The sentiment is simple: the Portal system is not a harmless UI change, it is a systemic pivot that has turned previously live, paid for content into marginal, legacy fodder, drastically reduced meaningful rewards, and hollowed out the game loop that long-time players invested in. Below are the main community points, with evidence and concrete examples. 1) Portal is a functional redesign that feels like systemic sunsetting The Portal replaces the old Director-style navigation with a narrow, activity-focused hub that funnels players into a smaller set of curated content. The practical result feels like semi-sunsetting: large swathes of destinations and activities that were central to Destiny’s identity are now sidelined or accessed only through layers of the Portal instead of being part of the living world. That change breaks the sense of a connected universe and the incidental play that kept veteran players engaged.   2) Content paid for by players is being treated as “legacy” rather than supported Core fans consistently point out that expansions, campaigns, and activities they purchased are being treated as legacy or “less relevant” faster than before. Threads calling out removal or reclassification of older dungeon/raid features and complaints about having to re-pay or re-engage with content to get the same value are widespread. When paid content becomes peripheral, players feel their previous purchases were devalued.   3) Reward density and the reward pool have been reduced — the grind is worse, not better A frequent and loud complaint: Portal activities currently deliver fewer and poorer rewards than the methods they replaced. Players note that daily/weekly reward windows are limited, targeted rewards require waiting for resets, and several of the Portal modes either fail to reach the score tiers needed for top rewards or have been actively nerfed. That means longer, more repetitive play for smaller returns — which kills motivation for completionist players and those who once farmed specific activities for meaningful upgrades. THE POWER GRIND IS TOO LONG! 4) The Portal centralizes and narrows viable activity paths, reducing variety Longtime players enjoyed Destiny for its blend of open destinations, social hubs, rotating activities, and meaningful choices about where to spend their time. The Portal design funnels players into a small pool of “optimal” activities, and community posts already highlight how that makes the game feel smaller, more like a playlist service than an evolving world. Reduced reasons to visit legacy social spaces and old destinations erode the social and exploratory incentives that kept the playerbase invested.   5) Design decisions (and subsequent nerfs) look reactionary and tone-deaf When players find the fastest, most efficient route to progression, Bungie’s responses have increasingly been to nerf those routes rather than uplift slower alternatives. The community sees repeated patterns: a method becomes dominant; it is nerfed; there is not a meaningful increase in alternatives. That creates a sense that systems are being tweaked to artificially slow progression without delivering new satisfying ways to play. The recent coverage and community threads show strong frustration with changes to Portal solos and reward ceilings.   6) The net effect: long-term players feel betrayed and many are stepping away Articles and long-form community pieces from veteran players describe the culmination of these problems as an identity crisis for Destiny 2 — the game that evolved through its living systems now feels regressive, grind-focused in unhealthy ways, and economically unfriendly to players who already paid for content. Several respected outlets and community voices are openly worried the expansion era changes have driven away core players or at least drastically reduced their engagement.   [b]What the community wants[/b] 1. Restore meaningful access and value to previously purchased content rather than shunting it into legacy corners.  2. Rebalance reward density so time spent feels worthwhile; if an activity is the best path, buff the alternatives instead of nerfing the best.  3. Keep social spaces and open-world navigation relevant; don’t let the game feel like a narrow playlist.  4. Communicate roadmap intentions clearly and fast; community trust is eroding because changes feel sudden and permanent.  Closing statement Core Destiny 2 fans are not against change, new systems, or quality-of-life improvements. They are against an architecture that effectively retires purchased content, narrows viable gameplay loops, and shrinks rewards while calling the result “progress.” The Portal, as currently implemented, reads like systemic sunsetting with new branding: it makes previously live, meaningfully rewarding content feel like legacy afterthoughts and turns large swaths of paid-for content into less-than-viable play. Until Bungie reverses course on reward structure, restores value to older content, and re-expands the director-style sense of a living world, many long-term players will continue to say that the Portal has killed Destiny 2 for its core audience.