Who hasn’t missed multiple shots with their hand cannon, even though they aimed correctly? The blame lies with a mechanism in Destiny 2 called Bloom. But what does this mechanism do? And why do hand cannons perform so much better on PC?
A Redditor analyzed the current usage stats of weapons in Destiny 2’s Crucible. Specifically, hand cannons are significantly more popular on PC. What is the reason for this? And what role do “Aim Assist” and “Bloom” play in this? To find out, we embark on a small time travel.
Hawkmoon, Thorn, The Last Word – The Overweapons
There were times in Destiny 1 when the Crucible was predominantly populated by hand cannons. Guardians primarily played with
- the Hawkmoon, which could eliminate opposing players from a great distance with a single shot,
- the Thorn, whose poison damage led to an exit with just two headshots, and
- the Last Word – the hand cannon with the fastest TTK of all primary weapons (approximately 0.3 seconds).
In combination with the standard Aim Assist on consoles, these weapons were overpowering.
To break the dominance of hand cannons, Bungie introduced a system for this weapon category called Bloom.
Bloom – also known as Ghost Bullets
The mechanism was first introduced by Bungie in Halo: Reach. The system already caused great discontent among players back then, as Bloom added a random element to fights that nobody requested.
Generally, the bullet should hit where you aim. However, with Bloom, that’s not always the case.
What does Bloom actually do? Let’s imagine a line from the barrel of the weapon to the opposing target. Without Bloom, the projectile follows that line exactly and hits where the shooter aimed.
When the Bloom mechanism comes into play, this line becomes a funnel. Visually speaking, you attach a cone to the barrel of the weapon that widens towards the target. Now, the bullet no longer hits on a line but somewhere within this funnel. Where the bullet hits exactly is left to chance.
For this reason, hand cannons feel inconsistent. Even though you aim at the critical area of an opponent, the bullet may go astray or only hit the body. This phenomenon is also referred to as Ghost Bullets – bullets that disappear into nowhere.
Initial and Final Precision – what does it mean?
To describe the manifestation of Bloom – and thus the size of the cone – we need to consider initial and final precision:
- Initial precision – Describes the manifestation of Bloom upon firing the first shot. Typically, the funnel is very small with the first shot, therefore critical hits while carefully aiming are very likely. In other words, the first shot lands where you aim.
- Final precision – Describes the size of the funnel after firing several shots in quick succession. The funnel becomes larger, and thus the probability of missing the target increases.
This spread was very low in Halo: Reach, in Destiny, the funnel is significantly larger, not only regarding final precision but also when firing the first shot.
The effects of this principle were vividly demonstrated by Redditor Opnomonous in a short video:
Let’s summarize the insights gained:
- Exotic hand cannons were too strong in Destiny 1 due to their perks and the Aim Assist on consoles, that’s why Bungie introduced the Bloom mechanism
- Thanks to Bloom, projectiles no longer fly in a straight line, but in a funnel
- Where the bullets hit within the funnel is determined by chance
- The size of the funnel depends on initial and final precision
That’s why hand cannons perform worse in Destiny 2 than in its predecessor
Players were less than thrilled with the introduction of the Bloom mechanism. Consequently, chance now determined victory or defeat, no longer the player themselves. Why some few representatives of the category continued to be used (Eyasluna / Palindrome) was partly due to the handling of the weapons and partly due to Aim Assist.
However, the main reason were the available perks that could be rolled on the weapons. The effects of Bloom could be reduced through precision and range perks. Because range positively influences Aim Assist and the size of the funnel, shots hit their mark more often.
This perk selection no longer exists in Destiny 2 – Guardians have to make do with what’s available. The lack of perk selection negatively affects weapon behavior. Bloom is significantly more pronounced without appropriate stability or range perks.
Consequently, hand cannons particularly suffer from the removal of random weapon rolls. Does this circumstance also reflect in the usage behavior of the Guardians? The results are surprisingly striking at first glance.
Usage behavior of weapons in the Crucible – Console / PC
This is the usage of the various weapon categories according to the external site Guardian.gg. On consoles, it looks like this (game mode Iron Banner):
Not surprisingly, automatic rifles dominate. They are easy to handle and their range is outstanding. In second place, with a large gap, are scout rifles (or should we rather say: The scout rifle?). All other weapon types are used below average.
The picture looks quite different on PC:
Also on PC, automatic rifles are the most popular weapon category. Following closely are hand cannons. In third place are scout rifles.
Why are hand cannons so popular on PC? The answer lies in the Bloom mechanism. Because it does not exist on PC.
No Aim Assist = No Bloom
Since PC players can aim significantly more precisely with a mouse and keyboard, Aim Assist does not exist on PC. Only when a controller is connected to the PC does Aim Assist become noticeable.
With no Aim Assist, the Bloom mechanism also becomes obsolete. Thus, aimed targets are guaranteed to be hit, the element of chance is non-existent. How unpopular the Bloom mechanism is, is clearly shown by the graphic above.
Players have been wishing for a long time for a reduction of Aim Assist, not rarely targets move through the screen, causing the aim to be thrown off. If Aim Assist were reduced, Bungie wouldn’t need to rely on the Bloom mechanism anymore, the skill of the individual player would come to the forefront again.
How Bungie will continue to handle this issue is unknown, there are no official statements. Bungie, however, is undoubtedly aware of weapon usage, it is therefore likely that hand cannons will be revised in some form. Perhaps already in one of the two major updates in December (December 5 and December 12)?
Have you noticed this mechanism before? What do you think of it?
