Bungie has promised huge changes for Checkmate that will completely rework the PvP modifier to function closer to the base sandbox following community feedback.
First tested in Season 22, Checkmate was invented as an idea to make PvP more focused on Primary weapons and less so on Special ammo, Abilities, and Supers.
A longer TTK, limited ammo, and noticeably slower Ability regeneration are all key features that differentiate it from Destiny 2’s standard Crucible experience. These differences ensure that both modes have their own PvP meta for weapons.
However, its unique balancing led to some issues when Checkmate was run in Trials of Osiris for the first time. Acting on the feedback from that, Bungie has now promised some big changes are coming.
Destiny 2 devs promise huge changes coming to Checkmate
Bungie has confirmed changes are coming to Checkmate based on community feedback. These changes will see the new mode tweaked to function much closer to the base PvP experience.
Announcing the changes the Destiny 2 developer opened on X/Twitter, “Based on player feedback, we’re making some changes to Checkmate in tomorrow’s update. Due to the amount of tuning, Checkmate will be moved back to Labs.”
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Based on player feedback, we’re making some changes to Checkmate in tomorrow’s update. Due to the amount of tuning, Checkmate will be moved back to Labs.Next week will feature 3v3 Clash which has been modified to reflect a fan favorite mode from the original Destiny, Skirmish.
— Destiny 2 Team (@Destiny2Team) January 9, 2024
Revealing what these changes are, Bungie explained, “We’ll also be adjusting all Primary weapons to join Hand Cannons in having the same optimal Time-to-Kill (TTK) as they do in the base sandbox. In modes like Clash and Control, you will now start the game with two kills worth of special ammo (ex. 2 shots for shotguns).”
“We’re increasing the amount of special ammo credit you get for assists and deaths, so you will get special ammo pulls more frequently, but are reducing the amount of special ammo you get from approximately three kills worth to two kills, to reduce snowballing,” the developer continued outlining the changes.
The final changes will see Ability cooldown penalties “reduced from 30% to 15%,” and melee damage tweaked to allow for two Melees to deal enough damage for a final blow.
Guardians were divided on the changes with some happy they should make Checkmate more casual-friendly while others seemed concerned they would make the new mode play too similarly to vanilla PvP.