Why Will Destiny 2 Crossplay Work Better Than it did in Destiny 1?

Last week, Bungie accidentally enabled Destiny 2 crossplay with the launch of Season of the Splicer. The developer has acknowledged that this was a mistake, and basically, this was a preview of things to come. It’s interesting, it makes the game feel so much more alive and full of Guardians. Sort of like a callback to Destiny 1. However, when it finally does release, Destiny 2 crossplay is going to be so much better than it was in that first game. In this article, I’m going to explore why.

Platform Exclusives

This all boils down to the platform-exclusive items that existed in Destiny 1. I don’t know the ins and outs of the situation, but my hunch is that Activision made a deal with Sony for exclusive content, and it made it impossible to play Destiny 1 fairly. There were weapons and a few activities that no other Guardians could play. I could have lived with this if it wasn’t for the fact that the exclusive weapons were better than what the base game had.

In the Crucible, as you can imagine, this created carnage. There were weeks in which a single Trace Rifle was the best weapon in the game. It wasn’t worth trying to complete a match without it. We’ve seen similar events pop up in Destiny 2, but everyone is able to get their hands on these weapons. They’re not locked off to a specific platform.

This is the crux of why crossplay never worked in Destiny 1. It was a shambles because of how unfair it felt to play. Destiny 2 is a much more balanced game though. Guardians can access any weapon they want as long as they put the effort in. The thing that really separates you in the Crucible now is skill.

Of course, Bungie can’t simply put crossplay live before it’s ready. That’s why it’s been removed. However, it was a nice glimpse of things to come. I like the fact that you’ll soon be able to play with anyone regardless of platform. It’s always a finicky business when you have to try to find a full fireteam for Trials or Osiris or a raid.

Let us know what you thought of the Destiny 2 crossplay ‘beta’ while it was live in the comments.

Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp

I'm an avid Destiny 2 fan and player. I fell in love with Destiny 1 during the early alpha and have been hooked by the universe ever since. I really enjoy playing with other Guardians, speculating about the lore, and writing about as much of the Destiny universe as I can.