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Bungie is reintroducing Zone Control, an objective-based variant of their competitive staple Control, into Destiny 2.
Control, the longstanding default Crucible offering in Destiny 2, has always been a mixture of a traditional team deathmatch and flag capture mode. Players score points by either capturing specific locations on the map or getting kills. To mix things up, Zone Control only allows points to be scored by capturing and holding objectives, de-emphasizing the importance of kills and tempering the flames of those folks who go fishing for headshots.
As outlined in Bungie’s latest TWAB post, Zone Control will instead emphasize teams collaborating more actively and defending zones. For example, capturing zones will take dramatically longer if one player tries to do it themself. One player will take 22.5 seconds to capture one, whereas two can capture within 10 seconds. Three or more players will capture a zone in 7.5 seconds. Beyond that, capturing zones will net teams one point and holding onto them will reward two points every 15 seconds, making it essential to lock down areas rather than float between them carelessly. The first team to 125 points will win.
Zone Control will be introduced via Destiny 2’s Crucible Labs next week and will stick around for the duration of the Season of the Haunted. It’ll only be bumped from the playlist when Iron Banner comes back in July since another mode, Rift, is back as part of Iron Banner this season. Crucible Labs has been a testing ground for new modes and variants for years now, so Bungie is looking for feedback as players check out the latest iteration of Zone Control. If things go well, it could be introduced as a more permanent fixture in the game’s online suite.
Reintroducing Zone Control seems like part of a slow-but-steady revamp of Crucible that Bungie is quietly undertaking after years of stagnancy for Destiny 2’s competitive suite. For example, the Crucible just got its first new map in years as well as the return of Rift, a mode last seen in the original Destiny. Iron Banner has been retooled to be a more accessible competitive event rather than another Crucible mode. All of this means that the Crucible is currently experiencing its most dynamic changes in a long time, and it seems like they’re likely to keep coming.
