A newly surfaced concept art for Destiny 2’s Gladius armor has fans convinced Bungie moved Iron Banner sets into Eververse, fueling backlash during Ash & Iron’s rocky launch.
Destiny 2’s Ash & Iron update went live earlier this week. This free update adds a new exotic mission (coming out in October), two new exotic weapons, and the long-awaited return to the Plaguelands. On paper, it sounded like a solid start to the new season.
But in classic Destiny 2 fashion, things quickly took a turn. The update also broke several in-game systems and weapons, Bright Dust price increase bug, leading to widespread player frustration. Power progression was also completely broken. (Yesterday, Bungie pushed a hotfix that somewhat fixes the issue)
On top of that, Bungie’s handling of Eververse this season has reignited the conversation around paid cosmetics. And now, new concept art surfaced that suggests Bungie may have originally designed the new Edge of Fate Eververse armor for Iron Banner, before moving it into the paid store.
Concept Art Shows Iron Banner Symbol on Paid Eververse Set
Yesterday, concept artist Ben Low posted early concept art of the Gladius Titan set on ArtStation. At first glance, it looks like the same Roman-inspired armor was released as a paid Eververse set during the Edge of Fate expansion. However, fans immediately noticed something odd in the concept version: a large burning Iron Banner tree sigil clearly stamped onto the chestplate.
Side-by-side comparisons show that everything else about the set, the helmet, shoulder spikes, and layered metal plating, is pretty similar (apart from a couple of minor changes) to what players can buy for Silver.
The only real change is that the Iron Banner emblem was removed for the final release. For many in the community, that’s more than enough to suspect that what might have started as an earnable Iron Banner reward was shifted over to Eververse as a paid cosmetic.
Check out the comparisons below. (final version: top – concept art: bottom)
This theory lines up with Bungie’s own messaging. In a recent post, the studio teased that Iron Banner’s return would come with “an incredibly cool new set of armor.” Fans naturally expected something brand new. Instead, after the Ash & Iorn update went live, fans spotted that the “new” Iron Banner armor is actually a reskinned set from 2018’s Warmind expansion, essentially a seven-year-old look with a new shader.
Earlier this year, content creator Destin Legarie reported that Bungie leadership had previously commented internally that Trials of Osiris armor looked “too attractive” and might hurt Eververse sales. According to former employees, some armor designs were allegedly toned down or shifted away from earnable rewards as a result. This latest concept art discovery is now being seen by the community as more evidence of that claim.
The reaction on Reddit has been harsh. One player wrote, “Trying to milk every last cent out of the armor, when they could just make the game enjoyable and rewarding. Maybe if they had done that, people might actually play.”
Others focused on leadership, with one fan saying, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many back-to-back fumbles made by a studio within such a short span of time.”
It’s fair to say the Ash & Iron update has piled problem after problem onto Bungie’s plate. From bugs and system failures to backlash over paid cosmetics and recycled gear, this isn’t the fresh start players were hoping for. This whole concept art thing that hints at Iron Banner armor being moved to Eververse only makes matters worse.
As of right now, Bungie hasn’t commented on this. We will update the story if the studio releases a statement.
What do you think about this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
