Destiny - PlayStation LifeStyle

Bungie Investigating Bringing Halo’s Big Team Battle PvP Mode to Destiny 2

Daniel DeAngleo — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 19:36:45 +0000

Bungie is looking into the possibility of adding something like Halo’s 8 vs. 8 Big Team Battle PvP mode to Destiny 2. However, some technical issues make implementing a 16-player mode in Bungie’s FPS MMO difficult.

Destiny 2 might get a version of Halo’s Big Team Battle

Former host and current Destiny 2 weapons designer Mercules recently joined the 64th episode of the Firing Range Podcast. During the interview, the host asked him about the possibility of bringing Big Team Battle to Bungie’s MMO.

“So, we’re investigating it,” Mercules replied. “It is an ongoing active investigation at Bungie.”

However, some “really weird” technical issues crop up when that many players load into a single activity. “We want to make sure that we can make it happen in a way that ends up being fun and stable,” the Destiny 2 dev explained. “Like, the stable part is pretty important.”

The 16-player Big Team Battle mode first appeared in Halo 3 multiplayer and has been in every Halo game since. Given the overlap between Halo and Destiny 2 fans, many players would no doubt consider it a great addition.

It might also do something to recover lost players. Going by the game’s player numbers on Steam, Destiny 2 hit its all-time peak in February 2023 in anticipation of the Lightfall expansion. However, the year-long post-Lightfall dip has seen the lowest PC player numbers since its release. While console numbers are harder to come by, they likely follow a similar trend.

Hopefully, The Final Shape expansion will reinvigorate Destiny 2 when it arrives in June. Considering the upcoming expansion will reportedly overhaul the game’s core mechanics, it might be an excellent opportunity to implement the Halo-inspired mode.

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Destiny 2’s Approach to PvP Maps Isn’t Working, Bungie Admits

Zarmena Khan — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:29:14 +0000

Bungie has issued a mea culpa to Destiny 2 players, admitting that its current approach to PvP isn’t working and that there’s room for improvement when it comes to communicating with fans. However, the studio reiterated that it would maintain a tough stance against employee harassment.

Bungie will make changes to Destiny 2 PvP map releases in 2024

Following a poor response to its recent State of the Game communication, Bungie’s Joe Blackburn took to Twitter to apologize for not meeting fan expectations and acknowledged that dev communication isn’t up to the mark. Blackburn promised more transparency and better communication going forward but stressed that Bungie would do everything in its power to continue protecting its community and employees.

Blackburn is referencing numerous incidents over the years in which its employees were harassed, causing the studio to quit engaging with fans on sites like Reddit. One particularly nasty case of real-life harassment saw the studio take legal action against the perpetrator, winning a landmark judgment.

Trying something different, yall have 15 minutes to chat? pic.twitter.com/wzB6xqJPGU
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) August 15, 2023

As far as PvP is concerned, going forward, Bungie will release a single map pack that’ll be free for everyone.

“It’s clear that the — sort of — slow trickle of PvP maps isn’t having the effect we want, and although it gives an injection of PvP maps every so often with the ecosystem, it’s also forcing one new map a year, which means that we’re trying to build a map which can do everything, which means it can’t be good at anything.”

This approach will change starting in 2024 because Blackburn says developers need time to figure things out.

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Bungie Names Commander Zavala’s New Actor for Destiny 2 Following Lance Reddick’s Death

Michael Leri — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 18:31:09 +0000

Actor Lance Reddick’s roles touched a lot of players across a few video game franchises. Destiny was one such series, as he was the iconic voice of Commander Zavala. And now, five months after Reddick’s death, Bungie has named his replacement.

Bungie has chosen the new Commander Zavala actor

Bungie took to its website to praise Reddick once again, saying that the “passion and professionalism Lance brought to the role over the last decade was unmistakable and loved by all.” The team then announced that actor Keith David is now going to voice Zavala going forward. David’s role won’t overwrite what is already done, though, as Reddick’s existing lines will stay in the game.

Horizon Forbidden West, Destiny 2 Devs Release Statements on Lance Reddick’s Passing

A number of game developers have released statements on the sudden passing of Lance Reddick, who was a familiar face…

News Zarmena Khan 12 months ago

David, who worked with Bungie in the Halo series with his role as The Arbiter, also gave a statement praising Reddick and his thoughts on the new role.

