Bungie Patches Destiny 2 Tier 5 Gear Farm; Players Cry Foul

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In Destiny 2’s latest DLC, Edge of Fate, players are scrambling to reach the new power level cap of 450 as quickly as possible. Some are eagerly preparing for the Desert Perpetual raid race, while others are diving into other endgame activities. However, it was soon discovered that completing the Episode: Echoes mission “Encore” offered the quickest means to acquire Tier 5 gear. In response, Bungie took this option away from the Pinnacle rewards, leaving some players with an unfair advantage over others.

Edge of Fate Rekindled the Power Grind

In every fresh DLC and season for Destiny 2, including Edge of Fate, a power reset necessitated prompt preparation from players eager to dive into Desert Perpetual right away. This was because, in addition to completing the campaign for Edge of Fate, they also needed to gather the best equipment possible to optimize their preferred stats for the raid competition. The power reset brought changes to the stat system, rendering much of the armor in players’ inventories and vaults obsolete. To excel in the Desert Perpetual race, it was crucial to obtain well-balanced, high-stat armor sets.

The missions available under the Portal tab in Pinnacle were highly effective for completing tasks, and among these, the mission called “Encore” stood out as the top choice among the three provided. Yet, players were taken aback to discover an unexpected aspect of the rewards dropped after finishing the “Encore” activity – it was distributing high-tier loot.

“Encore” Stacked the Deck for Certain Players

Regardless of personal feelings, Destiny 2 falls into the category of loot-shooter games, which are often criticized for their extended progression requirements. Since the loot is randomly generated, obtaining top-tier and optimally rolled equipment resembles a lottery draw. The ability to repeatedly perform an activity that ensures quality loot drops is crucial when trying to rapidly increase power levels. Known as a Pinnacle activity, “Encore” offered additional rewards, making it particularly attractive for those aiming to win the World’s First race. However, not everyone had the opportunity to farm this activity—those with jobs or other commitments during the lead-up to the race might have missed out on “Encore” farming based on their schedules. Sadly, Bungie’s decision to remove “Encore” from the Pinnacle list left those who couldn’t farm at a considerable disadvantage in the race.

It has been noticed that the Encore mission in Pinnacle Ops is significantly simpler to accomplish and yields a higher amount of rewards than planned. Consequently, we have temporarily deactivated the Encore mission in Pinnacle Ops, as well as the “Grappler” modifier within the game.

— Destiny 2 Team (@Destiny2Team) July 17, 2025

Although Desert Perpetual limited the potency of power, the “Encore” drops enabled players with ample leisure time to escalate their power to 300 quite swiftly. This granted them early access to Tier 4 and 5 loot drops, which in turn offered better stats and additional perks, providing these players a slight advantage over those who didn’t grind extensively. Predictably, players who joined after “Encore” was taken down felt frustrated, sparking a broader debate within the Destiny community about fairness and exclusivity, as the game primarily focuses on Player versus Environment (PvE), although it does incorporate some Player versus Player (PvP) aspects.

What Does Equity Look Like in a Looter-Shooter?

Currently, there’s no solution for the unfair advantage given due to the cancellation of the “Encore” mission, which has sparked criticism that Bungie unfairly penalizes players who don’t play consistently. The gap between the farm’s discovery and patch was brief, allowing only frequent players to reap its benefits. In essence, Bungie has been accused of capitalizing on fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) among its player base. Although the game needs constant player interaction to thrive as a free-to-play title, it can be disheartening to feel overlooked by the studio because you weren’t available at a specific time.

Striking a balance is crucial, just as in all aspects of life, between ensuring fair distribution of rewards and providing unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences like those found in Destiny 2, which makes the game so engaging. The backlash from the community over the removal of “Encore” before the Desert Perpetual race indicates that many players feel this change did not strike the right balance.

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2025-07-26 01:39