Solstice 2025 should’ve been a win. It’s one of Destiny 2’s most recognizable annual events—meant to bring the community together not spotlight the growing divide between the most dedicated players and everyone else. But this year, it’s doing exactly that. The problem isn’t just the presence of Tier 5 gear or how Distorted Solstice Engrams tie into Caldera completions. It’s that your chances of getting Tier 5 rewards scale with your power level, and, once you hit 400, those drops become guaranteed. Caldera runs are quick—only a few minutes each—so for anyone already at 400, it’s essentially a loot loop with high-end rewards on tap. But for everyone else, even those above 300, Tier 5 drops are inconsistent and often rare. That means most players—especially those with limited playtime—are running the same activity, putting in real effort and walking away with a fraction of the rewards, all because they haven’t hit a power level that requires well over 100 hours of grind to reach just a few weeks into the season. It’s not that high-level players shouldn’t be rewarded; but, when that reward becomes exclusive and the grind to access it is this steep, it sends the wrong message. The system isn’t rewarding strategy, engagement or smart play—it’s rewarding time. That’s a tough sell to anyone trying to balance Destiny with a full-time job, a family or anything resembling a normal schedule. That’s not good design; it’s a structure that favors availability over everything else, creating a real gap—not just in gear but in how people feel about playing the game. Plenty of players are showing up consistently, doing what they can and still falling behind. Over time, that doesn’t just lead to burnout—it leads to disengagement. Solstice used to be the kind of event that brought everyone back. This year, it’s become a snapshot of a larger problem: Destiny 2 is leaning too hard into time-based progression, and it’s pushing out the casual and mid-core players who’ve helped keep this game alive for years. If Bungie wants Destiny’s future to feel welcoming and sustainable, reward systems need to scale in a way that’s fair so players don’t feel punished for having a life. As it stands now, Solstice 2025 risks leaving a huge part of the community behind, not because they don’t care about the game but because they simply can’t grind fast enough to matter.