When games like Fortnite and Call of Duty started implementing crossplay across the board, it soon became a reality that crossplay itself was far more attainable than previously thought. Many like to point out Sony's reluctance as one of the sole obstacles to crossplay, but all gaming platforms have been strictly insular for a lot longer. Even when online gaming became much more prevalent and ubiquitous, crossplay as a concept rarely came up in conversation. Nowadays, it's almost becoming an expectation for any major triple-A game to launch with crossplay. At some point in 2021, Destiny 2 joins the list of crossplay titles after many have asked for it.
Crossplay's been in the conversation for Destiny 2 for a long time, but it wasn't until this year where the possibility became a reality. As numerous other games are receiving near-universal crossplay across platforms, many have been wondering when guardians will be able to play together. While Bungie had previously stated they intended to work towards crossplay for 2021, the studio has now confirmed crossplay will be officially coming to the game next year. Players who've dabbled in Destiny before likely thought this was a predictable improvement, but for Destiny 2's hardcore fans, this is a much more impactful and sought after change for the community.
Destiny 2's Community Will Thrive in New Ways, Thanks to Crossplay
Being the unique live-service, MMO-style game that it is, Destiny 2's biggest draw is its tight-knit community of guardians. Even amongst criticisms of the Destiny Content Vault, or any pervasive balance issues in PvP, Destiny fans remain loyal to the game they love. Bungie, as well as the Destiny fanbase, has worked hard to cultivate a diverse and engaging community of players. Whether it's as simple as encouraging a group of guardians to form a Raid fireteam or a clan together, or raising thousands for charity through sponsored in-game items and fundraisers, Bungie and Destiny's community brings its players together.
Unity and camaraderie are defining attributes for the majority of Destiny's community. Crossplay is only going to improve that aspect, bringing guardians from various consoles and PCs together after too long of a time without crossplay. Much like many other games before it, segmenting Destiny 2's community between PS4, Xbox One, and PC was an unfortunate limitation that divided players. Especially for an MMO, where player and platform diversity levels tend to be higher than other games, getting crossplay will only benefit the Destiny 2 experience over time.
Crossplay is Especially Important for Google Stadia
While many PS4 and Xbox One players will be happy to play Destiny 2 with each other (as well as PC players), Stadia is the clear winner here. There is a comparatively small, but just as dedicated, Destiny 2 community playing from Google's streaming platform that's finally going to join the rest of the Destiny playerbase. Not to mention opening up the possibility of more Destiny players utilizing cross-save and cross-progression on Stadia, once they can play with other platforms. Plus, existing players may even consider jumping on to the Stadia version occasionally, thanks to the platform's unique portability and convenience factor.
Google Stadia has had its fair share of problems, but it's often overlooked how many active players are still consistently playing the platform. Especially in Destiny 2's case, where consoles and even moreso PC are considered the definitive places to play the game. The Stadia version of Destiny 2 is still a very important part of the game's community, and for Bungie itself. As early as January of this year, it was reported that Destiny 2's playerbase on Stadia was struggling, but crossplay helps address that problem concisely. Regardless of whether or not crossplay boosts Stadia's playerbase, those who enjoy playing Destiny 2 on Stadia will benefit greatly from crossplay.
Some Minor Growing Pains, But Crossplay is a Big Deal
Obviously, a few things come to mind as potential growing pains for Destiny 2's crossplay, despite all the good it will do for the community. Cheating has been a common concern among Destiny 2's PC community, with aimbots and other software being readily available to download and install. Console players used to never have that problem because of how insular console gaming typically is. Modding and cheating on console still happens to a much lesser extent, but with crossplay, it could become a much more prominent issue.
However, when an existing problem that Bungie's been dealing with already is the only downside to crossplay, then it's till a pretty big win for Destiny 2. Finally bridging the gap between all platforms for Destiny 2 is only going to bode well for the game's community. Especially now, as players are deciding which next-gen console they may want to snag or if they're moving on to PC gaming, crossplay couldn't have come at a better time for Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.