Trials has once again been disabled. Destiny 2’s pinnacle PvP game mode has been a constant headache for Bungie ever since it was brought back early last year, usually due to technical glitches in the mode’s implementation. However, recently it’s become clear that Destiny 2 players themselves have become the problem as they try to game the Trials of Osiris matchmaking system in order to obtain the game mode’s alluring loot.
It started three weeks ago with players suiciding their way to a Messenger Pulse Rifle, a highly sought-after gun that can roll with the unique Desperado perk. And last weekend Trials was disabled because players were colluding to determine the outcome of matches so that everyone could go Flawless.
It’s called the “Hakke Emblem Method,” and as the name suggests, conspirators communicate their intent to cheat at Trials by using the Hakke Emblem. When one team of three meets another team of three during Trials of Osiris that are also wearing the Hakke Emblem, that signals both teams that they won’t actually play the game. Instead, they’ll let random chance decide who wins and who loses.
One member of each team will message each other on Steam and roll a random number from one to ten. The highest number is the winning team and the lowest number agrees to forfeit the match by leaving.
However, to ensure that all players eventually get seven perfect wins to go “Flawless” (and also maximize their loot acquisition) everyone on the team will have a secondary character with a burner card–basically a character that’s only there to collect losses. Every team starts their Trials matches on their burner card and then swaps to their winning card if they win the random number rolls on Steam.
This method of colluding to go Flawless is both much faster than actually playing Trials normally and guarantees that a player will win seven times in a row, maximizing their rewards.
After the Hakke Method started gaining popularity Bungie disabled Trials of Osiris entirely in order to protect the health of the game mode. There’s been no word from the Destiny 2 developer on when Trials will come back or how they plan to tackle the Hakke Method from gaining popularity once it returns.
