Destiny 2's current seasonal model is tired, and it knows that. After persisting for many years and following what is essentially the same pattern, Destiny 2's seasons are being retired in exchange for a brand-new episodic format. With the first starting just a week after the launch of Destiny 2's highly anticipated Final Shape expansion, each of Destiny 2's episodes will offer players three six-week-long story acts, along with new Exotic weapons and quests, new activities, new armor, and more. Despite giving up seasons, Destiny 2 will continue utilizing its season pass model, though some things will be different about them during the game's episodic era.
Bungie has confirmed ahead of The Final Shape that each of Destiny 2's episodes will have its own season pass. In the past, season passes have offered players a variety of items, including seasonal ornaments, Legendary gear, consumables, currency, and crafting materials. However, Destiny 2's new episodic format will significantly change one key aspect of season passes, and they should be improved to follow suit. If the new episodic season passes end up adopting the current model, they could be very underwhelming.
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Destiny 2's Episodic Season Passes Will Be Much Longer Than the Current Model's
According to what Bungie has revealed so far, each of Destiny 2's upcoming episodes will be around eighteen weeks long. Since the game's current season passes last around three months (except for Season of the Wish), this already means the new episodic season passes will be longer. Thankfully, Bungie has confirmed that each episode's season pass will begin with 100 ranks in the first act, with 50 more added as each subsequent act is introduced. This means Destiny 2's new season passes will be double the length of the current model's and last around a month longer.
It makes sense that Destiny 2's episodic season passes would be longer than what the game offered before The Final Shape, especially considering each episode's length. It also makes sense that Bungie would ensure each episodic season pass will have even more ranks for players to earn. Unfortunately, Destiny 2's season passes are notoriously unrewarding, so making them longer could only exacerbate that if they aren't improved.
Destiny 2's Episodic Season Passes Should Offer Better Rewards
With Destiny 2's episodic season passes being much longer than their predecessors, they need to offer better rewards. Firstly, going by the pre-Final Shape season pass model, devoted players have been offered a plethora of materials and currency that they eventually may not even need due to their inventory's capacity for those items being capped.
Items like Glimmer, Enhancement Cores, and Upgrade Modules fill each season pass and are generally not needed by those who spend a significant amount of time playing Destiny 2.
Furthermore, Exotic engrams are all but worthless to those who have unlocked every Exotic in the game, especially when their drops are random. Also, once players complete a season pass, they are offered Eververse engrams at regular intervals, but even this often results in players receiving common cosmetic items they are likely to never use. A change is clearly in order, especially with Destiny 2's episodes having their own season passes.
Destiny 2 could improve its episodic season passes by offering much more substantial rewards. Replacing many of the currency and material rewards with weapons and armor that have curated rolls would be a great place to start. Offering shaders with unique effects or a greater number of ornaments might also be appealing enough to keep players invested in each season pass.
Finally, Eververse engrams should pull from a much better pool to offer players cosmetic items they might actually want to keep around. Destiny 2's season passes have needed a shakeup for some time, and there arguably isn't a better time to do that than in its upcoming episodic era.
Destiny 2
Bungie's Destiny 2 is an online FPS that blends single-player and multiplayer content. Constantly evolving, the shooter has established a strong following since its 2017 debut.
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PC , Stadia
- Released
- August 28, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Bungie
- Publisher(s)
- Bungie
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer , Online Co-Op
- Engine
- Tiger Engine
- ESRB
- T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence
- Expansions
- Destiny 2: Forsaken , Destiny 2: Shadowkeep , Destiny 2: Beyond Light , Destiny 2: The Witch Queen , Destiny 2: Lightfall
- How Long To Beat
- 100+
- Metascore
- 85
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4,PS5, Xbox One &Xbox Series X|S
- Number of Players
- 1-6 (Co-Op)
- PS Plus Availability
- Essential, Extra, & Premium (The Witch Queen)
