In Bungie’s new State of the Game blog post, Destiny 2‘s Joe Blackburn shared details as to why the game hasn’t introduced more PVP maps and why players should temper their expectations regarding new maps in the future.
After specifically acknowledging that players want more PVP content, particularly in the way of new maps, the Blackburn stated that the studio structure allocates the majority of its resources to PVP changes and updates. These include tasks such as: developing Destiny 2‘s recently-introduced Competitive Division, revamping Trials of Osiris, new PVP activity rewards, matchmaking improvements, new rotator playlists, weapon tuning, and overall quality of life enhancements. Therefore, developing new maps isn’t Bungie’s prime focus.
“When we do focus our resources on building new Crucible maps, it comes with the tradeoff of multiple teams’ bandwidth on work that contributes to a variety of experiences that players also hold dear, such as new story or Exotic mission content, core activities that make up the foundation of each Season, or new destinations,” Blackburn said. “Similarly, bringing back reprised maps also involves extensive porting to the latest version of Destiny 2, which requires additional resources to ensure the maps work correctly for multiple game modes and play styles for years to come,” he explained.
However, there’s a new Vex Network-themed map called Multiplex arriving in Season 22, scheduled to begin August 22. Additionally, for Season 23, Bungie will port The Citadel Crucible map, the Destiny 2: Forsaken Dreaming City map that entered the Destiny Content Vault. The post also mentions several forthcoming updates to PVP, including a new 6V6 Crucible mode called Relic and a new Checkmate modifier.
Beyond the lack of new Crucible maps, Blackburn also shared that Bungie would no longer offer ritual armor sets for every new expansion. He also noted that Gambit’s overall low engagement makes the activity low-priority for Bungie, and shared several forthcoming quality of life updates. Some players criticized the State of the Game post, feeling that it amounted to a lack of accountability and perception that the game is diminishing in overall quality.