“I am honored to continue the great work of Lance Reddick as Zavala,” said David. “Lance captured the character’s sense of integrity so wonderfully. It is my intention to continue that work.”

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David is known for being in films like They Live and The Thing, but he has also voiced more than a few recognizable characters in the video game space. He played himself (and Julius) in the Saints Row series, Sergeant Foley in 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and David Anderson in the Mass Effect trilogy.

Reddick also played a prominent role in the Horizon games as Sylens, but Guerrilla Games hasn’t been as forthcoming about its plans for the character. The studio has only stated that it “hasn’t thought about” his future yet.

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Bungie Wins Landmark Lawsuit Against Destiny Player Who Harassed Employees

Zarmena Khan — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:27:57 +0000

Bungie has won a major lawsuit against a racist Destiny player who doxxed and harassed its employees and their families. The developer had the book thrown at one Jesse James Comer, who now owes nearly $500,000 to Bungie after being found guilty of terrorizing employees at their homes. Comer has also been barred from making any contact with Bungie employees going forward.

Bungie’s lawsuit against Destiny player sets new precedent

Kathryn Tewson, who was part of the team that helped Bungie track down Comer, posted about the legal win on Twitter. According to the lawsuit, Comer left threatening voice mails for a Bungie employee who is not being named, uncovered their home address and set up unwanted deliveries, and continued his harassment campaign against other employees — all because Bungie highlighted a black content creator on Twitter.

Comer not only threatened to kill employees but also left racist voice messages and demanded that Bungie release Destiny DLC in which players can kill black people. To execute his harassment campaign, Comer used the TextNow anonymous phone service. Last August, a judge ordered TextNow to reveal Comer’s identity given his harrowing conduct.

According to Tewson, Comer wasn’t as bold in real life and decided not to show up in court. The judge recognized that his conduct wasn’t merely online trolling or a prank, and ruled in favor of Bungie, setting a new example against the doxxing and harassment culture that often plagues the gaming community online.

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Destiny 2 Update Brings God of War, The Last of Us Items

Michael Leri — Tue, 23 May 2023 21:16:21 +0000

Bungie is doubling down on its status as a PlayStation first-party studio with the latest Destiny 2 update. This drop adds not only a new season, but also cosmetics from games like The Last of Us, God of War, and Ghost of Tsushima, just to name a few.

The Destiny 2 PlayStation crossovers touch on a few franchises

The Destiny 2 PlayStation crossovers cover a whole slew of franchises, as God of War, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon, and Ratchet & Clank are all represented in various forms. For example, players can wear armor that calls back to Kratos, Jin Sakai, or Aloy. There are skins for the Ghost Shell, Sparrow, and ship that are covered in cordyceps spores. And while Guardians don’t get to wield a R.Y.N.O., there’s a Gold Bolt emote that references Insomniac Games’ platformer series.

Bungie went into more detail on the PlayStation Blog. The God of War armor is for Titans, the Horizon armor is for Hunters, and the Ghost of Tsushima armor is for Warlocks. All three have their own finishers that evoke those respective franchises, as seen in the trailer below. Art lead Josh Deeb explained how the team honed in on these armor sets and tried to bring out the characters they were borrowing from.

“The first [concern] is the more direct reimagining of costuming details, items, and weapons,” said Deeb. “Then there’s the less tangible aspects – their personalities and presence. In other words, do these ornaments feel like these characters?”

Buy Destiny 2: Forsaken – Legendary Collection for $16.99

Various members from the original developers chimed in to talk about fusing these disparate franchises. For the Aloy armor, it was key to mesh the technology and hand-crafted feel of Horizon’s world with Destiny’s science fiction aesthetic. For Kratos’ gear, the team tried to hone in on his iconic tattoos, Blades of Chaos, and Guardian Shield, as well as the beard he has in the Nordic games. For Jin’s getup, it was imperative to keep the samurai outfit Jin is known for, especially the recognizable mask, and put a sci-fi spin on it.

