Fans of Destiny 2’s Crucible will be excited to know that a new map and other improvements are coming to the oft-forgotten PvP mode in just a few weeks, Bungie revealed today.
In a new “state of the game” blog post from Destiny 2 director Joe Blackburn, Bungie announced some much-anticipated new content coming to the game’s Crucible PvP mode, along with a look further down the line at improvements coming to all ritual playlists.
First up is an all-new map coming in just a few weeks when season 22 launches on Aug. 22, the same day as the reveal showcase for Destiny 2’s massive expansion coming in February, The Final Shape.
The new map, Multiplex, is an asymmetrical Vex network-themed location, and the second new Crucible map added to the game since season 10. And with the Vex network “playing such a crucial role in the story during Lightfall’s year,” Bungie felt that “now was the perfect time to deliver this map.” Footage of the new map will be revealed during the showcase in a few weeks.
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“Although many of us had been thinking about a lo-fi Vex map for the Crucible, the challenge of this palette was the possible lack of player orientation in the play space,” Bungie said. “We thought bringing the Mars palette into the Vex Network realm would be a great way to mitigate this while adding an evocative look. Narratively, the space is in the middle of compiling the Infinite Forest, so this is what you’ll see in action.”
Along with matchmaking improvements and “more to come in season 23,” Bungie also promised a new Crucible mode called Relic and a modifier called Checkmate.
Relic “is a six-vs-six party mode where players wreak havoc and destruction on their foes with relic weapons,” according to Bungie. Relics are normally PvE gameplay items such as the Aegis shield from Vault of Glass, the Synaptic Spear from Season of the Risen, and the Scythe from Season of the Haunted.
“Each player charges their personal relic energy by defeating opponents with their normal loadout,” Bungie said. “Upon reaching full charge, players can acquire a relic from a relic depot. Defeating relic holders and using the relics to defeat opponents earns points for the team.”
As for the Checkmate, Bungie said it’s “a modifier where rich Primary weapon fights can happen more often, and gun skill can be augmented by communication and strong positioning.”
The modifier will be in testing in Crucible Labs from week five to 10 during season 22, so players will have ample opportunity to try it out.
“Primary weapon damage has been tuned to feel different than the rest of the game without being jarring, reducing the gap between the faster killing weapons and the average time-to-kill, and in general pushing longer range Primaries into slower killing profiles,” Bungie said. “Player health has been increased, all ability cooldowns are lengthened, and Special ammunition must be earned via gameplay and is not dropped on death. This all results in slightly longer combat encounters that reward skill and consistency.”
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Beyond season 22, Bungie said it’s planning to deliver a new Iron Banner mode in season 23, a new Häkke Aggressive Frame Strand Pulse Rifle as a Competitive division reward, and other new maps and weapons moving forward.
More about seasons 22, 23, and beyond will be revealed during The Final Shape showcase on Aug. 22.
