Bungie Addresses Destiny Iron Banner Feedback: 'Largest Advantage is Around 7 Levels'

Ending on October 14, the Iron Banner Crucible playlist in Destiny was billed as “not a level playing field,” with the highest level Guardians expected to dominate everyone.

Well, after receiving some feedback from the community, Senior Designer Derek Carroll addressed complaints about the Iron Banner, first explaining how it works:

If you were expecting to vaporize a crowd of noobs with a single burst from your SUROS Regime, I can see how you’d be disappointed. Imagine going into the Iron Banner as a mid-20s player totally unable to participate in the fun. We didn’t want players to have to complete the Vault of Glass in order to compete.

Carroll added:

The way we pitched Iron Banner did make it sound like a “no-holds-barred” playlist. In reality, we delivered what we felt would be a competitive experience for everyone, not just players at the level cap. The reaction from players seems to be: “No, we want it to be bad for lower-level players. That’s the point!”

After pointing out how victory in Iron Banner is 80% skill and 20% gear, Carroll said, “To keep competition close and avoid unwinnable fights, the largest advantage you can have is around 7 levels. So, if you attacked a target 20 levels above you, you’d have a fair shot at winning that fight.”

Admitting this Iron Banner is “fairly conservative,” Carroll continued by saying the next time we see Iron Banner might “play by different rules.” As well, when Iron Banner returns, Bungie will look into way to address people quitting early, despite Crucible Marks, XP, and Gear rewards being given regardless of a win or loss.

Elsewhere in the Bungie Weekly Update, Community Manager David Dague said he’s “pretty excited about the next game update,” with details about what it will entail coming “real soon.” We should also hear about news on more audio options this week.

What do you think of Iron Banner in its current form?

[Source: Bungie]