Destiny 2 players are currently donating Polarized Fractaline during the Empyrean Foundation event, which looks like it will ultimately unlock Trials of Osiris for the game's upcoming Season 10. Fans have been asking since the launch and subsequent failure of Trials of the Nine for Trials of Osiris to return in Destiny 2, and it finally looks like that is about to become a reality.
But despite all the hype around the fan-favorite PvP playlist/event coming back in the Destiny sequel, the imminent return of Trials of Osiris begs the question whether Destiny 2 and its players are actually ready for the reality of Trials of Osiris returning.
New Activity and Ritual
One answer to that is absolutely yes. Destiny 2 is desperate for an infusion of energy in the form of a new activity and ritual for players to participate in. Very few modes could accomplish that like Trials of Osiris likely will. In Destiny 1, Trials of Osiris was the pinnacle event of PvP and the ultimate competitive experience in the game. Not only was it an engaging playlist, but its weekly appearance from Friday to reset on Tuesday also created a weekly ritual for many players where many players would log in on Tuesday to complete most of the activities that were reset for the week and then come back on Friday to compete in Trials of Osiris.
Outside of just those playing Trials of Osiris, the weekly ritual was a strong pull for streamers who drew audiences to see them carry others through the playlist or complete fan-made challenges in the mode. All eyes were on Trials of Osiris on the weekends.
With Destiny 2's current state, it could definitely use a similar boost where the community rallies around a singular event every weekend. Trials of Osiris, despite Bungie saying it dipped in Year 3 of Destiny 1 which led to the invention of Trials of the Nine in Destiny 2, has a strong interest among fans who are definitely ready to get something new in the game besides another 6-player matchmade activity like Vex Offensive or the Sundial.
Renewed PvP Focus
At the start of Year 3, Bungie said it would have a renewed focus on PvP this year, which was generally just maintained with little fresh attention in Year 2. Many players still consider PvP to have gotten very little focus in the first two seasons of Year 3, so the return of Trials of Osiris in Season of the Worthy would certainly show a substantial new focus on PvP. That is certainly welcome, especially for those dedicated PvP players.
New Loot
It's nearly impossible to think about Trials of Osiris coming back without it bringing with it some new top-tier loot locked behind the requirement that players go Flawless. After two seasons of modes that, at the end of the day, are the means for weapon farming, having a fresh loot pool that is full of truly worthy rewards is something Destiny 2 and its fans are definitely ready for.
While there are these reasons that scream "yes" to the return of Trials of Osiris, there are a few concerns and cautions that signal Destiny 2 might not be ready for Trials of Osiris.
Stability Issues and Bugs
The current Season of Dawn has been one of the buggiest times in Destiny's history. The season has been marked by account rollbacks, bugs that completely break exotics allowing them to one-shot raid bosses, glitches that allow players to stay in their super infinitely, and other general stability issues.
Trials of Osiris has always been the first place players will exploit something because of the playlist's intensity and the exclusive loot waiting at the end of a successful Flawless run. If Destiny 2 is not made stable and wiped of bugs that players can exploit, Trials of Osiris could be an absolute disaster. There were times in Destiny 1 when a bug was discovered and Bungie deactivated Trials for the weekend because a fix could not be issued in time. It would be disappointing to launch Trials of Osiris into an unstable environment that may lead to canceled weekends of the event.
Sandbox Balance
Because of the competitive nature of Trials of Osiris, not only are exploits common, but players use the most effective weapons, abilities, and tactics to win. Currently, many players are frustrated about things like Titans' Shoulder Charge, Warlocks' Handheld Supernova, and Hunters' invisibility builds. The seasonal artifact has also made for some crazy PvP builds, so Bungie would need to decide if the artifact will be enabled in Trials of Osiris. Those things that many players consider "cheesy" or broken are only going to increase and intensify in Trials of Osiris. With the current state of the PvP sandbox, it may not be ready for Trials of Osiris to come back. But that could be fixed if Bungie dedicates itself to a major PvP sandbox update that launches alongside Season of the Worthy to address some of the outliers in the space and bring things a little more into balance.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. Season of the Worthy begins March 10, 2020.