You can’t miss someone talking about Trials of Osiris’ matchmaking that was changed this weekend. Players have drawn a line in the sand and either side wants a different experience from Trials.

The Decision Bungie Needs to Make

The problem is there are two different philosophies that Bungie needs to choose between.

1. Is Trials just a loot farm?

2. Is Trials a competitive mode?

Opening Weekend of Trials made it seem like Trials is meant to be an activity that players ritually play the entire weekend, farming for perfect 5/5 rolls on weapons.

Something that has never really been possible before.

The second weekend of Trials makes it seem like Trials is meant to be something players ritually play once per week. Get your one Flawless and then peace out until the next week.

Players All Want the Same Things

These both mean very different things for the future and the health of Trials. Ultimately though, every single player wants the same things:

• Get loot

• Have fun

Until Bungie decides on what the identity of Trials is, players will never be on the same page on how to reach those two core things. If players don’t know what Bungie wants from Trials, we have to assume their intentions.

Players will just presume their personal experience has to be the correct one and every player is motivated differently.

Trials Needs to Be About Loot

In my opinion, Trials needs to be about farming loot - like Grandmaster Nightfalls. All players just want to do in Destiny is to farm for loot. We truly prioritize chasing loot above anything else.

So many painful hours were spent farming The Reckoning, the WORST piece of content that Destiny 2 has ever had.

For Trials, that means that any player should have avenues for farming Adept gear - regardless of their skill level. When you narrow the scope down to what the clear problem is and what players truly want, I think the solution is actually very simple.

The Solution is Simple

The matchmaking from the opening weekend of Trials was the best iteration of just farming for loot we’ve ever had.

The problem was there’s no solid avenue for average to below-average players to get Adept loot. They’re just getting stomped, getting less loot, and leaving because they’re not being showered in gear.

That’s an easy fix.

Let’s add a new Trials card for these players. This card lets someone purchase the Adept weapon for 5 or 6 wins. AND at a reduced cost. The goal of this card is for players to have a guaranteed path to get an Adept weapon every few wins.

“But this ruins the Flawless experience”

Let’s be honest - the meaning of going Flawless is about the rewards. Players that were farming Flawless cards opening weekend were getting an Adept SMG about every other match. That’s perfect for that type of player.

For everyone else, they don’t need to go Flawless to get their Adept. The “Flawless or Bust” pressure is completely removed from players that don’t think they can go Flawless.

This keeps the casual player in Trials longer, which makes the health of Trials better. They get rewarded Adept weapons without the friction of not being able to go Flawless. Destiny players will settle for poor gameplay experiences if the loot is worth it.

So let’s make that experience worth it for every player.

☕Have a good day!

~Legionless