Destiny 2 Director On 2020 Plans: Less "FOMO" In Seasons, No Buyable Loot Boxes, Better Quest Log

Destiny 2 Game Director Luke Smith penned a very long blog post today -- and by "today," we mean it was just put up today, because it clocks in at over 4,000 words and probably took days to write -- covering a wide range of topics. At the heart of it all was his desire for improving the game in 2020, which will take several forms, many of which have been shaped by Destiny 2's direction since going free-to-play in October.

Smith first tackled how Bungie has done seasons since October. He acknowledges the "fear of missing out" that people have with regards to limited-time activities, with players realizing that if they don't play enough, or miss a season entirely, there might be rewards they can never get. It's a little like the issues Guild Wars 2 had early in its lifetime and the issues I discussed with season passes a few weeks ago: You want to encourage players to get into the "act now while supplies last" portion of your game, but if they don't, they might be less likely to check the game out in the future.

Smith acknowledged that there's "too much FOMO" in the way D2 currently does seasons, and his plan going forward is to roll more rewards into core activities like the Crucible or strikes, rather than segregating them in limited-time activities like this season's Sundial. Season-specific quest lines might also run longer, overlapping several seasons.

Weapons, and the general lack of a need to get new ones once you have something you like that can be upgraded forever, are also on the list of things that need improving. On that front, Smith envisions a cap for legendary (but not exotic) weapons so that they'll be good for several seasons -- "somewhere between 9 and 15 months," Smith thinks -- but you will need to replace them eventually.

Near the end of his screed, Smith briefly touches upon several smaller, but still significant topics. Most notable among them is that Bright Engrams, which are analogous to loot boxes, will no longer be sold in the Eververse Store for real money when Season 10 goes live. "We want players to know what something costs before they buy it," Smith said. "Bright Engrams don't live up to that principle."

Smith also "dramatically underestimated" (emphasis his) how many new Guardians joined the battle when the game went free-to-play, so the New Light intro will be fleshed out this fall. Another stumbling block for new players, one that I've harped on from my day one, is the quest log. Season 10 will add a level of categorization to the log, letting you sort by Exotic or Seasonal quests, for starters.

All in all, it's a long post, and Smith gets philosophical at times, but if you want to get some high-level insights into where Destiny 2 is going this year, definitely check it out. Just look away every few minutes; the white text on a black background can really play havoc with your retinas.

UPDATE: Bungie has announced the Trials of Osiris, a popular competitive weekly 3v3 PvP mode from the first Destiny game, will be coming to Destiny 2 in Season 10. The video below includes developer commentary on what to expect and the snazzy rewards players will be able to strive for.