Destiny will soon introduce a whole host of multiplayer changes — both in the competitive Crucible and the cooperative King's Fall.

In a new blog series called "This Week At Bungie" (formerly the Bungie Weekly Update) community manager David "DeeJ" Dague went into specifics. The crux of upcoming additions will land in the Crucible, though the game's latest raid will also see some improvements.


First off is a major change to special ammo in 3v3 Crucible matches. Namely, players will no longer start each round with any.

Instead you'll have to wait for the regularly scheduled drops to feed their shotguns, snipers, and fusion rifles. This was apparently done "to increase the use of Primary weapons, especially at match-start." Despite having the same total player count the free-for-all Rumble mode will remain unaffected.

Making competitive multiplayer even friendlier is the addition of "Freelance" playlists. Freelance 6v6 and Freelance 3v3 will include the same modes found in the rest of the game. The difference being that only players who solo queue will qualify. That way the advantage of fireteams over those who play alone will no longer be a factor.

Last on the docket for the Crucible is the promise of better — or at least more fair — performance. The same lag-reduction methods that have been applied to the Iron Banner, Skirmish, Rumble, and Control are jumping to the Trials of Osiris as early as tomorrow.

Eventually these improvements will filter into "all Crucible playlists." Though the update specified it will be sometime after the other listed changes.

Besides that, a new "Damage Referee" system is being implemented. This vaguely featured detail will seemingly weight split-second exchanges in favor of players with better internet connections. Players with flagging connective should "Expect to lose fights a lot more often, even if you think you shot first or escaped behind cover in time."

These changes will accompany a pair of bug fixes for the King's Fall raid. Those chosen as runners during the Daughters of Oryx will no longer have their cameras automatically adjusted. Meanwhile the ogres seen in the final boss fight will no longer teleport through their own bombs.

Most of these changes should arrive on February 9, alongside the Valentine's-centric Destiny event, Crimson Days.