I usually don't post a lot to the forums, and especially don't start a discussion, but this has been something that has bothered me since Root of Nightmares has come out. The incessant fighting about whether Contest Mode was "too easy" and "too many" people completed it. I linked an article that sums up my feelings on this and why the top players who are complaining about this are all wrong in regards to the challenge that Contest Mode should or should not have. To be fair this was a year old when Contest Mode was extended to 48hrs, but the arguments are still valid, especially in this situation where people think it was too easy. The number one thing I see iterated over and over is that Contest mode only happens 2x's a year and it should be so hard that only "the elite" get to participate. NO! As the article states: "The day one raid is the biggest event of the year for Destiny players. It’s an opportunity for everyone to come together in celebration of the latest expansion and compete for a chance at the title of World First. Whether you’re competing with your clan or watching the race unfold on Twitch, there’s just nothing like seeing a new raid for the first time alongside the entire Destiny community. Part of what makes the race so special is contest mode, a special ruleset that limits players’ power level and available arsenal to create conditions for a long and exciting race. With contest mode, Bungie can restrict players from cheesing bosses with overpowered tools and ensure that the raid poses a significant challenge for everyone - even hardcore Destiny speedrunners. After 24 hours, contest mode ends and from then on the raid can only be played on normal difficulty. If you weren’t there on day one, that experience is gone forever." We should all get to participate in it and celebrate it as well as get the emblem if we succeed. That doesn't mean most of us only get to sit on the sidelines to watch the people who feel entitled/elitist enough to do it. "There’s good arguments on both sides, but there’s also an aggressively bad take going around that’s worth squashing. With contest mode getting extended into Sunday, there were some players who were upset this made their achievement less rare, and therefore somehow less valuable. If your agenda is to keep contest mode limited because it necessarily excludes some people, then you need to get your priorities checked. Destiny is at its best when we’re all playing together, and no one who purports to love this game should be upset when more people get to enjoy it. Whether contest mode lasts one day or one year, we should be looking for ways to encourage more people to participate and earn their emblem, not fewer." Contest Mode should be a Marathon Race where anyone can participate, not just the top runners. And all abide by the same rules. Nothing would make me more happy than to see an unknown team come out of nowhere to earn the Raid Belt instead of it always being the same 4-5 clans/raid teams. It should be an event where we cheer on and remember the people who are crossing the finish line last more than the people who crossed it first because they are the underdogs and the fact that they completed it was a great accomplishment. I would bet that after this raid and the amount of participation it had day one as well as since, Bungie is more than ecstatic at the results than you want them to be. Their goal is to make a game that get's engaged with more, not less. If you want Hardcore then complete Master level Raid. I feel like the real issue here is for streamers and content creator. Let's be honest, if most of the community isn't allowed to play the raid in contest mode because it's gatekept, like you want, then they are forced to sit on the sidelines and watch it, leaving only a select few people to watch. The more that watch the better it is for you, right? If everyone is allowed to compete and the more people playing, that's less viewers for you... To Bungie I would say the following...Thank you! Thank you for making a raid that was more accessible to people and allowed them to not only celebrate the coming out of a new Raid, but to be able to celebrate by participating in that raid! I hope this becomes the norm and not a one off.