I have always been resistant to the offering of free adept weapons to parties I felt hadn't earned them. I know this has branded me as an elitist amongst some of the forum dwellers. I genuinely had hoped people would see it was their mindset that kept them from achieving any personal glory. Glory, if any, to be perceived from within the confines of this wacky digital universe we all occupy. So much discussion of gatekeeping and how the game should be crafted by people that hadn't taken the time to understand it as it was, but thought it should conform to them as they are. I thought that they failed to see they had the power to change and adapt. That there exists immutable mechanics they must bend to and in that, find what they can and cannot control. And so discover more of themselves through the lens of this hobby. With all of that said, I'm glad the [b]Passage of Persistence[/b] exists for those that may have started to lose hope or desire to chase the Lighthouse. I'm sure this choice will ultimately improve player population and retention, which is most important. The prestige of Trials exists only within the hearts and minds of players that have braved pvp. I believe any committed player with focus, disciple, awareness, malleability, and emotional control can accomplish any challenge this game offers. I hope people will persist in their effort to get to the Lighthouse even when they get their adept weapons for 7 wins. I sincerely hope the population continues to better understand the game so we have a more unified vision. Bungie's effort to satisfy every type of player has threatened the game when they implement things that make it feel worse overall. This means it's on the players to be mindful of changes requested. If it helps the player population and leads to more happiness, more participation amongst friends and fosters pleasant experiences, I can't be anything other than fond of the change. Edit: [spoiler]It is good cause it will bring people in sure. I'm glad about that, but the potential cost over time may be steep. I expect most casuals will remain casuals. Like having two mercies. And only needing 7 wins instead of 9. The changes helped some and enticed them for a period of time.... but.. They will get the weapon eventually and then they will leave. And once they leave the numbers will go down again. But the damage to the playlist will be done. This is like giving aspirin to dying flowers to watch them bloom one final time. The weapon as the aspirational pursuit will lose its appeal for the parties the game mode was originally designed for, flawed as the concept was executed. I mean "sweats" and "elitists" over time. Once you have earned the ship, ghost, and emblem if those interest you. It's a win now, but eventually the cosmetics will need to be expanded in some capacity. Or the rewards. Then casual players will demand those too. People that want glows for their armor or to wear all but the Dazzling Iridescence emblem are people that got a Flawless and are still proud to display it. To signal to others, like brand association. [i]Prestige.[/i] That they can go flawless. And that's great. But there exists groups that aren't satisfied by adding to hundreds of flawlesses or wearing these things. Title gilding. It's just the only aspect of the game that still excites them cause the stakes make people play with intention. Those people can assess a player's skill at a glance. Or based on loadout, stat distribution, Elo, KD. They will look you up on Trials report and see what weapons you use most commonly and your accuracy with them. Clans recognize clans. People see the same players that are "gatekeeping". I think those people will need something more to pursue eventually to keep them from existing only to destroy those that felt like "fodder" before all the changes to help them get there.[/spoiler]