How a Bug Became a Feature in Destiny 2: Bungie’s Choice to Embrace the Glitch

If you’ve come across a strange bug in Destiny 2 lately, there’s no need to worry. Bungie, the developer, has decided to keep this glitch in the game.

Gaming glitches and bugs are quite unique compared to issues in other forms of media. The closest comparison might be a slip-up in live theater, but even that isn’t quite the same given the complexities involved in video game development. Sometimes, these glitches get to stick around and even earn a place in gaming lore. Take Celeste, for instance. Players found a sweet spot within spike walls, just a pixel in width, that allowed them to dash through. The developers liked it so much they added a special animation to show you nailed the trick! In the case of Destiny 2’s latest glitch, Bungie hasn’t added an animation or anything, but the bug has certainly been embraced.

After the release of Heresy, players noticed something peculiar: three exotic glaive weapons – the Edge of Intent, the Edge of Concurrence, and the Edge of Action – were no longer bound to specific classes. This meant that regardless of your character’s class, you could enjoy these weapons. Bungie actually addressed this in a blog post, noting that the community was celebrating this new-found freedom.

Initially, the team aimed to correct this glitch. They wanted to maintain the distinct class-based gameplay that Destiny is known for, as it can be a bit off-putting to see a Warlock or a Hunter creating Titan-style mini-bubbles or having a Titan dash around like a ninja. After a lot of team discussions, Bungie made a surprising decision: they chose to let the bug stay. It’s a prime example of a bug turning into a bona fide feature.

However, Bungie has pointed out that some of the animations might appear strange since these interactions were never intended. On the flip side, allowing class-based glaives to be used across different classes has sparked some intriguing builds and strategies. Bungie plans to monitor how these weapons are performing with all classes in mind.

It’s important to note that Bungie emphasized they won’t automatically turn every quirky bug into a feature. But this particular situation seemed fitting, so they decided to go with it. So, while you might hope for your favorite glitch to become permanent in future updates, don’t bank on it too much. That said, they might surprise us yet again.