In Destiny 2, a comparison now shows how poorly the glorious weapons of the past perform against the new exotics.
In Destiny 2, Guardians can collect a total of 167 exotics at the time of Beyond Light and the Season of the Hunt. Of these, 77 are weapons and 30 special armors each for Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks.
Guardians agree that the new exotics are creative or extremely powerful. This is especially true for those exotics that were added in Season 11 or are now available with Beyond Light. Can you imagine a Destiny 2 without the Witherhoard or the Lament?
What is the problem? Many Guardians also agree that the old exotics, especially from the early days of Destiny 2, are way too weak these days. The wonder weapons of yesteryear now inhabit a shadowy existence in the collection.
Some players therefore demand that Bungie finally revamps or buffs the old exotics and brings the missing masterwork catalysts. How poorly the old exotics perform compared to the new generation is now surprising the community.
Duels of the exotics make the old exotic look really old
This comparison is causing a stir: The problem is particularly evident in a comparison between the two exotic sniper rifles D.A.R.C.I. and Cloudstrike. The reddit user WayofSoul compared both snipers in terms of damage over time (DPS) and total damage across the entire magazine.
The duel is clearly won by the new rifle Cloudstrike. For his comparison, WayofSoul even uses the enhanced version of D.A.R.C.I. with the damage bonus from “Personal Assistant”.
This is what the duel looks like:
| Weapon: | D.A.R.C.I. (+ PA) | Cloudstrike |
| DPS (Burst): | 18,960 | 19,780 |
| Total Damage: | 170,660 | 178,050 |
| Reservoirs: | 30 | 31 |
What is astonishing is that Cloudstrike is a special weapon. D.A.R.C.I., on the other hand, is equipped in the power slot. The weapons here are (or should) be the strongest in the game, but the ammunition is very scarce.
Thus, Cloudstrike is not only better in short damage phases and in the long run, it is actually still in the “weaker” weapon category.
This is how the community reacts: The corresponding post from December 11 has now received 7,800 upvotes, with an upvote rate of 97%, and 650 comments where the Guardians discuss it. The call for a buff for old exotics in general is getting louder.
Here’s what the Guardians are saying:
- Many are saddened that one of the best weapons from the vanilla days of Destiny 2 is now so clearly losing.
- Some Guardians are also calling for D.A.R.C.I. to be classified as a special weapon by Bungie. Others argue that this would only lead to problems in PvP.
- Some joke that D.A.R.C.I. is only used for measuring distances for YouTubers and their weapon tests – as the rifle always shows the distance to a target.
- Others, however, are already prophesying that Cloudstrike will soon be nerfed.
Is Bungie really not revising any old exotics?
In the patch notes for all changes from Beyond Light (via Bungie.net), we find numerous minor adjustments for exotics. Old-timers like the Jade Rabbit are also taken into account.
Even aging exotics benefit from the general changes of the DLC:
- Due to the recent adjustment of all 110 hand cannons to a rate of fire of 120, the old exotic Sturm has become noticeably more popular and better
- The only hand cannon of the beloved 150 archetype is now the old exotic Sunshot
- The exotic scouts are now really strong in the Crucible
- Thanks to the synergy from the new exotic Warlock gloves, old cult weapons like Thorn now shine
In the past, revisions of exotics have often suddenly turned them into top weapons:
- Hard Light became the tyrant of the Crucible through its adjustments and Guardians cried out for nerfs.
- The monster Xenophage was initially a joke and is now indispensable in endgame activities.
- Trinity Ghoul became meta overnight due to the new catalyst from Season 11.
- That catalysts can also change almost nothing was demonstrated in Season 12 with Leviathan’s Breath.
If you look, you can find examples that Bungie still has love for old exotics.
But it’s true: in Destiny 2, the saying “new is always better” usually applies – at least when it comes to exotics. For some of the old exotics, significant effort and many hours were invested, so the call for current competitiveness is no surprise.
What do you think, should Bungie put effort into revising the old exotics? Or would you rather have new exotic weapons and let the old ones rot in the collection? Do you have your own ideas or urgently wish for a catalyst for an exotic – let us know in the comments.
