I know a couple of people who did the aforementioned thing. But Bungie is finally listening, at least on the cheater front end. Destiny 2 now employs the BattleEye anti-cheat system (partially for now as Bungie tests it out), hopefully curbing the trouble.

What The Witch Queen promises

destiny 2: the witch queen: void UI — (Image credit: Bungie)

And so what does the recent reveal of the upcoming The Witch Queen expansion have to do with all of this? I'1000 glad you asked. The obviously Sauron-inspired, eponymous Witch Queen Savathûn is a major player in the overall story of Destiny, and players will finally face her in the expansion. This really excites me, as I bask the lore of Destiny, even if the stories inside the games themselves are often lacking.

Beyond just the story, The Witch Queen will introduce weapon crafting to Destiny for the first fourth dimension. This goes beyond the umbral engram focusing the game had in earlier seasons, where yous could spend a special type of currency to get a specific slice of loot.

The weapon crafting arrangement takes that up a notch, allowing you lot to make your ain weapons with their own perks, shaders, and mods. Y'all tin then level up the gun y'all created by using it, allowing players to become truly attached to their weapons beyond merely kill trackers.

When Bungie introduced Stasis, the Darkness subclass was ready far different than the Light-based ones. You could customize your build to adapt your needs instead of going on the preset paths players had been accustomed to. This felt a bit like how you could exercise things in the first Destiny, where y'all could pick different perks from various columns to create a build that fit your play style.

Now Bungie is applying the new system to the Light subclasses, starting with Void. This volition open up new opportunities for players who want to remain with the Lite.

Destiny ii: The Witch Queen outlook

destiny 2 witch queen: weapon crafting — (Image credit: Bungie)

Destiny and I have a storied history. While my time playing it non-stop is in the by, I do find myself wanting to get back into Destiny 2 from time to fourth dimension. The sheer amount of things to exercise combined with the ability level grind often discouraged me, though.

The Witch Queen not only appeals to my interest in the Destiny lore, but the weapon crafting system has me curious. In the original Destiny, you lot unlocked a gun's perks by using it, and the leveling up process with crafted weapons reminds me of that.

Maybe I'll give Destiny ii another shot in the months leading up to The Witch Queen'southward launch (slated for February), just to ensure that my Guardian is prepare for the challenges ahead. I don't believe that I'll ever play the game compulsively again, merely I'thou okay with playing it every and so often.

Afterwards all, you should never feel similar you have to play a game — it'southward important to take a step back, reevaluate, and decide how yous'd like to arroyo it going forward. That's what I had to practice, and I think the long intermission did me some good and helped me become a fresh perspective. Seeing The Witch Queen reveal convinced me, though, and I recollect I'll give Destiny 2 another shot.

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Hashemite kingdom of jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom'due south Guide, covering all things phone-related. He'southward written about phones for over five years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his abode with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Jordan tends to lurk on social media, but you can all-time reach him on Twitter.