Destiny 2 players were outraged recently when it emerged that the game's progression system has a cooldown that limits XP from quick activities. Bungie outlined several changes to progression and most Destiny 2 players appreciated that their concerns had been taken into account, even if the tweaks were a bit confusing.
But it looks as though the saga of the Destiny 2 progression system is not over just yet. Fans of the game recently spotted a Bungie job listing for a 'senior progression designer' and the requirements of the role could have huge implications for the future of Destiny 2.
The job listing asks if applicants "follow trends of gear, builds and vanity items in MMOs," if they "understand the difference between too much and too little randomness in player rewards," and if they "obsess about how the rarity, cost or challenge of acquisition of items in a virtual world drive or fail to drive player behaviour." If the answer to those questions is 'yes' and if applicants would like to do all of these things "better" in Destiny 2, then they are encouraged to apply.
While these questions aren't especially concerning on their own, it's the list of job responsibilities that really has Destiny 2 fans fuming. One thing that the senior progression designer will do is "create sustainable player progression and chase through Destiny 2’s Bright Engram."
The hired designer will also be working on a "long-term vision" for the (microtransaction and cosmetics store) Eververse, managing the "the creative and craft growth of Progression designers on the Eververse team and help establish a strong design culture," and working to define a "cohesive monetization experience."
The reason that fans are freaked out by this is that it suggests Bungie wants to find a way to push monetization even more in Destiny 2. Some have also taken this to mean that Bungie would like to further tie Destiny 2 player progression to microtransactions. Or, Bungie may want to provide players with more valuable Bright Engrams for progressing through the game. It's not totally apparent what Bungie wants to do here and that uncertainty is also causing unease among players.
Fans have already voiced their frustration about changes to Destiny 2 cosmetics and previously accused Bungie of changing shaders and mods to pressure them into purchasing Bright Engrams. The job listing will have only exacerbated fans' fears that the game will soon begin to prioritize Eververse unlocks over entertainment.
Destiny 2 players have been raising their concerns about the contents of the job listing for several days now. Bungie seems to have caught wind of the backlash as the job listing has since been taken down. Though, its original text is preserved via screenshots (this is the Internet, after all).
It's unclear whether the removal of the job listing means that Bungie is reevaluating what it's looking for from a progression designer or if it is waiting for the backlash to die down. But what's certain is that Destiny 2 players will not take any future changes to progression lightly.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.