This Week at Bungie - 10/15/2020

This week at Bungie, we're calling the shot for the next race to World First.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is about a month away from launch. For us, this means closing out the game and getting ready to hand it off to you - with a few more fun social media moments to unveil along the way. For you, this means a final stretch of anticipating the new story and the new world you'll experience as you aim down the barrel of your weapon of choice.

For the elite raiders in the room, this means a new shot at glory. The race to a World First completion of a raid is one of the most spirited traditions in the Destiny community. Race Day is when the world turns its eyes to Destiny to see who emerges as the hero. We have stood next to some of those legends on a stage while they claimed their titles in front of a cheering crowd. It's almost time to fire that starting pistol again.

The next race for raid World First begins on Saturday, November 21 at 10 a.m. Pacific.

That should give you plenty of time to get ready. We see you assembling your fireteams and conspiring how to power your way up to a competitive level. We hear you asking when you should "call in sick." Now you know, so get to finalizing your plans.

Here is what else you'll need to know:

• Contest Mode will cap all players at 20 Power below each encounter for 24 hours.
• Artifact Power will be disabled during Contest Mode.
• 1230 Power is your team's goal to be at the cap for all the encounters.
  • Being above 1230 will not provide any additional advantage in the final fight.

This year, the ritual for naming the winners will be different. Following all the immediate fanfare and bustle that follows the checkered flag, our data scientists will be spending extra time validating the finishing team's run. Expect the official announcement for "World First" to come a bit later than usual. Disqualifications can happen as per the official rules. So finish strong, even if you hear rumors of another team's victory.

An award ceremony will take place in the days that follow the raid. We'll crown the champions who return first to orbit after a respectable effort. Once we validate a mission completion, we'll enter their names into history. Every member of the six-player fireteam who is certified as the World First finishers will receive a title belt as their ultimate reward. We will unveil the new belt closer to the start of the race.

Even if you don't win World First honors, the earliest victors in the raid can claim some awesome rewards to let the world know you were among the first to fight. Everyone who has completed the raid in the first 24 hours while Contest Mode is activated will receive this very special emblem.

For those of you who want to flex in style, we will be offering a new, Europa-ready raid jacket you can purchase through Bungie Rewards. Finish the raid before December 1 at 9 a.m. Pacific to claim your code. You can use that code to make your purchase any time before 11:59 p.m. Pacific on December 31. We'll show off a preview of the jacket closer to the launch of the raid.

For those who like to savor new content like a fine wine and not rush through to the raid experience, you will have rewards waiting on you when you get there. Along with the [redacted] weapons and armor, everyone who completes the raid will earn this emblem.

Good luck to everyone with their sights set on the final boss!

Starside - The Next Generation

Earlier today, we announced how Destiny will perform on your next generation console devices. If you have a pre-order in hand, we want to set expectations for when the full suite of next-gen enhancements to the Destiny player experience will land. These upgrades will be delivered on December 8. Here is a preview of what you can look forward to if you'll be one of the first to install a shiny new deck in your entertainment center.

Feature	Xbox Series X	PlayStation 5	Xbox Series S
Resolution	4K	4K	1080p
Framerate	60fps	60fps	60fps
Field of View Slider	Yes	Yes	Yes
Faster Load Times	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cross-Generation Play	Yes	Yes	Yes
Next-Generation Upgrade Free	Xbox Smart Delivery	Yes	Xbox Smart Delivery

Check out the article for the full explanation. There is more to know about the finer technical details.

The Key To Celebration

Ever since the Festival of the Lost began, we've heard your feedback about the scarcity of the Cipher Keys loud and clear. Last week, we deployed some changes to improve upon the situation.

We've deployed a fix that will drastically increase Cipher Decoder drop rates from completing activities throughout the game. We'll continue to monitor the situation to determine if further fixes are necessary.

Players may need to restart their game to receive the update.

— Bungie Help (@BungieHelp) October 8, 2020

We've further adjusted drop rates for Cipher Decoders so that two drop per activity completion when applicable. We'll continue to monitor feedback over the weekend.

Please note, Ciphers do NOT drop from the following: enemy kills, Gambit, Forges, and non-playlist Strikes.

— Bungie Help (@BungieHelp) October 10, 2020

Since these changes went live, we've seen many Guardians claiming their mummified Ghost, ship, and Sparrow from Eva Levante in the Tower. With candy raining down from your defeated enemies and Ciphers doled out after completed activities, we hope this event feels much more rewarding.

Festival of the Lost Bungie Rewards are also a bit more accessible, even to those who see themselves as casual gamers in the realm of Destiny. Complete the introductory quest and redeem 15 Ciphers to unlock the Shadehallow Emblem and Restless Ghost Shell Pin on your Bungie Rewards page.

Thank you to all who sounded off at the beginning of the event. We're continuing to watch the conversation as it evolves, and hope you're enjoying the event since the changes went live.

Patrons of the Arts

We're excited to announce that the Bungie Store Community Artist Series is back! There are so many amazing artists in the ranks of the Guardians. From time to time, we select a few of them to partner with us in creating some loot you can collect in real life. Check out the creative people who are being featured this round.

Clinton Felker: "Ghastly Guardians"

I got started in art at a very young age in the Philippines. We didn't have much back then so creating things like drawing, sculpting, or constructing kept us entertained. My favorite projects to work on are group-based concept projects. I love bouncing ideas off like-minded people and creating something amazing together. I love working with either traditional or digital tools. I embrace them both. I have aspirations to retire back in the Philippines. That is my goal. Going back to where it all started. My art is a stepping stone to that goal. One thing I love about Destiny is the community. There are a lot of good people doing good things. They inspire me to create and share.

