Destiny 2 is a popular online multiplayer game that has captivated players for years with its compelling storyline, fast-paced gameplay, and malleable role-playing elements. Additionally, Destiny 2's Season Pass system, where players can earn rewards by completing various challenges and leveling up, has been an integral part of the game's ecosystem for years now. However, with the release of each new Season, it has been easy to notice just how stale and predictable the battle pass can be.
One of the positives of Destiny 2's Season Pass exhibits is the variety of ways a player can level through it. Players not only have various weekly challenges to work through for extra experience but also gain Season Pass XP from virtually every activity where combat is involved. Additionally, at the start of every week, players get a boost toward Season Pass leveling for a handful of levels. Daily bounties purchased from many of the game's vendors in the Tower also give small amounts of extra XP. Seasons in Destiny 2 being three months in length, the many ways players can earn XP to progress through each season's 100 levels are certainly one of the systems bright spots.
Destiny 2's Season Passes Need More Variety
Beyond that, one of the main issues with the current Season Pass system is the lack of variety in its rewards. Each Season Pass follows a fairly predictable pattern of unlocks through its 100 levels. Players almost instinctively know by now what they can expect for each level of any given season's pass, and that isn't as fun or exciting as it could be. At a bare minimum, Bungie should realize that simply changing the order of unlocks in the battle pass would be beneficial from a variety standpoint alone. Thankfully, Bungie has a history of overhauling various aspects of Destiny 2.
One interesting quirk of Destiny 2's Season Passes is that 25 of the 100-level rewards are tied to passive rewards. 11 of said 25 give players an XP bonus alone, and it's these examples that help make each Season Pass so formulaic or at times boring. Further solutions that would enhance every Season Pass would be to overhaul what players earn in the free and paid tracks of the pass itself. A quick solution would include more armor and weapon ornaments, emotes, weapons, Exotics, and other cosmetics like Vehicles, Ships, and Emblems with unique or multiple trackers with less emphasis on passive RNG-based unlocks.
What Bungie Could do to Improve Destiny 2's Season Passes and Seasonal Challenges
Another solution could be to overhaul the rewards for the Season Pass's seasonal challenges in Destiny 2. Currently, the rewards for completing most of them are not very enticing, with some feeling like they are not worth the effort required to earn them outside of the XP and Bright Dust they give. The reward system could be updated to include more meaningful and valuable rewards, such as curated weapons with interesting rolls, some weapon or armor ornaments, and unique Shaders with unseen designs or effects. Some challenges already give prizes like this, but they are far more likely to be the exception to the rule.
The Season Pass and challenge systems in Destiny 2 have become stale over the game's many Seasons and are in need of a shake-up. By overhauling the Season Pass reward tracks and seasonal challenges, Destiny 2 could set a better example among many other games with similar systems and innovate what's gradually become a core part of the game. With the Lightfall expansion dropping soon, the future of Destiny 2 is bright, and with these changes, the game could become even more popular and accessible to those that enjoy playing through an entire expansion's arc for the Season Passes and their rewards.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.