Trials & IB Cancelled, Quicker MM Coming

Click here to read the full article @ Bungie.net

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Rocket Science

Heavy Ammunition is a rare commodity in the Crucible, and with good reason! There are few defenses against a well-aimed Rocket that lands squarely at your feet. We limit the deliveries of purple crates to the battlefield to make those explosive moments the highlight of a match.

When we learned that some Guardians had discovered a way to earn unlimited rockets, we knew it was time for a bug hunt. Rather than punish players for playing the game in a way we didn’t predict, we’ve been waging an investigation into our code.

In the meantime, Trials of Osiris is cancelled for this weekend.

The thought of a Trials map being renamed “Rocket Town” sends a shiver up our spine. The esteemed Brother Vance will be ordered to stand down. Trials of Osiris will return of course – and that right soon – but we’re going to ensure that we can restore the Heavy economy to its usual balance.

We know this will come as a disappointment to some. Our hope is that it won’t be as disappointing as being denied a trip to the Lighthouse by an opponent with a Rocket Launcher that works like a clown car.

The same holding pattern applies to Iron Banner. Lord Saladin will be granted approach to the Tower once our work is done.

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Pick a Fight

There were other conversations about the Crucible to be had this week. As always, matchmaking is a hot topic. The last time we made adjustments to the tech that introduces you to new and interesting people who want to blow you bits, it was back in March when we locked new settings in every Crucible playlist.

Our work on the Crucible is never done, but our goals remain the same: Provide every Guardian with a clean match against a worthy opponent. Lately, our Matchmaking Overlords (actual team name) have been looking into reports of longer than usual matchmaking times and increases in lag. This is part of an ongoing process that includes player feedback, user data, and our own experiences as players.

Effective immediately, we are making some targeted adjustments to ensure that all players are able to find a high-quality match within a reasonable amount of time. The intended result is to shorten matchmaking times and reduce lag.

This conversation is never over, so please stay tuned to it. We’ll have more improvements to your Crucible lifestyle in the weeks and months to come. Keep playing and we’ll continue to honor your competitive spirit.

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Hammer Time

A healthy competitive ecosystem requires that we meet each other halfway. While we won’t ban you for stumbling into a bottomless well of explosive ordnance, we will impose restrictions on players who compromise the overall experience – either willingly or unwillingly.

It’s never a thing we celebrate, but we’re committed to protecting the game. The keepers of the Banhammer have beefed up their automated security measures to issue restrictions to cheaters as well as players with consistently bad Internet connections that break the Crucible.