Bungie is making changes to Destiny 2's PvP modifier Checkmate and confirms more Crucible tweaks will follow.
Yesterday (January 9), the developer confirmed that it would be making adjustments to Checkmate - a game mode modifier for the PvP activity The Crucible, which is intended to make players prioritize gunplay and decision-making while playing. The changes to it are based on player feedback, and while they're made, Checkmate will be moved back to Labs where it can be further tested.
In an updated Twitter / X thread posted hours after that initial announcement, Bungie eased the worries of some players and explained what it plans to achieve while Checkmate is unavailable.
"For anyone worried that these changes to Checkmate will permanently change a fun mode you enjoy, we wanted to clarify our intentions for the current round of Checkmate tuning," the developer said.
"While it is not our intention to make the original Checkmate into the core PvP experience, we are experimenting with the current iteration of Checkmate to gather data, lessons, and feedback we can use to eventually tune the base PvP sandbox."
Bungie added that it will be making additional changes to primary weapons, special ammo economy, and ability uptime, to "make a more skilled, more deliberate sandbox that retains the Destiny magic."
After the changes have been made, later on in the season, the team will continue developing Checkmate as a "standalone modifier" and there are plans to "lean further into its identity as a more tactical, gunplay focused mode going back to no starting special and higher reduction of abilities."
During this week's reset, a modified version of 3v3 Clash inspired by the original Destiny's Skirmish mode will replace Checkmate instead.
Furthermore, while "more changes are coming to the Crucible," players are being encouraged to participate in Crucible Labs and share their feedback, in order to help shape the PvP experience.
Last year, Bungie confirmed that Destiny 2's next major expansion, The Final Shape, will now launch on June 4, 2024. The expansion was initially scheduled for a late February release, but received a delay so the team can build "an even bigger and bolder vision."
For more, check out our list of the best multiplayer PC games available right now, as well as our list of the best FPS games.
