Destiny 2 has experienced significant challenges over its lifecycle, including a period of immense player dissatisfaction after the release of expansions. During a recent GDC talk titled “Rescuing a Playerbase from the Doldrums”, principal designer Alan Blaine discussed how a focused team was formed to enhance player retention.

“Starting in September 2022 and continuing through November, our weekly active users dropped lower and faster than we’ve seen since 2018 with no known cause,” Blaine remarked, reflecting on the troubling drop in player engagement.

Blaine’s team, consisting of various developers, sought to address critical player concerns promptly. They implemented several changes, including the removal of blue gear drops at the soft power cap and streamlining the crafting system for player ease. Unfortunately, a hurried approach led to the introduction of a bug causing a 20-hour server outage and a rollback of character data. The community reaction was mixed as they navigated through this tumultuous period.

As Blaine concluded, the core lesson learned was that while swift changes can be beneficial, they carry risks that must be closely monitored. The retention team disbanded in April 2023, but their impact on player sentiment was significant as players saw improvements in subsequent game seasons.