Future 2 goes to get an entire lot higher. Bungie introduced a slew of modifications coming to the loot shooter over the following few expansions and seasons. The studio plans to make content material tougher beginning with the launch of Lightfall later this month, whereas the prevailing energy grind looks like it might get ditched fully by the point the following growth, The Last Form, arrives someday in 2024.
Recreation director Joe Blackburn laid this and extra out in a sprawling 5,000 phrase weblog submit. It previewed each upcoming modifications meant to simplify a lot of Future 2’s tedious and unwieldy programs in addition to an aspirational philosophy for the sci-fi MMO shifting ahead. Bungie has lofty targets of reigniting gamers’ imaginations and making Future extra social, and desires to fight a few of the current participant emotions of burnout by making the sport extra streamlined and fewer predictable. And likewise tougher.
Beginning with Lightfall, potential cooldowns will take longer and enemies will hit more durable. “Whereas we don’t need your complete recreation to really feel prefer it’s turned as much as 11, we predict these modifications will assist the enemy forces patrolling Neomuna really feel harmful and price your consideration,” Blackburn wrote. As well as, it appears like Future 2 will transfer away from the facility grind that’s been at its heart because the unique recreation launched again in 2014.
The cycle of constructing your general energy slowly tick up by getting countless copies of loot you have already got will nonetheless be in place in the beginning of Lightfall, however the energy cap gained’t be elevated within the following Season of the Deep. And by 2024, it could possibly be gone altogether. “We predict that there are some main points with energy in Future 2 and the way it prevents gamers from seeing a few of our greatest content material, so we’d wish to make an enormous change to the system in The Last Form,” Blackburn wrote. Aid is in sight, however nonetheless a great distance off.
What to anticipate from Future 2 Lightfall and past
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Within the nearer time period, gamers have a bunch of smaller modifications to look ahead to. Right here’s a few of what’s coming in Season of Defiance when it goes dwell alongside Lightfall on February 28:
- No extra Umbrals and Umbral Energies to focus seasonal engrams
- Seasonal chests will unlock with a single key farmed from the seasonal exercise
- Fewer however higher seasonal vendor upgrades
- Deepsight weapons solely drop for patterns you don’t have but
- More difficult Vanguard Ops playlist
- New Crucible modes Countdown, Countdown Rush, and Checkmate Management
- Lake of Shadows and Arms Supplier strikes upgraded
- Battlegrounds missions added to Dusk rotation
Coming in Season 21 (Season of the Deep) and later:
- A brand new In search of Group (LFG) software
- Unique armor added again into primary exercise loot swimming pools
- Unique mission rotator to carry again Presage and different favorites
- Random weapon rolls will be enhanced similar to crafted weapons
All of those enhancements and additions open the 12 months of Lightfall as much as being significantly better than The Witch Queen, at the least in relation to lowering bloat and reskinned seasonal progressions. On the similar time, there are main questions round the place massive programs like crafting and modes like Gambit, will match into the way forward for Future. Nonetheless, numerous what Bungie laid out goes to the guts of addressing current participant criticisms concerning the recreation feeling too straightforward and repetitive this previous 12 months.
“We wish any participant to learn the title of one thing and instantly perceive what it does; briefly, to spend extra time enjoying and fewer time attempting to know what they’re speculated to do,” Blackburn wrote. Anybody who’s ever performed Future 2, or tried to get a good friend too, is aware of precisely what he’s speaking about. Because the final eight years have proven, nonetheless, that’s simpler mentioned than achieved.