For a while now loading inDestiny 2on console has been out of hand. What was once a 20 or 30-second wait has ballooned into minutes depending on a player’s Internet connection, their type of hard drive, and how lucky their matchmaking experience is. But even though console players have come to tolerate the loading times inDestiny 2, it seems like the game has recently pushed things further.
Stuck on Loading Screen
With therelease ofDestiny 2’s Season of Arrivals, loading times have become more prominent than they ever have before. Areas that never used to feature loading now force the player (and their teammates) to stand still for 10-30 seconds as they wait for the next area to load.
These types of loading zones did occur inDestiny 2prior to this Season, but they were not nearly as frequent. The one that likely sticks out in most players' minds is inThe Insight Terminus Strike on Nessus. Right as players are transitioning from the patrol zone to the “Strike zone,” they are usually left hanging for about 10-20 seconds.
Now, that “left hanging” feeling is all overDestiny 2, whether it be in Strikes, or story missions, or even Lost Sectors. The loading has become unruly on console, to the point that it can ruin the experience.
Slow Matchmaking in Destiny 2
While the loading zones are arguably the most prevalent issue in the game right now, there are still other areas whereDestiny 2struggles to be as snappy as it used to. Matchmaking and loading into matchmade activities, for example, is a lot longer than it used to be. Even once players have found a match, the game will sit on a black screen much longer than it ever did before, and eventually, the skirmish will begin.
Iron Banner is this weekand launching a Crucible match is slower across the board. The removal of Skill-Based Matchmaking may have been a response to player complaints but it also was supposed to speed up the Crucible matchmaking process. One can only imagine how long loading into Iron Banner would take if SBMM was still active.
Destiny 2 Menus are Slower
The longer loading has also become an issue when navigating the menus inDestiny 2from top to bottom. Switching weapons or gear is significantly slower than it ever was, and trying to choose a new loadout on the fly is nearly impossible.
There aresomeDestiny 2glitchesthat console players will never be able to take advantage of because they involve quickly switching gear. But more than that it would just be nice to open a menu and have all of the items appear.Destiny 2doesn’t have a lot of menu management, but what is there requires snappy and responsive access.
Even just applying shaders has become a tedious process, to the point that it isn’t even worth changing up one’s look. It used to be fun to look at shaders or mess around with gear while loading into an activity, but now it feels like doing so slows everything down. The menu doesn’t load and the activity takes longer to start.
There are signs everywhere ofDestiny 2’s loading problems getting out of hand. Players have likely seen other Guardians running around with invisible guns or invisible bodies, which is a sign that the item has not loaded. As mentioned, the slow loading is not a new problem forDestiny 2, but it has become worse this season.
Destiny Content Vault Could Save Players
Why exactly Season of Arrivals has madeDestiny 2’s loading longer is unclear, but there might be hope that it will get better in Year 4. With theintroduction of the Destiny Content Vault, Bungie will cycle older/unplayed content out of the live game (and bring some elements back) in order to help keep the game’s digital footprint smaller. Presumably, this will help with loading and make everything snappier.
It’s possible that the early foundation of the DCV is starting with Season of Arrivals and that is why the loading is becoming an issue. The fixes are waiting for next season and so nothing is happening right now.
Not to mention, thePS5 and Xbox Series X will have SSDsto make loading even faster on the next-gen consoles. While we haven’t seen the SSDs runningDestiny 2yet, one has to imagine that the experience will be comparable to PC, where loading times are significantly faster. On PC, players can hop through menus in an instant and run through the Tower without ever freezing in place. That shouldn’t be the best version of Destiny 2; that should be the only version ofDestiny 2.
Hopefully, once Bungie starts talking 2: Beyond Lightand the new consoles, the studio will address the loading and its efforts to improve things. Right now, though, things are the worst they have ever been.
Destiny 2is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
