Destiny 2’s Ash & Iron update launched alongside the Renegades reveal yesterday, but while the expansion is being praised, the update is being called the “worst ever,” filled with new bugs and broken systems.
Destiny 2 had a huge day yesterday. Bungie kicked things off with a big livestream revealing the upcoming Renegades expansion, yes, the one with the Star Wars-style collab, with Blasters and Lightsabers, which Destiny 2 is calling the “Praxic Blade.”
But right after the big reveal, players got their hands on the Ash & Iron update, a free major seasonal drop that introduces a new 3-player activity called Reclaim, tuning across activities and the Portal, a new set of gear, and the long-awaited return to the Plaguelands, a beloved location introduced in the Rise of Iron expansion back in 2016.
At least, sort of. While the Plaguelands technically return, players are already joking that without the actual plague, it’s just “lands” now, empty, dull, and stripped of the atmosphere it once had. And while Renegades seems to be getting a warm reception so far, things couldn’t be more different for Ash & Iron.
In fact, it’s already being called one of Destiny’s worst updates ever.
Players Say Destiny 2 Ash & Iron Is A Broken, Buggy, Mess
It didn’t take long after the patch went live for the issues to start piling up. Players found out that Crucible competitive matches end after just 7 kills, a bug that was later hotfixed. Over in PvE, players found themselves stuck mid-activity in Reclaim thanks to soft-locks on zone transitions.
Some couldn’t finish Presage due to timer bugs. And on the cosmetic side, players noticed that Bungie quietly increased the Bright Dust prices for the Eververse armor pieces, now costing 1,500 Bright Dust per piece, instead of 1,200. Bungie later confirmed that this is a bug and not intentional.
In terms of actual content, Reclaim is catching heat too. The running comparison is that it feels like a worse version of the Nether from Episode Heresy.
Here are some the bugs players have been reporting after the Ash & Iron update:
- Reclaim activity soft-locks (Bungie says a fix is in progress.)
- Competitive matches ending at 7 kills (Fixed via hotfix)
- Presage timer issues
- New Land Beyond catalyst bugged
- Power progression is broken in the Portal
- Bright Dust cost increase in the Eververse store
- Preorder bonuses from Year of Prophecy Ultimate Edition removed
- Taken Blights in the Dreaming City and The Whisper bugged
- Missing SFX
- Banshee-44 bounties broken
- Bugged Seasonal challenges
- Lighting issues in some PvP maps
Across Reddit and Twitter, Destiny 2 players are not holding back when it comes to how they feel about Ash & Iron. The reactions range from disappointed to straight-up heartbroken, with many long-time fans saying this is the lowest point the game has hit in years.
One player wrote: “With the release of Ash & Iron yesterday, it finally feels real. Destiny is over. Mistake after mistake, misdirection after deflection. The only thing working is Eververse, which is selling items which should have been included with Heresy paid content.
“Nothing works, everything is broken. But the soul is gone. The marked contrast between the livestream yesterday and what they actually put out is just soul-destroying for players. It’s not just the mistakes and bugs but the straight-up condescension & dishonesty.”
Another echoed that same feeling: “Destiny’s a very special game to me and one I actually grew up playing. I played through Curse of Osiris, and I genuinely believe Ash & Iron has surpassed it as Bungie’s worst release. I want so bad to enjoy myself here, but it’s genuinely just sad seeing how neglected the game has become & the severe lack of quality.”
Some players are just asking Bungie to roll the update back entirely and try again. “Roll the update back, give it a few weeks’ work, and try again,” one user said on Reddit. “I’m going to be real, everything got broken this update at such a fundamental level that, if it keeps going at this pace, the game’s not going to have anyone left by Renegades.
“Activities are either dropping zero rewards, requiring ultra hyper GM difficulty to get two tokens and a blue, or straight up not completable (cough cough Presage timer and Reclaim soft locks).”
Another player on X (Twitter) said that Ash & Iron “may be Destiny 2’s worst update ever. Can’t think of a worse one. Reclaim is a mix of Overthrow and Nether without the good parts of either. Lower and less rewarding drops and less exciting encounters. Shares 90% of its loot pool with Solo & Fireteam Ops.”
That’s where things stand after day one: a promising-sounding free update overshadowed by bugs, grind concerns, and a lot of frustration about the feel of the new activity and the state of rewards.
If you jumped in, how was your experience with Reclaim and the Portal changes? Do you agree with what players are saying about the game right now? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
