The new Iron Banner event landed for the first time inDestiny 2Season of Arrivals. Along with new and returning loot, the popular PvP mode changed its matchmaking system, to great effect.
Iron Banner has had its ups and downssince the first game. It was even dubbed “Iron Lagger” by some players due to how bad connection could get during the chaotic 6v6 matches.
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SinceDestiny 2uses a hybrid of client-server and peer-to-peer connection systems, players don’t simply connect to the best server in their vicinity. Every match, a host player is chosen and every other player connects to that host. If the host has lackluster internet, so does the entire lobby.
Bungie decided to opt-out of skill-based matchmaking and instead go to connection-based matchmaking, and it seems to have paid off. Player numbers spiked this week, andthe current Iron Bannerhas become the most popularDestiny 2has ever witnessed.
It remains to be seen whether the high population can be maintained. The problem now is that it has many matches end in a crushing defeat or victory, forcing the game to break the match-up and start over. This change has made the dedicated part of the community frustrated, as they value winning more than casual players.
While some people think that SBMM was a great addition, others are arguing that it has ruined their desire to win games, since match-ups are now unpredictable. The spike in population was also attributed to players returning to the game because of the upcoming expansion, as well asSeason of Arrivals' rewards being better.
Bungie made an effort toimproveDestiny 2’sskill-based matchmaking systemin the past, hoping to increase player retention. WithDestiny 2 Shadowkeep, the studio had decided to go all-in on SBMM and had implemented it across all playlists except for the more frenetic “Classic Mix” which still prioritized connection over skill. It had stated that this mode wasn’t intended for the majority of the player base.
When SBMM is enabled, the game has to balance queue times, connection quality, and skill difference all at once. Obviously, not every game strikes a good mix of these elements. The studio recently decided to go back on their decision andremoved SBMM from all modes except for Elimination, Survival, and Survival: Freelance.
One thing still missing from Iron Banner is a solo-queue option like Survival: Freelance, because, especially with SBMM turned off, facing against grouped up and highly competitive teams has become an even more common occurrence.
Destiny 2is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also in development.
