Amidst concerns that Destiny's weekend vendor Xur, Agent of the Nine, might be fixed, Bungie has assured players the loot he brings every weekend is randomized.
Over the weekend, evidence popped up suggesting that Xur's inventory of exotic gear for sale might be predetermined by the developers. The clip, which was taken from a now-removed video on Bungie's Twitch channel, features a part in which Destiny community manager David 'DeeJ' Dague talks about Xur's weekly offerings.
"It is not random," he's heard saying. "There is a plan, but every time I ask the guys who know what Xur's selling, they say, 'Are you asking as a community manager with a valid concern or are you asking as a Warlock that wants another feathered helmet?' And I say, 'Yea, everyone's really concerned about Warlocks getting the same gauntlets.' And they're like 'That won't be a problem.'"
It's a brief clip, but it's enough to cause some alarm among the Destiny playerbase. Could it be that Bungie really has full control over what Xur brings every weekend? Are they intentionally keeping the best items out of our reach?
Not according to Dague, who responded to the accusations made after the video was made public.
"Xur is randomized," he assured players. "There are times when we can pull off miracles like making him stay in the Tower longer when Christmas is cancelled, but his inventory is governed by the same chaos that influences all the loot drops."
"Comments in that video about "the plan" were more about the fact that we know what he's selling before he appears, even if we can't reach out and stock his shelves ourselves. We set him in motion, and his will is not his own," he continued.
Dague pointed out that the comments made in the video were made months ago, and that things he says in the pre-game lobby should be taken with a grain of salt. "I was still learning the intricacies of all the new systems that we launched with the game," he added.
"These conspiracy theories are symptoms of a burning desire. Gjallarhorn is the most popular ask that comes my way. I know you want it, even more than the collective requests for more vault space. As you can see, these are things that are beyond my control. I don't have one either," he concluded.
Regardless of whether or not you believe him, Dague said he'll do his best to talk with the people who create Xur's code, "and see if we can make him more valuable to you in the future."
[Bungie]
