In Destiny 2 the update 3.2.1 is just around the corner. Midway through Season 14, it stirs up the sandbox. Changes are coming for shotguns, hand cannons, and exotics.
Bungie has announced a major update for Destiny 2. According to the developers, such significant changes in the middle of an ongoing Season 14 are unusual but necessary.
- Thus, after the big Stasis nerfs, there are fierce changes coming for the Guardians that will shake up the sandbox.
- We present to you the most important buffs and nerfs from the preview of the patch notes and explain what you should prepare for. Bungie stated they have never released such an update in the middle of the season.
When will the new update arrive? On July 6, update 3.2.1 will hit the Destiny servers. So prepare for plenty of time for downloading and applying the patch on the next weekly reset on Tuesday.
As always, MeinMMO will accompany you through the update and keep an eye on the servers. But let’s now take a look at the highlights from patch 3.2.1 – the so-called mid-season update. We will share the information in handy, thematic bites.
An exotic gets stronger, another gets weaker
This is what happens to Sleeper Simulant: The old exotic Sleeper Simulant (Sleeper) was supposed to receive a significant buff with the start of Season 14. However, that backfired, and Bungie promised to make up for the strengthening.
- The exotic will gain 16.5% more damage compared to the previous season.
- This makes Sleeper the weapon with the highest damage per shot.
- Keep in mind that Sleeper also deals significantly more damage on body shots than other linear fusion rifles.
- Additionally, the exotic benefits from the increased reserves that other linear fusion rifles received at the start of Season 14.
Many Guardians have been looking forward to this buff for a long time. We have separately explained what the changes for Sleeper Simulant mean.
Dead Man’s Tale gets a nerf: The exotic scout rifle Dead Man’s Tale is too strong in the Crucible. Thus, a nerf is needed, especially on PC, according to Bungie.
- When firing from the hip, you will now experience damage drop-off much sooner.
- When firing from the hip, the aim assist is less generous.
These changes are primarily aimed at PCs and will hardly affect the weapon on controllers, Bungie says. You now have to decide when to aim down sights and when hip fire is appropriate.
What about other exotics?
- Particularly exotic primary weapons should feel more rewarding and powerful again. Buffs are planned for Season 15 (starting in late August 2021).
- Exotic catalysts: Bungie has also announced buffs for other rarely used exotics. These weapons will receive a masterwork catalyst that makes them significantly more useful, similar to Deathbringer and Trinity Ghoul. However, these changes will only come in a later season.
Bungie kills the PvP meta
Shotguns dominate the Crucible, both in quickplay and competitive modes such as trials (via Destinytracker.com). Bungie says many Guardians complain that they cannot use many primary weapons in PvP because the entire close-range area is controlled by shotguns. That should change next week.
Shotguns receive changes in 3.2.1:
- The control of aggressive shotguns will be increased from 4.0 to 4.25 degrees. 55 shotguns like Astral Horizon and presumably Felwinter’s will no longer hit as accurately with all projectiles.
- All shotguns will experience damage drop-off 2 meters sooner.
- Slug-shotguns – precision shotguns like Chaperone, which fire only one round instead of a volley – are unaffected.
Bungie aims to ensure that the one-shot range of shotguns decreases significantly with these changes. You should have to aim for a second shot much more often. This way, other weapons will have more breathing room – are we heading towards a slug meta as well? A hot candidate is also the new Iron Banner weapon.
Hand cannons are too hot in the Crucible
These revolvers will be nerfed: What rocks a meta Guardian in PvP along with a shotgun? Exactly, a 120 hand cannon. Only the aggressive revolvers are getting hit in the next update:
- The precision damage will no longer be increased by 1.8 – but after the update by 1.6. This means you will deal less crit damage.
- This makes kills with 2 shots impossible, should you have Rage active, for example. This change only applies in PvP.
- Damage drop-off and aim assist drop-off will now set in 1-2 meters earlier. Well rolled 120 hand cannons can easily achieve 35-40 meters before damage starts to drop.
The 120 hand cannons like Igneous Hammer or Spare Rations are almost back to where they were before Beyond Light. Due to the changes, 140 hand cannons like The Palindrome should become significantly more attractive again. However, due to their high damage per shot and still absurd range, the class of 120s is still usable.
More about changes for PvP has been revealed by Bungie during a 3-hour podcast:
More changes in update 3.2.1 for Destiny 2
The new patch will also address some bugs that plague Destiny 2 starting on June 6. The erasure missions should run more smoothly, and in the old strike “Twisted Chasm,” the drill section should become slightly less annoying if you die.
Some abilities will also receive bug fixes. Nothing groundbreaking, but Stormcallers will soon be able to teleport while slowed, and the Stasis shurikens will now slow in combination with a fragment as intended.
These perks are changing:
- Rewind Rounds: the new raid perk is strong and should now also provide all benefits if your last shot in the magazine misses.
- Fall Magazine: The reload perk can no longer roll on new weapons. In Season 15, the entire perk will be changed from the ground up.
- Pulse Monitor: Now grants the stated handling bonus.
- Storage Salvo: The well-known trait of the new quest weapon no longer “pushes” enemies away but makes them explode instantly.
A small change to fusion rifles is also interesting: The damage of the class is reduced in the “Dynamic Control” mode – but only there. Why you should pull fusion rifles out of the dusty vault in Season 14 has been explained by MeinMMO here: Destiny 2 has suddenly made an entire weapon class better – Try them out.
So, those were the most important changes to expect from June 7 onwards. PvE players can clear enemies with the buffed Sleeper. In the Crucible, things will get really interesting, as we are likely facing a new meta. You can view the complete changes, with every detail, in the patch notes starting with the next weekly reset.
What do you think, which weapons will dominate PvP soon? What do you think of significant changes happening in the middle of an ongoing season? Let us know in the comments.
By the way, along with the update, you can look forward to the next event. The summer festival “Sundown of Heroes” goes live at the same time. More on that shortly on MeinMMO.
