‘Really restrictive’: Destiny 2 players agree Pathfinder system already needs changes

Destiny 2 introduced a new bounty system called Pathfinder in The Final Shape expansion. When it was first announced, Pathfinder had several goals to achieve, including giving players more agency when choosing objectives and incentivizing objectives out of players’ comfort zones.

Unfortunately, the way Pathfinder is trying to achieve these goals seemingly doesn’t work. “If I want the engram. I am more often than not forced to play activity that I don’t want to waste my free time with. I won’t be getting that time back, that I would be rather spending with some activity that I do enjoy playing,” a Destiny 2 player wrote in a Reddit thread on June 9.

The Pathfinder for ritual playlists (Vanguard, Crucible, Gambit) gives you a set of objectives to complete, featuring all three activities. It could be anything from completing Vanguard Ops to killing opponents in Gambit with a specific weapon.

To reach the final reward, you have to chart your way through these objectives, which often means playing a game mode you don’t enjoy. You could technically go around the objectives you dislike, but that adds more hassle, especially if you aim to get the Path completion reward.

Instead, Destiny 2 players want to see every ritual activity have its own Pathfinder, similar to how The Pale Heart also has its own Pathfinder. It would be weird if all destinations were clumped into one Path, so neither should be the ritual activities.

Another major issue players pointed out with the ritual Pathfinder is how it might affect streaks. Playing multiple games of one playlist creates a streak that gives a reputation boost, but as soon as you launch a different playlist, it reduces the streak. Considering how Pathfinder wants you to jump back and forth, it can slow your reputation gains when trying to grind one playlist and get the Pathfinder XP at the same time.

Pathfinder has a solid foundation but needs several adjustments to be on the same level as the old bounty system. It’s one thing to give me objectives out of my comfort zone in a playlist I enjoy and a completely different thing to force me to play Gambit.