Bungie has withdrawn the newly released ‘Starter Pack’ DLC for Destiny 2, just a day after its introduction. This move underlines the company’s sensitivity to player reactions and the ongoing debate around in-game purchases and their impact on gameplay.
Introduced at a price of $15, the ‘Starter Pack’ for Destiny 2 bundled three exotic weapons, three cosmetic items, and a selection of materials, including 125,000 Glimmer, 50 Enhancement Cores, 5 Enhancement Prisms, and an Ascendant Shard. The pack aimed to give new players a boost but instead sparked a flurry of complaints across social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit.
Hey everyone, we launched Season of the Wish yesterday and have been monitoring the conversation around what you’ve been enjoying and what you haven’t. We’ll start things off with the Starter Pack, which is not something bringing joy.
Which is why we’ve pulled it from stores.
— Destiny 2 Team (@Destiny2Team) November 29, 2023
The central critique revolved around the pack’s perceived contribution to a pay-to-win model, with players arguing that providing new entrants with exotic weapons and materials could unfairly tilt the game’s balance. On the other hand, some members of the Destiny 2 community pointed out that the included weapons weren’t game-changers and the materials were obtainable through regular gameplay.
