Before we get started with our weekly round of news for Destiny 2, we'd like to take a moment to touch on feedback and conversation around the Portal and its rewards.
We initially outlined some goals on August 7 dedicated to improving progression, increasing Crucible and Fireteam Ops rewards, and addressing feedback around raid rewards. Last week, while we covered a handful of improvements to scoring and Portal rewards, we also announced plans to tune some rewards down in Solo and Pinnacle Ops. Based on player feedback we're revisiting our approach to balancing progression, as we believe our previous approach was too conservative and these nerfs would work against our goals of improving progression. To be clear, we believe these changes were the wrong call.
We want all activities in the Portal, Solo or Fireteam based, to feel rewarding. We want our activities to contribute understandable and meaningful progress to your climb in Power. As such, the following changes are being made immediately:
When it comes to Fireteam Ops, we know that we have work to do. Here's a list of buffs we're planning on and some new changes that we're adding in response to your feedback:
The following planned changes are focused on increasing rewards, or increasing rewards quality:
In last week's TWID we provided a ton of information about various changes and the data that drove them. Hidden within were several buffs (small and large) which we wanted to scoop out of that doc to more clearly highlight:
In the long run, we are still going to be cautious about a singular Ops category or activity becoming the go-to for Power leveling. We want Destiny to be a game where you want to hop in with friends to level, rather than declining an invite to spend time in a solo activity for the sake of progression.
In this case, we understand that alternate experiences need to be brought up a bit more to help things feel good, rather than pushing other options down in the short term, and we don't want players who generally just want to play Solo or Pinnacle Ops feeling like they're getting caught by a stray nerf. Our current approach is to bring options up and make sure they feel good before we look at the "problem children."
Our hope is to continue to iterate and improve the progression through the Power band with these increases to Fireteam Ops, the Portal, as well as combined with the improvements to the Crucible we have made and the additional improvements to raid rewards coming in 9.1.0 as well.
Now, on to your regularly scheduled TWID.
This Week in Destiny, we're bringing back Heavy Metal with a new event pass and new rewards; make sure you get your Drake Tanks polished and Fallen Brigs prepped for combat. We also have more info on our goals for different class fantasies!
The limited time 3v3 PVP mode is back! Hop into your vehicles and work with your team to destroy your opponents. With this comes new Legendary weapons, cosmetic rewards, and an updated event home! Guardians who compete get the opportunity to unlock several rewards;
If you didn't earn it last time, you can also get the Gryphon Exotic Sparrow for achieving rank 14 through the duration of this event.
The game-mode will last for seven days, starting on September 2 and ending on September 9, so make sure you play as it will no longer be possible to use or claim these items after the event ends.
Twitch Drops will be available throughout the entirety of Heavy Metal; watch a participating streamer on Twitch for one hour between 10AM PT September 2 and 10AM PT September 9 to receive the Mad Dog emblem!
When you boot up Destiny 2 for the first time, your Guardian class is the first choice you ever make as a Lightbearer. Do you want to be the floaty one holding the fireball? The slender one with the cape and blade? Or the big one with the single monstrous shoulder piece?
Each Guardian class has a unique fantasy that players assume as they play. When we talk about "fantasy" at Bungie, we often split the term into "emotional fantasy" and "mechanical fantasy." To oversimply: emotional fantasy is how you feel when you play, and mechanical fantasy is what you do when you play.
When it comes to mechanical fantasy, or the gameplay role, that the classes play in combat, Destiny's classes don't have the hard lines that some other RPGs have. This is partially due to the demands of a fast-paced action game, but also because Guardians are tiny gods with the power to cross lines and break rules. We don't have a dedicated healer class or DPS class. Yes, we deliberately give certain classes more access to some keywords to reinforce their class identity, but rarely do we give them exclusive access to a keyword. After all, if all the classes have equal access to everything, what's the point of having classes to begin with?
Today, we're going to dive deeper into class identity and talk about our upcoming plans for each class. Some of these changes will come in releases during the month of September, others in October, and others still in Destiny 2 Update 9.5.0 alongside the Renegades release (and beyond!). Without further ado, let's dive in.
Warlocks weaponize the mysteries of the universe to sustain themselves and devastate their foes.
The Warlock is the arcane spellcaster of the group. What they lack in strength and speed, they make up for in knowledge and sorcery. They're the best at performing complex magical rituals that persist in the world. Warlock's universal class abilities give access to health recovery and ally empowerment.
Warlock Traits
Moving forward, we plan to do more to reinforce the Warlock identity. In the short term, we're working on enabling deeper build-crafting and finding ways to give Warlocks more ability uptime (the Empowering Rift change coming in the Ash & Iron update is part of this). Longer term, we'd like to give Warlocks more mobile healing options and a passive benefit to match the other classes (Titans do bonus uncharged melee damage; Hunters have higher base movement speed.) Here are some of the upcoming Warlock changes we're working on:
Disciplined and proud, Titans are capable of both aggressive assaults and stalwart defenses.
The Titan is the knight of the group. What they lack in magical ability and range, they make up for in strength and sustainability. They're the tip of the spear, creating cover to establish the frontline. The Titan is not a traditional melee or tank class, but they have universal access to damage mitigation and increased melee damage.
Titan Traits
Going forward, we'd like to get some more "artillery expert" flavor into the Titan's kit and give them more opportunities to flex their tactician muscles. In the short term, we're working on some updates to Behemoth abilities. Longer term, we'd like to make updates to Ward of Dawn and the Sentinel subclass, among other things. Here are a couple of the upcoming Titan changes we're working on:
Agile and daring, Hunters are quick on their feet and quicker on the draw.
