In Destiny 2, numerous Supers will be adjusted at the end of January. Who will be the winners and losers of the upcoming changes? And what does the community think about it?
On January 29, 2019, Destiny 2 will receive its next update. Included are nerfs and buffs for the three Guardian classes. Even beforehand, these upcoming changes are being hotly debated within the community.
Although a final judgment will require players to try out the changes to the Supers live, on paper, many can already see which class will benefit the most and which will face the harshest cuts.
Hunter – the big loser
In one thing, many Guardians seem to agree: the Hunter will likely be hit the hardest. With the upcoming update, two of the currently most powerful Supers will be weakened, one of them being the Hunter’s.
Although he will not be completely nerfed into the ground, but rather brought into line with the other classes, he will reportedly face the strongest cuts, according to the community.
Here are the strongest cuts for the Hunter: The Blade Barrage must take a nerf to its currently strongest Super. It won’t be completely devalued, but in the future, it will require more skill to use this ultimate ability effectively.
The majority of damage will shift from impact to the delayed explosions of the knives, requiring the Super to take more time to unleash its full potential. Timing will thus play a more significant role. This also gives opponents in PvP more time to eliminate the Hunter in his Super, which was previously rarely possible.
Furthermore, the explosions can also damage the Hunter himself, and the distance to the opponents could thus become an additional factor to consider when using the Super – in both PvP and PvE.
The Hunter’s Spectral Blades will also receive a nerf. The damage resistance in stealth mode will be reduced, making it easier for others to take out the Hunter during this Super in PvP. Additionally, the duration of the Super will be shortened when cloaked.
What will be buffed for the Hunter: Some abilities of the Hunter will also be strengthened. The Golden Gun with 6 shots will, for example, return a Golden Gun shot if a kill is made with this Super.
This will make this ultimate ability more dependent on the skill of the individual player. It will also enhance its effectiveness against groups of enemies. Many fans are curious whether this bonus shot will also be granted in conjunction with the helmet Celestial Night Hawk, which could greatly increase the attractiveness of this Super.
The Arc Staff and Whirlwind Shield will deal more damage with their heavy attacks. Additionally, the radius, duration, and damage of the first shot from the Möbius Quiver of the Nightstalker will be increased. It should become easier to land multiple hits. Whether these Super attacks will thus become more attractive remains to be seen. Fans are still unsure about this.
The nerfs to the Hunter clearly aim for better balance in PvP, but they will also have implications for PvE, where, unlike the Crucible, there have been no complaints from players regarding the weakened abilities.
The Warlock – The second loser
Alongside the Blade Barrage, the Nova Warp of the Void Warlock is currently one of the most powerful Supers in the Crucible. And this ability is also set to be nerfed with the upcoming update. Many players believe that the Warlock will be hit almost as hard as the Hunter.
What will be reduced for the Warlock: The Warlock’s movement speed during Nova Warp and the damage of the explosion in PvP will be reduced. This will make it less easy to tear apart entire groups, and escaping the Nova Warp will be easier in the Crucible.
Additionally, its effectiveness against other Supers will be weakened if they provide corresponding damage resistance. Opponents with such an active Super won’t be able to be killed by an explosion.
Moreover, each explosion will soon consume more Super energy, resulting in a reduced overall duration of the Super. Additionally, one should be able to withstand better against weapons or other Super attacks, as the damage resistance of the Warlock will be decreased during Nova Warp.
What will be buffed for the Warlock: The duration of the Dawnblade will be increased. This change is particularly welcomed by Warlock fans, as the Super can already be extended with kills. Furthermore, the Chain Lightning of the Stormcaller will hit one more target.
For the Catastrophe of the Void Warlock, the explosion radius and damage from cluster bombs will be increased. Also, the target-seeking of the cluster bombs will be improved; however, they will no longer trigger each other.
Overall, these smaller buffs do not compensate for the nerf of the Nova Warp for many fans. While many agree that this Super was indeed overpowered in its current state and needed changes, they feel Bungie has once again turned the wrong screws. A reduction of the duration and explosion radius would have sufficed.
The Titan – The winner of the upcoming changes
The Titan is the only class that won’t face any significant nerf in the upcoming update, but it is also the only class currently without an overpowered Super. Thus, there are only changes to the functionality of some abilities and buffs for Titans.
What will be buffed for the Titan: The most significant boost will go to the Sunbreaker Titan. The damage of the burn effect caused by Sunspots on enemies will be doubled.
Additionally, the duration of Sun Warrior will be increased from 3 to 5 seconds, and all damage will soon be increased. It will be interesting to see how the Sunbreaker plays with these changes, as this build is currently rarely used.
The Fire Hammer will also be strengthened. Its impact radius and target-seeking of the tornados will be improved. For the Sentinel, most damage will be shifted to heavy attacks, similar to the Arc Hunter.
The Striker Titan will soon have 3 levels of how long he can remain airborne due to the end speed. At each level, Guardians will be able to deal four shocks instead of just three as before. The damage bonus will also be significantly increased.
The light shoulder charge when stomping will soon cost 85% less Super energy. Furthermore, post-update, players will be able to stomp every 0.5 seconds.
What will be nerfed for the Titan: The Titan currently has no truly overpowered Super abilities that players feel need a nerf. The Titans’ Supers are generally viewed by most players as being in a good state. Bungie likely saw it similarly and has not nerfed any Titan abilities.
Therefore, many players believe that the Titan will benefit the most from the upcoming changes, even if the buffs must first prove in practice whether they actually contribute to the Titan’s attractiveness and effectiveness.
What fans think about the upcoming adjustment of the Supers
This is how the community is discussing it: The upcoming changes are traditionally hotly debated – on Reddit, in other forums, and also here at MeinMMO.
Many players cannot understand the nerfs to their favorite class. In particular, many Hunters and Warlocks see themselves in the victim role, enviously glancing at the Titans and already cursing the upcoming update. After all, the most powerful Supers of both classes are being nerfed.
However, there are indeed players who, even as Warlocks or Hunters, admit that the nerfs, whether in this form or not, were indeed necessary and that balance is being restored – especially in the Crucible.
All classes should ideally feel equally valuable. No one should have an overpowered Super that overshadows other classes and their abilities. Moreover, fans point out that one should first play the changes live before forming a final judgment.
However, a large portion of the community agrees on the fact that Bungie once again has balance in the Crucible in focus and is making the necessary changes for it. However, the effects will also be felt in PvE, which many find unfortunate. Because hardly anyone has complained about the PvE performance of the abilities affected by the nerf.
What do you think about the upcoming changes to the Supers? Has your favorite class been ‘nerfed into the ground’? Can you understand the adjustments? Or would you have made different changes?
