Destiny 2 is tweaking its progression system for Shadowkeep and has revised numerous aspects of it – such as the starting conditions or sources for power upgrades, or powerful loot. We explain to you what changes with the release of Shadowkeep regarding power progression.
Where does the information come from? In the second part of his “Director’s Cut” blog, Franchise Director Luke Smith addressed the changes to the progression system that you can expect with Shadowkeep. This is how your path to power changes with the release of the big autumn expansion.
Bungie ensures equal starting conditions for all Guardians
This is what Bungie intends: Bungie aims to ensure that with the release of Shadowkeep and Destiny 2: New Light, both veterans and returning players as well as newcomers can quickly play together.
This is how it will be implemented: Therefore, all players will be set to the same power level at the start of the new content – namely to 750, which is the current level cap before Shadowkeep. This way, all Guardians can enter the new era together and level up to 950.
Newcomers and returning players won’t have to struggle through old content first but can immediately dive into battle side by side with established players.
More about this can be found here: In Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, everyone starts at the same power level – Follow this tip now
Sources for Powerful Gear are being revised
This is changing overall: Since Forsaken, more and more sources for powerful loot have found their way into Destiny 2 over the past year. The number of these sources is set to be reduced to about the level of Forsaken with Shadowkeep.
At the same time, there will be consistent powerful rewards for Guardians on the way to more power.
Changes to Prime Engrams
What are these engrams? Prime Engrams are a core mechanic when it comes to increasing your power level. They grant you higher power jumps than most other loot. Some adjustments have been made to this for Shadowkeep.
What is changing? Prime Engrams will drop for you only starting at power level 900. You will be able to accumulate corresponding charges for them on your way from 750 to 900. Smith does not elaborate on what these do.
- Weekly, you can earn more Prime Engrams than before. Additionally, they are supposed to drop more frequently.
- However, they will not grant such large power jumps, which is intended to compensate for the increased number of drops.
This makes every drop in the open world exciting
This is what world drops currently look like: Drops in the open world of Destiny 2 have contributed little to power progression so far. This will change with Shadowkeep – especially regarding legendary items.
These legendary items will not give you an extreme boost, but they will also be useful in the future.
This is changing: In the open world, the so-called world drops will be adjusted to support players in progressing beyond the soft cap (likely power level 900).
Legendary items have the chance to drop at your current power level. Specifically, this means:
- You have, for example, a power level of 912
- Gauntlets have the lowest value of all gear pieces at 906
- If you open a legendary engram, there is a chance you will find gloves with a power level of 912, thus a power upgrade of 6
New “Powerful Sources” for Powerful Loot
This is new: Destiny 2 will introduce so-called powerful pinnacle sources for gear with Shadowkeep. These will be the only ways to obtain items beyond the power level 950 (likely the actual hard cap) – at least in season 8.
What is this about? This additional power increase is described by Bungie as a kind of prestige power. When you see a Guardian wearing 960 gear, you immediately know: they have successfully mastered numerous pinnacle activities. Because that’s the only way to reach those values.
As of now, the pinnacle sources include:
- the Raid
- the Iron Banner
- and a new, yet unknown activity.
This is how you increase your power with artifacts
This is behind the artifacts: With Shadowkeep, the artifacts from Destiny 1 find their way back into the game – albeit in a completely revised form. The artifacts will be seasonally bound. Each season there will be new artifacts with new mods that fit the new season.
More about the new artifacts can be found here: How artifacts are supposed to bring fresh wind into new seasons
If you level up an artifact during a season, it will become a source for the seasonal mods – unique modifications that can only be equipped and used in the respective season.
These mods could be entirely new, experimental versions or powerful mods with reduced energy costs, inviting you to intense build crafting.
This is how artifacts affect your power: Artifacts will make it possible to receive a power bonus. However, this bonus will not apply to gear and does not influence the power level of future drops. This bonus applies directly to all your characters and additionally increases their power.
By leveling up the artifact, Guardians who cannot or do not want to complete pinnacle activities will have an additional “seasonal” path to more power.
What do you think about these changes? Is there anything you particularly dislike or are looking forward to?
