In the freshest Developer Insight from Bungie, a slew of Destiny 2 Exotic weapons and archetypes are bracing for a storm of buffs with the incoming mid-season balance patch. Conventionally, hefty alterations to weapon functionality and archetypes are kept in the locker for the yearly expansions or season kick-offs.
Still, Bungie, like an unexpected British summer, has been pulling a fast one with a mid-season shakeup, tackling all things from annoying bugs and underwhelming weapons to a whole gamut of improvements, to make Destiny 2 a pleasurable experience for all.
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Destiny 2’s Mid-Season Patch: An Antidote for Underperforming Exotics?
A large chunk of Destiny 2’s longevity and clout in the looter shooter scene can be chalked up to its top-drawer combat system, a nifty blend of gun-toting and ability-based gameplay. From old-school shooters to high-energy blasters and pointy-stick swords, Destiny 2’s veritable smorgasbord of artillery gives players an insane selection to plump for their favourite firearm.
Exotic weapons, the crème de la crème of the Destiny 2 battle panorama, come pre-loaded with unique perks. These perks can be eternally on standby or triggered by fulfilling certain actions, amplifying the weapon’s ferocity, utility and rapport with other game mechanics. These weapons, though packing a punch on their own, unleash their full power when woven into players’ themed builds.
Change in Destiny 2: Bows, Rifles, and Shotguns’ Mid-Season Makeover
Enter Graviton Lance, an Exotic Pulse Rifle that has pretty much stood still since Destiny 2’s inception, barring a facelift courtesy of the Void 3.0 verbs added to its toolkit. As per the latest Developer Insight, Bungie has let slip that Graviton Lance is in line for a whopping 67% PvE target buff to level the playing field with its Exotic Pulse Rifle brethren. However, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns, with the Cosmology explosions copping a 40% damage haircut for PvP only, and the aim assist from the catalyst getting the boot. For the other Exotics, the No Time To Explain Pulse Rifle has had its range clipped, while the Fighting Lion’s Exotic perk has been revived in full glory.
The mid-season reshuffle has a raft of adjustments ready to roll for several weapon archetypes, accommodating for the sci-fi shooter’s perpetually morphing meta. Pulse Rifles, particularly the High-Impact family, are set for a hike in their auto-aim angle at lower aim assist ranges. Lightweight Bows have been given a range bump across the board, coupled with a near 10% final accuracy polish.
The dynamic reticle for Submachine Guns has been overhauled to deliver sharper visuals during a dust-up. Lightweight Shotguns are getting a narrower pellet spread for longer distances, thus upping the ante in PvP. After the patch, the Gutshot Straight and Slickdraw perks will see a reduced auto-aim penalty, while the notorious Target Lock perk will be limited to a 25% damage surge in PvP, down from the existing 40%.
These imminent tweaks offer a peek into the alterations en route for the game’s weapons, but the boffins have assured that a revamp of other aspects is also on the mid-season patch’s agenda. The Developer Insight hints at these amendments paving the way for more sweeping transformations in Destiny 2 down the line.
See Also: Destiny 2: A Deep Dive into the New ‘Ghosts of the Deep’ Dungeon
As of now, Destiny 2 is ready for action on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. So, suit up, Guardians!
Source – Bungie
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