What Destiny 2 players call account recovery is basically analogous to boosting in any other online game, where you let somebody else ‘borrow’ your account to grind through the ranks and earn high-tier gear. That means Crucible players have often had to contend with players who are much more skilled than their rank indicates – but the matchmaking changes coming alongside the Shadowkeep release date might be a big help.
In the new matchmaking system, your skill rating will adjust by the minute based on your in-game performance as YouTube’s Aztecross Gaming reports from Bungie, and your Glory gains and losses will scale according to what the system expects your rank to be, as Bungie detailed in a blog a few weeks ago.
That means that if you’re actually a Legend player using a low-rank account, you’re going to get pulled into matches against tougher opponents much faster than you would’ve in the old system. Bungie’s never taken a hard stance against account recovery services, but these changes could make it way less enticing for players who use them.
Solo queue for competitive should help too, by giving individual players a more pleasant path toward high-end Crucible rewards. Since you’re no longer going to get stomped by coordinated four-player teams as you go, you’re now going to have a much easier time earning those rewards without a group, again de-emphasising the need for account recovery services.
You can get a more detailed breakdown of the implications of these new changes in the video above.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep lands on October 1. If you haven’t checked your calendar lately, that’s extremely soon.