Why Did Destiny 2 Remove Planets? Unraveling the Destiny Content Vault
The decision to remove planets from Destiny 2, a move known as “sunsetting” or placing content into the Destiny Content Vault (DCV), stemmed from a combination of technical limitations, development challenges, and a desire to streamline the player experience. Initially, Bungie cited concerns over the game’s growing size, the burden on their development resources to maintain older content, and the need to improve overall game performance. The sheer volume of data and assets associated with multiple expansions and seasons was creating significant technical hurdles. Over time, the narrative shifted slightly, with Bungie emphasizing their intention to curate a more focused and engaging experience by revitalizing and reintroducing content from the DCV in updated and relevant ways. This strategic move was not universally welcomed by players, leading to ongoing discussions and debates within the Destiny 2 community about the merits and drawbacks of the DCV.
The Technical Debt of a Growing Universe
The Ever-Expanding Game Size
One of the primary reasons behind vaulting planets was the sheer size of Destiny 2. With each expansion, the game grew exponentially, consuming more storage space on players’ consoles and PCs. This posed a significant barrier to entry for new players and could lead to performance issues for those with older hardware. By removing older, less frequently played content, Bungie aimed to reduce the game’s overall footprint and ensure a smoother experience for everyone.
Development and Maintenance Bottlenecks
Maintaining a live service game of Destiny 2‘s scale is an immense undertaking. Each planet, activity, and mission required ongoing testing, patching, and bug fixing. As the game grew, the development team found themselves dedicating an increasing amount of time to maintaining legacy content, diverting resources away from creating new and exciting experiences. The DCV allowed Bungie to focus their efforts on delivering higher-quality content and addressing critical issues more efficiently.
Performance Optimization
Beyond storage space, the sheer amount of active content in Destiny 2 could negatively impact game performance. Older planets and activities were not always optimized for the latest engine updates and gameplay mechanics, leading to stuttering, lag, and other technical problems. Vaulting these areas allowed Bungie to optimize the game’s performance and ensure a smoother, more responsive experience for all players.
The Creative Vision Behind the DCV
Curating a Focused Experience
Bungie argued that the DCV allowed them to curate a more focused and engaging experience for players. By removing less popular content, they could concentrate on delivering high-quality activities and storylines that resonated with the community. This approach aimed to reduce player fatigue and ensure that every piece of content felt meaningful and impactful.
Reintroducing and Revitalizing Content
The DCV was not intended to be a permanent tomb for vaulted content. Bungie planned to revisit these areas and activities, updating them with new mechanics, storylines, and rewards before reintroducing them to the game. This approach allowed them to breathe new life into old favorites and ensure that they remained relevant and engaging for modern Destiny 2 players.
Narrative Implications
In addition to the technical and creative reasons, the removal of planets also had narrative implications within the Destiny 2 universe. The disappearance of Mars, Mercury, Titan, and Io was explained as a consequence of the Black Fleet’s arrival and their interference with the Traveler. This event created a sense of mystery and intrigue, setting the stage for future storylines and conflicts.
The concept of game preservation is also important. As games continue to move towards a live service model, and as discussions about the future of game libraries and backward compatibility surface, it’s important to reflect on the decisions made by game companies as they sunset content.
A Balancing Act
The decision to remove planets from Destiny 2 was a complex one, balancing technical limitations, development challenges, creative vision, and player expectations. While the DCV has allowed Bungie to improve game performance, streamline development, and curate a more focused experience, it has also been met with criticism from players who miss the vaulted content and feel that they have lost access to previously purchased items and activities.
Ultimately, the success of the DCV depends on Bungie’s ability to deliver on their promise of reintroducing and revitalizing content in a meaningful and engaging way. Only time will tell if this strategy will ultimately benefit the Destiny 2 community in the long run. More information about the science of games can be found at the Games Learning Society, GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why did Bungie initially remove planets from Destiny 2?
Initially, Bungie removed planets from Destiny 2 due to technical limitations, the game’s growing size, development challenges in maintaining older content, and a desire to streamline the player experience and improve overall game performance.
2. Which planets were removed from Destiny 2?
The planets initially removed from Destiny 2 were Mars, Mercury, Titan, and Io. The Leviathan was also removed.
3. What is the Destiny Content Vault (DCV)?
The Destiny Content Vault (DCV) is a system implemented by Bungie to remove older, less frequently played content from Destiny 2 in order to reduce the game’s size, improve performance, and allow the developers to focus on creating new experiences.
4. Are the removed planets gone forever?
No, Bungie has stated that the removed planets may return to Destiny 2 in the future, potentially with updated content and new storylines. Titan has already made a reappearance.
5. Why did Bungie say Free2Players had too much content?
The statement that Free2Players had too much content and that Bungie wanted to lock that down ASAP is a player theory, and might have not been the only factor or even true. The complexity might have been a factor.
6. How did the planets disappear in the Destiny 2 lore?
The planets disappeared due to a gravitational anomaly caused by the Black Fleet, as they interfered with the Traveler. This event was part of the narrative storyline.
7. What happens to content that is vaulted?
When content is vaulted, it is removed from the active game, and players can no longer access those locations, strikes, missions, or activities.
8. Why did Bungie remove Red War, Osiris, and Warmind?
Bungie removed Red War, Osiris, and Warmind as part of their effort to streamline the game, reduce its size, and focus on new content. These older campaigns were placed in the Destiny Content Vault.
9. What were the main reasons Bungie gave for removing content?
Bungie stated that they removed content because it took up space, messed with balance, and strained their development resources.
10. Will Destiny 3 ever be released?
While there have been rumors and speculation about Destiny 3, Bungie has confirmed that Destiny 2 will continue to receive updates and expansions, and they are not currently planning a full sequel.
11. What is happening with Destiny 2 after The Final Shape?
After The Final Shape, Destiny 2 will continue with new stories surrounding other factions and new threats. Bungie has confirmed that the game will continue to evolve.
12. Will old planets return to Destiny 2?
Yes, Bungie has re-introduced planets. Titan returned in the Season of the Deep. They may be resold as updated content in future expansions.
13. What happened to Earth in Destiny 2?
Earth is the native homeworld of humans and is mostly in ruins, except for the Last City, which is protected by the Traveler. Earth is continuously under attack by various alien species.
14. Where did Mars go in Destiny 2?
In the storyline, Mars disappeared due to the Black Fleet. In the game, a version of Mars can be found in Savathun’s Throne World.
15. What is happening to Eris Morn?
Eris Morn is a key character in Destiny 2 and is an expert on the Hive. She continues to play a significant role in the game’s storylines and missions.