In Destiny 2, the level and infusion system for legendary weapons and armor will soon change drastically. Bungie has now revealed details on this controversial topic and said when it will happen.
This is the topic: A few months ago, Bungie announced that the way you use weapons will fundamentally change. Equipment will soon have a sort of expiration date, after which it will no longer be possible to level up (infuse) the affected items – thus, using them in high-level endgame situations will no longer be viable.
This topic has generated a lot of buzz, and here at MeinMMO, it is one of the most hotly debated issues in the Destiny universe right now. Many players do not want to part with their beloved achievements.
In the TWaB from May 14, Bungie provided more specifics about the planned changes and shows how and when you will have to say goodbye to your beloved gear.
Bungie explains how infusion and maximum power will change
This is how the new system works: Each legendary weapon and piece of armor will have a maximum power level that it can reach through infusion.
These are the most important details:
- All changes do not affect exotics
- The max power of an item corresponds to the level cap that can be reached 3 seasons after its release
- For one year or 4 seasons, items will remain relevant (in activities requiring high levels)
- Weapons or armor will not be destroyed afterwards and can still be used anywhere – they just cannot be infused to a higher level
- The maximum power level to which an item can be infused will be displayed in-game:
- No matter when you obtain the item, the max level will always be calculated from the season of the original release – Even if you unlock a weapon from the Shadowkeep expansion in season 13, the timestamp will be set to season 8
- Weapons may be reprised in later seasons and will then have a new release date
- There will no longer be a seasonal mod slot for armor – in the new fourth slot, all mods from the 4 relevant seasons can be equipped automatically
When will this happen? The new system will be visible in the item description for all legendary weapons and armor in season 11 (June 2020). However, it will not take effect until fall, starting in season 12 (beginning of year 4). This is to give players enough time to plan and adjust.
At the beginning of season 12, weapons and armor released in seasons 1-8 will have a maximum power level equal to the cap for season 11 players. Legendary gear that came later will then be affected according to the aforementioned expiration timeline.
Exceptions are weapons and armor from the raids “Last Wish” and “Garden of Salvation” – These are supposed to have a significantly higher level cap. However, how high is currently unknown.
Bungie is aware that this means parting with cherished armor. However, to ensure that you can always keep and show off your favorite look, a new transmog system will be introduced:
Controversial but ultimately unavoidable?
Why is the new system necessary? According to Bungie, weapons are “the most important way players interact with the world.” They want this interaction to feel fresh and exciting at all times.
However, the previously known system of endless leveling of weapons and armor brings problems:
- If new weapons are not significantly better than old models, there is no reason to engage with new items
- Players will thus always use the same, well-known weapons – This does not trigger the loot drive
- If new items are always made stronger than their predecessors, a power creep occurs – This quickly leads to overpowered items that trivialize everything and are the best (and thus only) answer in every activity
In the TWaB, Bungie describes this situation as follows:
We cannot solve this by simply creating weapons that are always “better” than the previous ones. This would shorten the TTK (time to kill) both in PvP and in PvE, until the sandbox is neither fun nor tactical.
For these reasons, they resort to the sunsetting of items (weapon retirement). This allows special guns to have their moment in the sun and shine brightly – but automatically make way for others after a while to give them their moment in the spotlight.
This is how annoying or highly debated nerfs to popular weapons should belong to the past: Destiny 2 nerfs a top weapon – Many are upset, but I say: Good so
Bungie concludes by stating that there will certainly be many questions, criticisms, and opinions regarding this topic.
What do you think about your weapons and armor having an expiration date in year 4? Completely understandable, as other games do it this way (like Destiny 1), or does it take away your desire to chase carrots? Let us know in the comments.
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