The Curse of Osiris, the new expansion of Destiny 2, is just around the corner. Alongside new gear and activities, there are guaranteed to be changes to the game balance in PvE as well as PvP. These are not yet known – but some are necessary!
More and more information about the new expansion Curse of Osiris is becoming known. There will be a weapon forge and with the Infinite Forest a new PvE activity, inviting repeated exploration.
But what about the way we play? What will happen to the weapons? Will the meta around automatic rifles in the Crucible be broken? Will the swarm grenade be weakened, will sticky grenades be buffed?
Unfortunately, we do not know yet, so here comes our wish list for the balance changes for Season 2, which will start hand in hand with Curse of Osiris!
Weapon Balance Changes
Both in PvE and PvP, a few popular and strong weapon combinations have developed over time. Some weapon types like grenade launchers or sniper rifles are completely out of the meta and are hardly used. This needs to change!
Automatic Rifles in the Crucible
Automatic rifles are currently the strongest weapons in the Crucible. Besides their ease of use and the very good TTK (Time-To-Kill – Time needed to kill a Guardian under optimal conditions) automatic rifles shine with fantastic range. And that’s where the problem lies.
Because of the high range, the motivation to use other weapon types is eliminated. Who needs hand cannons, scout rifles, or pulse rifles when automatic rifles are top at all distances? For this reason, the range of automatic rifles should be lowered. The damage drop-off should be noticed faster.
Even if I am an advocate of strict separation between PvE and PvP, this probably won’t happen in Destiny 2. However, the reduction of range will hardly be noticeable in PvE, where players tend to go in close to their opponents.
The Grenade Launchers
Grenade launchers currently have a hard time and are considered the weakest weapon class. The exotic grenade launcher Lion’s Roar is probably the worst exotic overall. Because grenade launchers deal far too little damage, their explosion radius is too small, and for this reason, they are hardly used.
This situation is surely known to Bungie. It can thus be assumed that grenade launchers will receive a damage buff. Whether they will still be considered “trash” or even overpowered – time will tell!
This grenade launcher could make the weapon class more exciting – because it fires robot spiders!
The Heavy Caliber Rounds
No other perk is discussed as much as the heavy caliber rounds. They are considered too strong because they shake the opponent’s aim significantly – precise aiming is then no longer possible. Even if both opponents use heavy caliber rounds, it depends on chance whether and how strongly the opponent’s aim is affected.
The most prominent representative among the weapons with heavy caliber rounds is the MIDA Multi-Tool. This weapon already had heavy caliber rounds in Destiny 1, which were later removed. However, they are back in Destiny 2, which surprised many Guardians.
The following options are available for Bungie to adjust the heavy caliber rounds:
- They are completely removed and replaced with another perk
- The effects on the opponent’s aim are diminished
- The randomness factor is removed. Heavy caliber rounds will always be activated
The Sniper Rifles
Sniper rifles are currently rarely used. This is partly because they are power weapons and there are many (better) options to deal high damage – and that without the hassle of precise aiming.
On the other hand, sniper rifles deal significantly too little damage. Both in combat against aliens and against other Guardians, sniper rifles are used too rarely.
What can Bungie do to make sniper rifles more popular? That is a major challenge. The most sensible and easiest option would be integration into the energy slot – which probably won’t happen.
Of course, Bungie could simply increase the damage of the sniper rifles. However, that doesn’t guarantee that more players will choose sniper rifles over rocket launchers. Because the following conditions have to be met for players to prefer sniper rifles to rocket launchers:
- The increased difficulty of aiming must be rewarded in some way (larger magazines or ammo reserves, more damage)
- Sniper rifles must fill niches that no other weapon can occupy
The Guardian Abilities
Guardian abilities also need some adjustments. The greatest need for improvement is with the Hunter, who lags behind the other two classes in some aspects. Bungie also needs to tweak the grenades – especially sticky grenades deal significantly less damage than others.
The Hunter’s Class Ability
The Hunter’s dodge ability has a valid place, especially in the Crucible. Not infrequently, it allows you to avoid tricky situations. The automatic reloading of weapons is especially useful for weapons with a slow reload speed.
In contrast to Titans and Warlocks, the dodge ability does not provide advantages that benefit teammates. Additionally, Hunters are vulnerable during the dodge step.
Specifically, the vulnerability is a problem during stationary tasks (holding platforms). For this reason, the Hunter’s class ability should trigger some form of healing and increase armor. This would significantly enhance the dodge ability.
So that teammates can benefit as well, the dodge could increase the reload speed of nearby allies.
The Hunter’s Shadow Shot
The Shadow Shot is a perfect weapon for controlling larger groups of enemies. In the Crucible, it is preferred to suppress opposing super abilities.
Unfortunately, this does not happen immediately, but with a delay of a few seconds. There are videos across the internet of Titans who have destroyed a Shadow Shot before it has deactivated the super. This makes the Hunter’s arrow completely useless in some situations.
The effects of the arrow should take effect immediately as soon as it hits the target.
The Hunter’s Six-Shot Perk
The Hunter’s six-shot ability sounds good at first. Six shots with the golden gun? Sounds fantastic, but it isn’t. Because the duration of the super is massively reduced, which leads to complete panic or careful consideration of when to use the super.
In the Crucible, it is nearly impossible to encounter six enemies in the short activation time. And in PvE, Hunters deal significantly more damage with the Celestial Nighthawk (only one shot with the golden gun, but massive damage). In short: The six-shot perk is wasted and weak.
The duration of the super should be significantly extended. Only then will Guardians have an advantage with the six-shot perk.
The Synergy of the Mobius Quiver and Orpheus Rig
The perk Mobius Quiver is associated with the Way of the Pathfinder (Nightstalker Hunter). The perk description states that rapid shots can be fired with the Shadow Shot and deal significant damage to tethered targets.
This initially does not sound bad. However, there is an exotic “problem” associated with this perk called Orpheus Rig. These exotic boots recharge your ability energy with each tethered enemy. If you hit 7-8 enemies at once, your super will be practically available again immediately.
Unfortunately, the Mobius Quiver perk makes the boots nearly useless. Because the exotic perk of the boots is activated only when you have fired your last arrow.
Since you have already defeated enemies with the other arrows, the boots no longer provide the bonuses that would have been possible. An additional disadvantage of the perk is that the duration of your super is reduced.
Bungie needs to establish the synergy of the Orpheus Rig boots with the Mobius Quiver, otherwise, the perk is wasted or Guardians run around with exotic boots that offer no advantages.
The Catastrophe Skill of the Warlocks
The Voidwalker has access to the Catastrophe skill, which greatly slows the Nova Bomb but fires seeking projectiles upon explosion. The problem: The Nova Bomb with this skill is significantly too slow.
Enemy groups in PvE mode have enough time to scatter, opponents in the Crucible can even run away from the Nova Bomb. Either Bungie significantly increases the speed of the Nova Bomb or changes the function of the perk as it was in the predecessor: As a spear! A Nova Bomb that flies straight ahead until it hits a target.
The Sticky Grenades Need to Become Stronger
Fusion and magnetic grenades can currently only be described as “useless”. In the Crucible, a sticky grenade doesn’t even destroy an opposing Guardian’s shield, in combat against aliens, they deal marginal damage.
Sticky grenades should deal significantly more damage in PvE mode. Also, they should deal more damage in the Crucible, yet not be as destructive as in the predecessor.
What other balance changes do you wish for? Let us know in the comments!
