Bungie Weekly Update - Jan 29 at 9:39:27 PM

This week at Bungie we're fine-tuning the Crucible.

Iron Banner is in full swing. While Guardians confront each other to collect the Spark, we're actively confronting lag and setting the table for some good, clean fights. On two occasions this week (Occasion #1, Occasion #2), we've deployed changes to the matchmaking engine that introduces you to eager combatants who are dying (sometimes very literally) to ignite your Rift.

If you've participated in the sample audience, we thank you. Having a direct impact on the game that you play is why we created Destiny to live and breathe in a world that responds to your feedback. It's been great to host a conversation about connection quality for Iron Banner warriors this week.

Our work on the Crucible isn't done. Never will be, if we're so fortunate. Let's look at what else is in store for the arena.

Aftermath

Once Iron Banner comes to a close - after Lord Saladin sells his last weapon, packs up his gear, and vacates the Tower until the next battle - the rest of the Crucible will still demand our support. How will we apply what we've learned this week? We've seen this question asked a lot these past few days. It's best answered by someone like Design Lead Lars Bakken.

Lars: From early reports, it looks like reactions to our first salvo of Matchmaking updates have been pretty positive. There are still issues for sure, but even after a few hours of data, we were noticing good things. That's why I was ecstatic when the Matchmaking team said they thought they could do even more yesterday. The plan is to keep looking at data, listen to the community, keep you updated, and see how much more we can do to make the experience better. Of course, the end goal has always been to push this out to our other playlists so they can share in the love. We'll do that when we feel like we have a good solution we're happy with. More to come on that once we have a solid plan. Much love goes out to the internal Matchmaking team for working so tirelessly on this problem, as well as the Guardians who have played their own role in the process. Thanks all!

Keep playing. Keep telling your war stories. They're moving the needle.

Late Breaking Update: Today, from 1PM to 3PM (always PST), we are collecting data on a third round of changes to matchmaking settings in Iron Banner. If this impacts game performance negatively, alert us immediately.

These guys are now working faster than I can blog...

Double Down

Crimson Days is coming. Have you chosen your dancing partner?

Last week, we alluded to a new combat mode, designed with lovers in mind. This week, you're invited to learn more about Crimson Doubles. We have a dedicated page to tell you everything you need to know before the music starts.

Check it out.

If you want to know more, let's interrogate Senior Designer Leif Johansen. He had a hand in creating this fun-loving couples activity.

What inspired the creation of Crimson Days?

Leif: We wanted to develop a small, fun PvP activity that speaks to the themes and emotions of Valentine's Day. Try that design exercise in your head. What features would you build into a competitive shooter experience to provide a metaphor for going on dates, relationships, and love?

What did you end up with?

Leif: For one week, we're opening up a Fireteam-Only 2v2 Elimination playlist with a twist: you get a significant buff while your teammate is dead. Having to ask someone to be your Guardian Valentine and being filled with angry vengeance when they get killed are the experiences that I hope will define the event.

Tell us more about the new mechanics. How does it help us to avenge our vanquished partners?

Leif: When your teammate dies, you become "enraged" with the Broken Heart buff. When you find yourself alone in the fight, you gain maximum ratings for Armor, Agility, Recovery, and Weapon Handling speed. Hearing Bungie devs swear vengeance for their beloved Crimson partners during playtests sealed the deal for me.

How did the event themes impact the rewards?

Leif: Pairing up and having your kills count toward your teammate's Crimson Days Bounties seemed to reinforce the theme of partnership. I hope it will create even less friction for more casual players to team up with high-skill friends. A player can carry their teammate through matches and to the rewards.

The couple that slays together profits together! So why just one week?

Leif: This is a special occasion. We didn't want it to overstay its welcome and drift away from its "small and fun" goal. I'm hoping the timing feels right for you guys as well.

Time will tell. Crimson Days starts February 9th. You still have time to court the perfect teammate.

#Help Us #Help You

If you've found yourself on the sidelines, you need to be acquainted with Destiny Player Support.

DPS: Earlier this week, Iron Banner Matchmaking received two changes to bring more focus to connection quality. If you consistently experience games with poor connection quality, this may indicate issues with network stability. For steps on how to optimize settings for Destiny gameplay, please visit our Network Troubleshooting Guide.

For additional information regarding Iron Banner, please visit our Vital Information thread. Within you can find general information regarding Iron Banner drops, reputation packages, and leave feedback on the most recent Matchmaking changes.

Finally, over the last week, we've been investigating reports of players experiencing multiple error messages reading "Destiny Servers are Unavailable" when attempting to log in. A minor fix has been implemented to reduce these issues. If you continue to experience this message multiple times when attempting to log in, you may need to clear your console's cache and complete a full power cycle on your modem and router.

There are more helpful hints like this to be found at help.bungie.net.

No Spoilers

When you celebrate your finest moments, we celebrate you.

Cozmo: We're back with another MOTW. To the winners go the spoils. In this case, the spoils are special MOTW Emblems. If you too would like to get your hands one, submit your video to the Creations page and we will give it a watch. Anything Destiny related is welcome, whether it be your dog making big plays in Crucible or craftily created fan trailers. Throw 'em at us!

Movie of the Week: Come at me bro.

Honorable Mention: Going massive.

The February Update includes more than Crimson Days. There are more bullets we'll be firing to impact the quality of your Guardian lifestyle. Pay us a visit next week for a preview.

Your faithful Community Team pledges to lead the conversation as we support the game we are playing now, and bring you along as the world you know changes.

DeeJ, out.