Bungie has come down hard on Destiny 2 cheaters, even going as far as suing players and developers of Destiny 2 cheats. But now there’s a strange new front in Bungie’s war on cheaters: accessibility tools.
"Our community has grown increasingly frustrated by a form of cheating that uses third-party peripherals with the intent to manipulate the game client," wrote Bungie in its most recent blog update. "These devices are plugged into a computer or console, where they can—for example—execute simple scripts or trick the game into giving you extra aim assist."
Bungie didn't say which devices are the primary culprits as it didn't want to draw attention to any particular brand. It also made it clear that simply using accessibility tools to level the playing field was absolutely fine; the issue comes from people using these accessibility tools to gain an advantage, especially in Destiny 2's PvP game modes.
"Bungie embraces the use of external accessibility aids that enable an experience the game designers intended but will take action, including bans, on people who abuse these tools specifically to gain an advantage over other players," Bungie warned.
"Simply using an accessibility aide to play Destiny 2, where a player could not play otherwise, would not be a violation of this policy. Using these tools to mitigate challenges all players face, such as reducing recoil or increasing aim assist, would be a violation."
Bungie went on to define accessibility tools as "any device or input that augments the player’s ability to control the game beyond what the game itself normally provides," which can include "programmable controllers, keyboard and mouse adapters, advanced macros, or automation via artificial intelligence." Bungie will be monitoring players and sending warnings, restrictions, and/or bans as the situation warrants.
Elsewhere in yesterday's This Week At Bungie, Destiny 2's mid-season update will bring a new Commendation to the game's nascent player-complimenting system. The Best Dressed Commendation will allow you to highlight Guardians with excellent drip, whether they be a spiffy space cowboy or a particularly accurate rendition of Master Chief.
The Best Dressed Commendation will be restricted to "low-trust" activities, so you won't be able to hand it out in Trials of Osiris, raids, or Dungeons. Also, it won't be worth a lot of Commendation score, probably because Bungie expects these Commendations to be handed out like candy once they go live. There are a lot of well-dressed Guardians out there, after all.
Speaking of Trials, Bungie is testing new matchmaking parameters in the upcoming Trials Labs. Players will be placed into two pools, depending on their experience. The Challenger Pool is where "where most players who currently play Trials on a week-to-week basis and who want to go Flawless will play," while the Practice Pool will be "targeted at new or less experienced players." The matchmaker will attempt to match you based on your connection and weekly Trials performance, with the Practice Pool being clear of Flawless players.