Although anticipation for the Festival of the Lost was relatively high amongstDestiny 2players because of thenew armor ornaments included with the event, some of that enthusiasm has died down now that the content is finally here. Specifically, someDestiny 2players are frustrated by how Festival of the Lost prioritizes content outside of the Haunted Forest rather than putting the spotlight on the event-specific mode.
One ofDestiny 2players' biggest complaints within that context is the low drop rates for Cipher Decoders, which are a crucial part of the Festival of the Lost event. But while the drop rates might be low now, they might get better, as Bungie says it is investigating.
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On theDestiny 2subreddit, a thread discussed the Cipher Decoder drop rates and most commenters agreed that they seem low. Many shared their experience trying to get Cipher Decoders and how rarely they drop. One popular story said that the player had completed 9 Strikes, 6 Crucible Matches, more than 20 patrols, and 10Heroic Story Missionsand they only were able to earn 2 Cipher Decoders.
Shortly after the thread blew up on theDestiny 2subreddit, Bungie Community Manager Cozmo responded to say that the development team is investigating the low drop rates. That doesn’t necessarily mean that a change will be made before Festival of the Lost ends, but at the very least Bungie is aware of players' frustrations.
While the low drop rates are certainly a sticking point forFestival of the Lost, it is not the only criticism that has been raised towards the event this year. Many players feel that the attention is pulled away from the Haunted Forest because of the addition of the Cipher Decoders. to obtain a Cipher Decoder, players must complete activities outside of the Haunted Forest and hope that one drops. As mentioned, the odds of getting one are fairly low.
Then, once a player does have a Cipher Decoder they can hop into the Haunted Forest and use it to open one of the 5 locked chests at the end of the round. Players can always open one chest at the end of the Haunted Forest, but it’s smarter to wait until you have at least a few Cipher Decoders before making a run. But getting just one, let alone five, is easier said than done.
To Bungie’s credit, the devs tried something new with the Haunted Forest but the execution seems to be lacking a little. Hopefully, in the midst ofpreparing for Beyond LighttheDestiny 2team can find a way to buff the Cipher Decoder drop rate to make them more frequent or create a guaranteed source for them, and then the Festival of the Lost event might be more enjoyable for players.
Destiny 2is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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