It was only a matter of time. Bungie watches over its games very closely, and Destiny is no different. Patches and hot-fixes have already been laid out to prevent glitches or cheating since the game's launch, just like all current-generation games. Bungie just released a new hot-fix earlier today, and while most of these fixes are either loved or barely noticed by the community, this new fix means quite a bit to late-game players.
When playing through Destiny, players earn experience and grow up to Level 20. Once players hit this cap, additional levels can only be acquired by finding better gear, and this equipment is all incredibly rare. On top of that, the loot is all dropped randomly; there's no sure-fire way to make sure that Legendary helmet is going to be yours.
Then, players found an exploit. Instead of playing the same missions and game types over and over, Destiny players flocked to a single cave in the game's version of Russia. By shooting into the cave, rare and Legendary engrams would appear, which could then be traded in to one of the game's shopkeepers for new items. The 'Loot Cave' was one of the easiest ways to accumulate items and boost levels, but it was clearly unintentional on Bungie's part. For many, it made the end-game grind manageable.
The hot-fix that Bungie released earlier today, while not solely dedicated to squashing the exploit, has effectively killed the Loot Cave. The spawn rate for items has been drastically cut, meaning that players hoping for an easy item or two are out of luck; shooting into the cave will no longer spawn a pile of equipment.
"The Hive of the holy 'Treasure Cave' have realized the futility of their endless assault on Skywatch and have retired to lick their wounds and plan their next attack."
The update is written in jest, though Bungie has changed a huge part of its game as a result. While it's true that the cave was never meant to spew forth items upon being shot, it was also the only consistent method players had for acquiring the items they needed. So much of Destiny's loot system is randomized that players can spend hours upon hours without making any progress whatsoever. Bungie has stated the engram drops will increase in the future, but for now, players are back to hoping for item drops instead of actually receiving them.
The hot-fix has also addressed a number of enemy spawn issues, and has increased the timer for 'monster caves.' This means that, once enemies are cleared out of an area, they will not return for a specific length of time, giving players a break and allowing them to explore the area.
Destiny has faced criticism for its end-game grind since launch, and many players have called the game 'exploitative,' and that Bungie is forcing people to play for no real reward. Bungie has been quick to address complaints about the loot system and promised a fix in the future, though a more consistent way to make progress past Level 20 has yet to be revealed.
Update: found
