In another technical mishap for the popular space shooter, Bungie has unintentionally released the highly anticipated Rite of the Nine event for Destiny 2 several weeks ahead of schedule. The dungeon-focused event was supposed to launch on April 1 alongside Heresy Act 3, but players discovered they could access it immediately after the Heresy Act 2 update.
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| Bungie addresses the early release issue of the Rite of the Nine dungeons on Twitter |
The Accidental Launch
When Heresy Act 2 went live, players quickly discovered something unusual - they could access the refreshed versions of three dungeons: Prophecy, Spire of the Watcher, and Ghosts of the Deep. These dungeons were part of the Rite of the Nine event scheduled to launch with Act 3 on April 1. The premature release wasn't just limited to the dungeon activities; players also began receiving the reprised weapons that were meant to be rewards during the event.
Bungie confirmed this was indeed an error, posting on social media: We are aware of an issue where early, incomplete versions of Rite of the Nine Dungeons are accessible. Access to Rite of the Nine activities will be disabled as soon as possible, and all related rewards will be disabled from use until further notice.
Unfinished Content
The accidental early access revealed that the content was clearly not ready for prime time. While the dungeons themselves appeared to be functional with appropriate difficulty levels, the reprised weapons dropping for players had placeholder textures and icons. These unfinished weapons looked noticeably basic and unpolished, further confirming that this was an unintentional release of incomplete content.
Despite their unfinished appearance, reports indicated that the weapons were fully functional in-game until Bungie moved to disable them. The developer described the content as still in the oven and promised that completed versions would be released at the intended later date.
A Pattern of Technical Issues
This early release mishap adds to a growing list of technical problems that have plagued Destiny 2 in recent months. The game has experienced several significant bugs and glitches, including the infamous perk roll saga that affected one of the game's core systems. These ongoing issues raise concerns about the technical stability of the game, especially with the pivotal new expansion, The Final Shape, scheduled to arrive this summer.
The premature launch occurred despite Bungie implementing extended downtime before Act 2 went live specifically to ensure a smooth rollout. This suggests that even with additional precautions, the game's technical infrastructure may be facing challenges.
What Players Can Expect
The Rite of the Nine event, when properly launched on April 1, promises to be a significant addition to Destiny 2. The event will feature refreshed versions of three popular dungeons with updated loot pools, including reprised weapons with new perks and attributes to bring them in line with the current meta.
Importantly, the event will be free for all players regardless of whether they own any season passes or The Final Shape expansion, making it an accessible activity for the entire player base. For now, players will need to wait until the official launch date to experience the fully completed version of the content.
As Bungie works to address this latest technical hiccup, the Destiny 2 community continues to hope that the upcoming expansion will deliver a more stable experience alongside its new content. The developer will need to demonstrate improved technical reliability to maintain player confidence as the game enters what has been described as a new era for the franchise.