John Sirmon: "Cult of Nokris"

My name is John, also known as Pherian online, and I've been creating art since I could hold a crayon. I actually put art on hold for more than a decade after college but picked up the pencil again after seeing the first bits of concept art for Destiny. The mixture of genres, the complimentary stylistic choices, and the character designs really reignited my passion for art. I have been drawing peoples' Guardians ever since the game came out. When I'm not at work or drawing I can generally be found playing video games, reading a good graphic novel, or coaching my kids in sports. Thanks for the chance to be a part of your lives!

Brandon McCamey: "Blade in the Dark"

Hi! I'm Gammatrap and I've been an artist in the Destiny community since D1 drawing art based on the lore and stories for Myelin Games. I've spent the better part of the last five years learning and practicing various styles so that I can be as flexible as possible in order to tell these stories. Along with making art for the community I also like to go to the D2 directory on Twitch, start from the lowest view count, and look for newer streamers and surprise them with free art or graphic assets they might need for their streams to help encourage them because I like seeing people grow.

These items are live in the store right now. Remember, when you help yourself to these offerings, you are supporting these excellent artists from our community.

Doing Their Part

When the Community Team gathers, it's the Player Support Specialists who are the smartest people in the room. They know this game inside and out. They are the investigators when issues arise. They serve us all with information and updates on our process to keep all willing and able Guardians online and in the fight. Our solar system depends on them.

This is their report.

CIPHER DECODERS

Last week we introduced two fixes to increase the drop rates of Cipher Decoders upon activity completions. Players should note that these fixes will not provide an increase in Cipher Decoder drop rates from the following:

• Enemy kills
• Gambit Matches
• Forge Completions
• Non-playlist Strikes

Players who continue to observe issues with Cipher Decoder drops should report to the #Help forum.

END OF THE SEASON PREPARATION

We are updating the end of the in-game Season timer to reflect that Season of Arrivals will conclude at 7 p.m. Pacific on Nov 9 [0300 UTC Nov 10]. Players will have until this time to complete any Season of Arrivals quests, activities, and triumphs before they become unavailable.

A full list of items being removed at the Season's end can be found here.

KNOWN ISSUES

While we continue investigating various known issues, here is a list of the latest issues that were reported to us in our #Help Forum:

• The Unbridled Enthusiasm Emote is missing its initial sound effect on trigger.
• Gear can sometimes drop at 750 Power from chests at the end of the Haunted Forest.
• The Canis Luna Hunter vest ornament clips into certain gauntlets.

For a full list of emergent issues in Destiny 2, players can review our Known Issues article. Players who observe other issues should report them to our #Help forum.

Reel to Real

Ahhhh, the Movie of the Week! What a wonderful endcap to a restocking of news you can use. It's always a pleasure to see the works of art and feats of strength that Guardians share with the world. Excellence in creativity must be shared with the world. These creators just won a rare and coveted emblem they can lord over their friends and opponents.

Darkness Rap

Ahhhh

When Zavala isn't home

When Zavala isn't home (ft @SierraX07) pic.twitter.com/YQ658m13Sh

— Sp00ky Flair ? (@SolarFlairYT) October 11, 2020

Want to see your work honored in this space? A great way to get our attention is to share it on our Creations page. Include the hashtag MOTW. Please remember, we reserve the right to choose our favorites!

One Last Time

When the business of this weekly ritual is done, the author usually closes on a personal note, so gather 'round and let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, on November 7, 2011, after telling my family that I was running away from home to join the circus, I started my very first day at Bungie. I was starry-eyed, terrified, and in no way prepared for the triumphs and trials that awaited us all. Fast forward to now, past dozens of events, hundreds of deployments, thousands of patch notes, and millions of spent shell casings from my Suros Regime...

My last day at Bungie will be November 6, 2020, thus closing out a full nine years in the service of the player. It has truly been an honor. I'll never forget having the chance to see this community come together and create its own movement. The next destination on my professional journey lies down another path, but I'll always enjoy retracing the steps we've taken together.

I've made a lot of stops in a career that has spanned many different lives. One of my earliest mentors gifted me some wisdom that has proven true time and time again. "Always be engineering yourself out of a job and replace yourself with someone better" he insisted. "The truest measure of success is building something that can thrive in your absence."

Bungie has been a very special place where I could do just that. The teams that I've had the privilege to work with will carry the conversation forward from here, as they have for years now. They are a fine group of people who care about you as much as the awesome developers who work so tirelessly to create these worlds that we explore together. In so many ways, the Community Managers who are here to succeed me are better than I ever was at anticipating your curiosities. Stick close to them and they'll keep treating you like the heroes that you are.

I'm proud to say that I'm leaving Bungie even more a fan than when I arrived those nine years ago. Whoever warned that you should never meet your heroes didn't have the chance to work in a place like this. I'm taking with me a lifetime of incredible memories of Guardians I would have never known otherwise. Destiny will continue to be an amazing game, in part, because of you. The people who play Bungie games together are the pride and joy of this company. It has been my pleasure to keep our community traditions strong during my time up front.

Let us not say goodbye, my friends. Beyond Light is an experience that I'll share in with each of you. You'll still see me around for the weeks leading up to the launch, and then I'll be reverting back to my original role as a passionate member of this community. See you on Europa.

Thank you for everything! And please do be excellent to each other.

DeeJ, out.