These cosmetics can be found in the Eververse and costs various amounts of Silver. The Ratchet & Clank emote is 1,200 Silver. The Last of Us ship and Sparrow are 1,000 Silver, while the Ghost Shell is 800 Silver. All of the various bits of armor are 2,000 Silver. 1,000 Silver translates to around $10.

This is just a taste of what’s in the Destiny 2 update. Season of the Deep takes players to Saturn’s moon of Titan and lets them explore a vast ocean, go fishing, participate in a new six-player activity called Salvage (which is about collecting materials), gain some seasonal weapons and armor, and more. The season will last until August 22.

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Destiny 2 Cheating Lawsuit Sees Bungie Win Over $10 Million

Anthony Nash — Thu, 04 May 2023 19:37:44 +0000

Bungie has won a $12 million lawsuit against a Romanian man accused of selling cheats for its popular video game Destiny 2.

What happened in the Destiny 2 cheating lawsuit?

Per TheGamePost, the lawsuit was originally filed in 2021 against Mihai Claudiu-Florentin, a Romanian man associated with the company VeteranCheats who Bungie alleged “developed and sold” cheating software for Destiny 2 that enabled players to cheat in a variety of ways.

The cheats reportedly made players more accurate (a cheat otherwise known as an “aimbot”), and let them see through walls during PvP gameplay. The lawsuit also alleged copyright infringement, violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), breach of contract, intentional interference with contractual relations, and violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act (CPA).

In a 2023 motion, Bungie said it was seeking $12,059,912.98 in total to be awarded, $146,662 of which were in actual damages for copyright infringement while the rest covers attorney fees, statutory damages, and more.

Alongside the monetary reward, the court also entered a permanent injunction against Claudiu-Florentin, barring them from ever engaging in future conduct that forms the basis of Bungie’s Copyright Act and DMCA claims in this way again.

This is not the first time that Bungie has gone to court over cheating in Destiny, with the studio recently winning a $4.3 million lawsuit against cheat seller AimJunkies in arbitration. The developer also won a $13.5 million lawsuit against another cheat maker, Elite Boss Tech, in October 2022.

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Lance Reddick’s Wife Thanks Destiny 2 Players for Special Tribute

Nicholas Tan — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 19:05:59 +0000

Stephanie Reddick, the wife of the late Lance Reddick, has thanked the many Destiny 2 players who are paying tribute to the actor. Lance Reddick voiced Commander Zavala in the game, a character that still stands at the top of Tower. Numerous players have gathered near Zavala since yesterday to stand vigil and pay their respects to the actor, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 60 due to natural causes.

Destiny 2 community form vigils for Lance Reddick

pic.twitter.com/MFwOwpRJK7

— Lance Reddick (@lancereddick) March 18, 2023

Stephanie Reddick has posted a statement on Lance Reddick’s official account on Twitter, thanking everyone for their “overwhelming love, support, and beautiful stories” shared across social media. This includes messages from Bungie and Guerrilla Games, where Reddick provided his voice and likeness for Sylens in the Horizon series.

In particular, she wishes to thank the Destiny 2 community:

And to the thousands of Destiny players who played in special tribute to Lance, thank you. Lance loved you as much as he loved the game.

For any donations, she requests that they be made to momcares.org in Baltimore, Lance Reddick’s hometown.

Thus far, Destiny 2 players have paid their respect to Lance Reddick by grouping together and performing the same pose near Commander Zavala. Examples include the tribute shown in this fanmade video, as well as one posted by Stephen Totilo from Axios.

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Horizon Forbidden West, Destiny 2 Devs Release Statements on Lance Reddick’s Passing

Zarmena Khan — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 13:58:34 +0000

Horizon Forbidden West

A number of game developers have released statements on the sudden passing of Lance Reddick, who was a familiar face in the games industry and much loved by the gaming community. The actor, aged 60, died of natural causes on Friday morning.

Lance Reddick brought his infinite talent to games, says Guerrilla

Extending its condolences to Reddick’s family and loved ones, Guerrilla Games thanked the actor for lending his “infinite talent and wisdom” to its games, bringing the character of Sylens to life in Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West.

