It’s no secret thatDestiny 2has arampant cheating problem on PC. Looking at forums, community message boards, subreddits, YouTube, and even livestreams shows that Bungie is struggling to keep hacking and cheating out of its PvP experiences, and in a lot of cases it’s ruining the game for people. However, the rampant cheating is also completely changing the personality of the averageDestiny 2player as well.
Prior to the move to Steam and theaddition ofDestiny 2: New Light, there were a few cheaters here or there, but not enough to be noticeable. Crucible matches were fairly equal across both console and PC, at least as far as the experience was concerned.
Then,Bungie split from Activisionand movedDestiny 2to Steam, which eliminated the backbone of Battle Net’s anti-cheat software. On its own, this might have been the first step towards cheating, but things were made worse by the introduction of free-to-play. Without a monetary barrier between players and PvP,Destiny 2became overrun with cheaters on PC.
Destiny 2 and Cheating
Cheating might just be one of the many problems affecting Destiny 2 right now, but it seems to be the one that is most drastically impacting the mode of players. As well, the cheating inDestiny 2is turning players paranoid, which is leading to a general sense of unease about the game overall.
In the days prior to Steam and New Light, if an opponent hit an impressive headshot or made a great play, they were respected for their skill.Trials of the Nine(and Trials of Osiris inDestiny 1) became a spectator sport, as viewers saw the top Destiny 2 players show off their skill. It’s part of the reason that so many were desperate to see Trials return toD2in its original form – to experience high intensity games where skill gave anyone a chance at winning.
Now, any impressive play by an opponent is immediately under suspicion. If a player hits a crazy headshot from what seems like an impossible angle there is the immediate question of whether they are using an aimbot or wall hack. Even opponents that might simply be lucky are instead instantly labeled as cheaters and reported in Destiny 2 and on their Steam profile.
Paranoia Among the D2 Community
SomeDestiny 2players try to give their opponents the benefit of the doubt based on their Steam profile – i.e. a more active profile is less suspicious than a brand new one – but there is still a constant sense of paranoia across the Crucible. Tune into anyDestiny 2streamer on Twitch and you are likely to hear some doubt enter their mind anytime they start losing. Yes, there are plenty of players out there that are capable of beating a “Destiny 2streamer,” but those content creators' feelings represent the game’s issues overall. It is impossible to know for sure and in a game where one click on an opponent’s head can turn the tide of a match, there are going to be suspicions now.
Obviously, there are cheaters inDestiny 2that make their methods a lot more blatant. Some hover in the air and teleport to a player’s location like Harry Potter or an AC-130. While others gain Super energy instantly and fire endless Nova Bombs through the ground. Occasionally,cheaters will even take away a player’s gun. Those are the players that make the regular folks quitDestiny 2and move on, but they at least are obvious.
Can Bungie Fix This?
What is truly causing problems forDestiny 2in the Crucible are the aimbotters or wall hackers that only use it to gain a slight advantage. It’s just enough to get a win, but not blatant enough for everyone to take notice. Most will simply think that their opponent is really good at sniping or got lucky. But eventually, after a few too many accurate headshots in a row, the doubt starts to creep in.
The best counter to theDestiny 2suspicion problem is to look at an opponent’s stats and their accuracy. Anything in the 90% or higher range is likely someone abusing the system to gain an unfair advantage.
It might not be as bad as theCurse of Osiris daysbecause cheating is less common (and less possible) on console, but this is also a problem that’s going to be harder for Bungie to fix. Because the developer doesn’t want to be as transparent about its banning and anti-cheat measures, many wonder if anything is actually being done to curb this type of behavior.
PvE players have a pretty good sense of what needs to be done in order to bring them back – better rewards, more content, challenging endgame. PvP players are having a hard time investing in the game at a time when they were supposed to be the focus. Frustration is one thing, but when a game is altering players' moods and making them suspicious of everything, earning back that trust is a lot more difficult.
Destiny 2is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