The Hunter is rogue of the group. What they lack in brute force and sorcery, they make up for in precision and agility. They're battlefield provocateurs, slipping into the enemy's ranks, leaving traps and causing chaos. They quickly find new angles to attack from, dividing the enemy's attention to make them more vulnerable. The Hunter's class abilities give access to directional speed bursts and damage avoidance.
Hunter Traits
Going forward, we'd like to give Hunters more abilities to help support their fireteam. In the short term, we're working on giving Gunslinger an update. Longer term, we'd like to address the feedback that Nightstalker relies too much on invisibility, among other things. Here are some of the Hunter changes we're working on:
We love all of Destiny's classes equally, and we're dedicated to making sure that each has a chance to shine. We don't want any of our classes to be viewed as the DPS class—all three classes should be capable of roughly the same damage output. That said, there will always be certain builds that are more effective than others in different contexts. We'll continue to balance subclass builds to ensure we don't have any clear "win buttons" and ensure that each class feels powerful.
In the future, we're interested in doing more to make each class's identity more distinct, potentially through stronger passive effects for each class. However, this adds more complexity to an already complex game, and the player experience comes first. We truly appreciate the feedback you've given on the classes, and we ask that you continue to provide feedback whenever you have it.
From the beautiful scenery of Kepler to the new enemies, armor, and abilities that melded together to breathe life into the Edge of Fate expansion; the awe-inspiring Destiny 2 art team worked carefully to create something magical for the newest expansion. Now, the team is sharing some of the art that helped turn The Edge of Fate from concept to launch. Check out the Artstation article to get a good look at all the art of The Edge of Fate in all its glory.
This weekend, PAX West returns to our back yard. For many here, this convention has spawned friendships, careers, and even lifelong partnerships. It's a special place, and we're excited to shine some spotlight on a community-driven Destiny Community Meetup happening on Sunday, August 31 at 2PM PT, hosted by our good friends Air Bubbles and Lily Bean. A few of us will be attending PAX as fans, but don't worry, we're bringing some sweet loot for this meetup, including a handful of The Edge of Fate Collector's Editions , some cooking recipes, and a couple of smaller surprises. Brush up on your lore, adorn your cosplay, and head to Community Room 1 (The Summit, Room 437) at 2PM PT on Sunday.
If you're planning to attend, please feel free to tag us! We'd love to share your cosplay and your stories. @DestinyTheGame and @Destiny2Team work fine here, and if you want to go the extra mile, #D2PaxMeetup25 will help us find your posts.
Today, Psalm Lab will be hosting a Lore Panel for The Edge of Fate, running from Thursday, August 28, 11AM-1PM PT / 7PM-9PM UK / 1PM-3PM CST.
Join creators Psalm Lab, Byf, Abaddon, Moonvald, and more, as they chat with Bungie's Hannah Filipski (Destiny Narrative Lead) and Nikko Steven (Destiny Narrative Lead) on all things Destiny 2 lore and narrative.
You'll have a chance to earn an All That emblem for tuning in, along with The Edge of Fate game codes and a Collector's Edition.
Tune in to the stream or watch the VOD here: https://twitch.tv/psalmlab
Today marks the launch of Destiny: Rising! In celebration of the launch, brought to you by NetEase, on Android and iOS, we are excited to offer an exclusive emblem for Destiny 2 players.
Here's how to unlock the Starboard Forward emblem:
Once you complete it, a redemption code will populate on your screen.
When families are required to travel far from home so their child can receive critical care, Ronald McDonald House Charities step in to provide comfort, stability, and support during the hardest times. For 13 years, the Bungie Foundation and our community have stood alongside RMHC, raising more than $1 million to fuel its vital mission. There's still time to make an impact in this year's campaign and bring hope to kids and families in need!
Your $25 donation unlocks the plaid-tastic new Tartan Tribute emblem. Wear it with pride knowing you're making a difference. This campaign ends 8/28 at 11:59 PM PT, so act now! Emblems will be distributed via email on 8/29. Thank you for your support!
Known Issues List | Help Forums | Destiny 2 Team BlueskyKnown Issues List
- Players who have the Gladius armor ornament set (Titan) equipped on PlayStation consoles will crash if they enter Portal activities. Those affected are recommended to unequip the ornaments until the issue is resolved.
- Tempest Strike does not activate Combination Blow consistently.
- The red-dot sight for the Antedate SMG is slightly off-center.
- The Duality dungeon is unable to be completed on Master difficulty due to the bells teleport not functioning.
- Players are unable to complete The Corrupted when it is active in the daily Nightfall rotator due to the teleport mechanic not functioning.
- Players will encounter HONEYDEW errors when selecting a Portal activity and difficulty, then swapping gear and dropping below the power requirement.
That Guardian is certainly about to do something. Like, wondering what lies ahead. You could say they are on The Edge of Fate. Yeeeeeeaaaaah... Where are my sunglasses?
Lupi - The Witness 👽💨 on X:
You know what my favorite thing about Destiny is? The amazing community. This video was lovely, and many devs at Bungie loved watching it. Thank you!
And that's it for this week's TWID. Are you planning on jumping in at the very start of Heavy Metal? Or maybe you want to dive deeper into the class fantasy info we just dropped and tell us what you think? We love hearing your feedback and voices, so keep the conversation going. We look forward to getting more updates from you guys in the coming weeks and appreciate all the feedback we've received so far.
We are in this together!
Destiny 2 Community Team
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