The studio said that Reddick, who might posthumously appear in the upcoming Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores expansion, had a “profound impact” on Horizon’s cast and community. “We were deeply honored to work with you,” said Guerrilla. “You will be so incredibly missed.”

In a separate statement, Bungie said that Reddick, who played the role of Commander Zavala in Destiny was an “iconic presence” in the franchise. “To say he will be missed is a profound understatement, yet no less true,” the studio added.

As news of Reddick’s passing made headlines, Destiny 2 players gathered in-game to pay tribute to the late actor.

PlayStation LifeStyle extends its condolences to Reddick’s family and loved ones.

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Destiny 2 Hacks Site AimJunkies Must Pay Bungie $4.3 Million

Nicholas Tan — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:52:53 +0000

Destiny 2 hacks provider AimJunkies has been ordered to pay Bungie over $4.3 million in damages and fees. According to arbitration, Judge Ronald Cox says that evidence has made it clear that the site and third-party developer James May violated the DMCA. Bungie and AimJunkies have been embroiled in lawsuits since 2021, and their legal battle will continue despite this judgment.

Most of the $4.3 million award comes from trafficking violations

According to TorrentFreak, Judge Cox found that AimJunkies and James May bypassed Bungie’s technical protection measures in violation of the DMCA, stating that May testified many times that “he connected reverse engineering tools to the Destiny 2 process in order to reverse engineer it and developer a cheat for the game.” May also tried to get around bans that Bungie put in place after he was caught several times.

While May isn’t an employee of AimJunkies or its parent company Phoenix Digitial, the judge says that Phoenix Digital can still be held liable because it sold and profited from May’s Destiny 2 hacks and cheats.

The bulk of the $4.3 million award come from trafficking violations, where the judge found that that Phoenix Digital not only sold more than 1,000 copies of the cheats, but more than 1,000 copies of the “cheat loader that was used to inject the cheats into the Destiny 2 process.” Each of these 1,361 violations amounted to $2,500 in damages per offense, totaling over $3.4 million.

Another Bungie lawsuit against AimJunkies on claims of copyright infringement is heading to trial. AimJunkies says that Bungie violated its terms of service by reverse-engineering its cheat software, but Bungie hopes to use this arbitration judgment as part of its defense in the trial.

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Fortnite x Destiny Event Features Guardian Skins and Javelin-4 Creative Map

Mack Ashworth — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 17:08:56 +0000

The Fortnite x Destiny event has simultaneously been revealed and launched. Destiny fans can now drop some V-Bucks on three key characters from the Destiny universe, as well as Ghosts, a Sparrow, and some swords.

Fortnite x Destiny skins, swords, and Ghosts

Dataminers have uncovered a number of Fortnite x Destiny cosmetic items in the recent update. These feature three of the game’s main characters, a couple of Ghosts, swords, and more.

@iFireMonkey on Twitter posted the full list of items, which includes:

Targe Ghost
Ophiuchus Ghost
Pouka Ghost
Commander Zavala Skin
Ikora Rey skin
Exo Stranger skin
Investigate emote
Sparrow glider
Black Talon pickaxe
Crown-Splitter pickaxe
The Lament pickaxe

The Sparrow glider will be available in a range of different colors. What’s more, bundles for all of the skins and all of the swords are also expected to drop in the Item Shop.

Players shouldn’t have to wait long for the Item Shop to have refreshed to include the new Destiny items.

Fortnite x Destiny Javelin-4 Creative Map

The Fortnite x Destiny Javelin-4 Creative Map has been made by TeamPWR. This custom map takes the fan-favorite Destiny 2 Crucible map of the same name and recreates it within Fortnite.

Using map code “0642-9767-7225”, players can try their hands at Guardian Zone Control, which tasks both sides with being the first team to reach the 200 score limit in the 5v5 match.

To play the Destiny map in Fortnite, players must:

Add the island to your playlist from here.
Boot up Fortnite and change the selected game mode to “Discover.”
Check “My Playlist” for the Javelin-4 map that you recently added.

In other PlayStation news, Sonic Frontiers’ release date has leaked (and it’s a day before God of War Ragnarok). The PSVR 2 release date window has finally been confirmed for next year. The MultiVersus player count has surpassed 20 million.

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