Bungie Is Keeping Quiet about Destiny 2 Season 18
Season 17 was a different season than other seasons. Bungie did not reveal details about the upcoming content via This Week at Bungie posts or in-character Twitter Takeovers. The entire project was kept secret until hours before its release. Season of the Haunted was released, and players didn’t know what to expect. This was a unique strategy for a live-service game and a strange move for Bungie, who has mastered the art behind the build-up. They aim for a repeat performance less than a month before Destiny2season 18.
Depending on your perspective, Destiny2’s Season of the Haunted was either a surprise or a disappointment. Crow and Eris Morn were the most popular characters in the first weeks of Season 2. This allowed players to dig into their pasts and help them heal from their traumas. This was welcomed as well as the return to Opulent weapons and the addition to Duality a new Dungeon. The repetitive Containment activity and the high crafting requirements for seasonal armaments were not well received by players.
It’s difficult to determine whether the Season of the Haunted experiment was successful for Bungie. It’s been a difficult few months for the studio, with a Twitter backlash against developers driving some offline and an upset content creator issuing DMCA takedowns against the Destiny2 YouTube channel. This led to the company taking legal action. Bungie seems to be in a defensive situation at the moment. The studio is reevaluating its relationship with social media, as it’s historically been open to communication.
Bungie stated in a TWAB posting last month that no significant announcements would be made until the August 23 Destiny 2showcase. This will likely reveal information about future expansions. It seems that Destiny2season 18 will follow the same pattern as season 17. Bungie keeps its cards close until the release, which is also on August 23.
It’s impossible to know if this was the original plan, but it is reasonable for a newly acquired studio (this time by Sony) to rethink its approach to major releases. Direct outreach to your player base is a must when you are independent, even if it’s a studio with the history and scale Bungie has. This outreach can be done via Twitter, Reddit, or TWAB posts. There are many benefits. However, it comes with a price: people are exposed to rude, thoughtless, or even cruel posters.
