The way PvP feels in Destiny 2 varies from person to person, but one thing that remains consistent is Crucible being polarizing. The recent announcement that class cooldowns will be differentiated following the December 2021 update has only added fuel to this specific fire in Destiny 2, with many fans torn between the changes being beneficial and others worried that it’s too much all at once.
One of the most prominent ways this has come to the forefront are in conversations about how the December update will make another Hunter subclass OP. This isn’t new for Destiny 2, and for quite a while fans have complained about the Hunter’s Stasis subclass. Shatterdive has been seen as a bane by many players, with most hoping for it to have been nerfed sooner than December. Moving forward, the different changes that are coming with the December update are solid examples of how Crucible in Destiny 2 could be improved.
Destiny 2 Abilities in PvP
One of the biggest things that Destiny 2 struggles to do in Crucible is finding a balance between gunplay and abilities. At its heart, Destiny 2 is a sci-fi shooter, and the incredible abilities that players get are among its strongest points. Destiny 2 has pushed its space-magic roots, but this may be a problem as the PvP meta holds players back.
The Crucible’s focus on enemy elimination even in objective-based modes pushes players to adopt classes that overperform. The differentiated cooldowns that are coming with the December update aim to provide a fix for the issue, but there are still classes that will dominate. Hunters holding onto a one-hit kill ability isn’t exactly the fix many players wanted. While it’s too early to say there need to be further balance changes, players could soon dominate PvP as Warlock with a Well of Radiance build supporting Arc Strider Hunter teammates.
This wouldn’t be the first time that some of the defensive supers have worked in favor PvP fans. In the past, the Titan’s Ward of Dawn was an incredibly effective option for modes like Control and the Iron Banner, but it drives home that Destiny 2 could benefit from two different systems being implemented for the Crucible and PvE activities. This is something that’s also highlighted by the differentiated cooldown changes, as they’ll ultimately affect the masterwork system and build customization in Destiny 2 - which are integral to PvE activities.
Crucible Maps and Modes
Changes to the Crucible don’t only have to come from the abilities players have access to. What might be a bit easier to tackle is introducing more options for PvP players. Fun modes and maps can make or break a PvP game, and while the Crucible has put a lot into Trials of Osiris experiments, it feels like the other options available have been ignored. This has caused many modes to feel repetitive, and can turn events like the Iron Banner into an activity that doesn’t feel as rewarding.
Getting more variety in the Crucible could be done in a couple of different ways. Stressing team-based gameplay could be one with nodes in the Crucible playlist being altered. Instead of Control having a dedicated node, an Objective node could be implemented that hosts Control along with additional modes like Capture the Flag. This could allow Control to shine in the Crucible while offering more variety and space between objective and elimination-oriented gameplay. It would also give the Iron Banner and its armor glow a bit more impact when the dedicated Control playlist is active.
Alternatively, more maps could be added to the Crucible. The current map rotation feels repetitive, and vaulting certain maps hasn’t helped. The vaulting of Forsaken has irritated fans somewhat, but while narrative vaulting could benefit Destiny 2 in the long-run, vaulting PvP maps has left the Crucible feeling dry.
The addition of new PvP maps could also come with dedicated maps. Players have expressed that they feel the problem with Destiny PvP is its map design. Long corridors and spacious rooms can be an advantage for some games, but in Destiny 2 it becomes a hindrance. While maps do provide avenues for each weapon type to be applicable, it has also resulted in congested chokepoints and spawn killing. New maps could tackle this problem as Destiny 2 continues to grow, acting as a fix for painful PvP gameplay while also providing fresh content.
Changes to the Trials of Osiris
Alongside a shift in focus for gamemodes and maps overall, the Crucible should bring more changes to Trials of Osiris. While the current iteration of Trials of Osiris is a great case for all activities adding matchmaking in Destiny 2, it still has some hurdles to overcome. The ideal Trials of Osiris experience is intended to be well-balanced with an environment where blowouts are uncommon. This is something most people would likely enjoy, but in its current state this doesn’t feel attainable.
Going flawless is how Guardians get the Adept Trials of Osiris gear, and by definition winning seven games in a row is an unbalanced approach. This requires teams to be unevenly matched and, in many cases, leads to some players taking substantial losses. While changing this approach might not be easy or ideal, doing away with the concept instead of using the flawless pool in Trials of Osiris could improve the Crucible immensely.
Doing this through a rank system could also encourage more players to check out the Trials of Osiris mode, and would provide an incentive to get better. It wouldn’t necessarily end the trend of some players selling their guidance for flawless Trials skills, but if combined with new maps and the ongoing tweaks to the mode, this could help make the Crucible in Destiny 2 even better.
Destiny 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.