Ever since Bungie implemented the Destiny Content Vault changes with Beyond Light, Destiny 2 has been playing a delicate balancing act of content. Many players have come to criticize a lot of the changes that have come in the new content year, whether it be sunsetting, removal of strikes/maps/etc., or additional concerns. For every positive change that comes with time, players always seem to discover or re-discover something that needs to be fixed, which in many cases is warranted criticism. However, even when criticisms of content can often be weighed against Bungie, sometimes guardians find the weirdest ways to enjoy the game, even through exploits.
In a weird twist of fate, many guardians are finding renewed entertainment in being able to play raids with 12 guardians at once. This isn’t like other exploits that make certain guardian builds unstoppable, or help cheese certain bounties. Rather, this is a manipulation of netcode and good timing that stuffs lobbies with too many players. Obviously this method can be used to cheese raids and strikes with unbalanced fireteams, but a majority of players have been doing it out of sheer curiosity. Numerous content creators have put up footage of 12-player shenanigans, making many wonder what an official large-scale/high player count mode in Destiny 2 would be like.
The exploit itself is exactly as it sounds: Destiny 2 players can double fireteam player counts via some clever timing with joining lobbies, in any PvE game mode. During the initiation timer of a raid or strike, if a full raid fireteam invites another full raid fireteam, they could theoretically join just as the raid is commenced. The raid leader will receive a notification that a friend has joined just before the loading screen begins, meaning the exploit worked. This would result in 6-guardian strikes and 12-guardian raids, both of which could be completed as if it were like any other strike or raid under normal conditions. As noted in the video above, this can lead to some absurdity.
For the most part, this exploit works alongside the game normally. Other than minor dips in frames per second (device dependent) and extremely unbalanced fireteam advantage, playing raids and strikes with double the player count generally functions surprisingly well. While the advantages of doubled manpower in higher difficulty events like Nightfall strikes are pretty obvious, numerous players have echoed the sentiment that higher player counts have also been amusing as well. Fireteams are getting their collective Sparrows stuck in narrow hallways, players have been obliterating enemies with sub-optimal weaponry, among other examples of ridiculousness.
That being said, outside of the shenanigans players are capable of with this exploit, it’s left many players wondering what an official version of this might look like. Obviously it’s not about adding more players into these specific examples of raids and strikes, where the difficulty would be lowered significantly, but in a more tailored official offering for Destiny 2. Something like a larger scale Battlegrounds activity with more enemies, or even a big team battle-style PvP mode, hasn’t really existed in Destiny 2 previously. Or like the many concepts that users have theorized on the Destiny subreddit could take a less serious approach to larger scale activities.
Bungie certainly has the experience with successful higher player count modes with its previous efforts on the Halo franchise. One of the more popular game modes in Halo 2/3 was Big Team Battle, an eight-versus-eight battle reserved for some of the larger Halo multiplayer maps. Even in Destiny previously, there was a six-versus-six Combined Arms mode that took place on larger maps, and even featured vehicles like Pikes and Cabal Interceptors. Destiny 2 Crucible could be seriously hectic with larger fireteams, bigger maps, even on standard settings. Bungie could even take things a step further with added bonuses like multiple exotics, supers, etc.
Unfortunately, this current exploit will likely be patched out sooner or later. Destiny raids were never truly intended to extend beyond six-guardian fireteams, and even though this exploit has lead to some serious hilarity, it likely won’t last. As funny as the cramped corridors full of guardians’ sparrows are, or as insane as the many high power enemies being destroyed by twelve swords can be, Destiny 2 raids are deeply imbalanced with over six guardians. However, it would be interesting to see a non-competitive PvP or PvE mode with higher player counts introduced by Bungie officially. It doesn’t need to be Battlefield-sized, but it’d be an interesting balancing act.
Instead of Nightfall strikes, perhaps six or eight guardians could participate in something like a larger scale Vex Offensive or Battlegrounds modes for higher-tier loot. Guardians could work together to cross large swaths of the usual open-ended patrol areas, in like a Conquest-like objective mode, Battlefield-esque. There’s certainly potential for something like it, assuming it could be balanced aptly. Any thing more than six guardians can lead to a lot of manpower working together, making difficulty in these types of PvE modes tough to manage. That being said, if 12 guardians can land in a raid currently, then perhaps an official high-player-count mode is warranted.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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