Destiny 2 has a lot in store with the recently introduced new Witch Queen expansion – also concerning the old Light subclasses. These are finally set to become as modular and customizable as Stasis. Now there’s finally a first concrete insight into what this will look like.
This is something many have wished for: This change is likely to please many players. With Stasis, a specially designed customization system was also introduced – and it is far ahead of the old Light subclasses in terms of customization options, offering much more freedom and possibilities for creating individual builds.
Many have wished for this system for the old classes as well, and Bungie is indeed going to fulfill this request. In the current “This Week at Bungie” blog, the studio has for the first time provided a concrete look at the upcoming revision.
Also important: In the course of TWaB, Bungie also stated:
- There will be no new Darkness subclass as part of Witch Queen or Year 5. In Year 5, the focus will be entirely on the old Light subclasses, their revision, and their new possibilities.
- As part of the recently started Season 15, there will be no new Stasis aspects or fragments.
Subclasses 3.0 – How the old Light subclasses will change with Witch Queen
The plan in brief: With Witch Queen, the studio will begin to massively revise the neglected old Light classes based on the modular model of the new Stasis system – including their own aspects and fragments.
This whole thing is referred to by Bungie as “Subclass 3.0”. This is what the Stasis system was internally called and it is now being extended to all other subclasses. The Void subclass will lead the way with “Void 3.0” in Season 16, while the other elements, namely Solar and Arc, will follow in subsequent seasons.
With Void 3.0, they want to shake up the subclasses you know and love – essentially reinterpreting them. New abilities and mechanics will be added, while some old ones will be left behind, overhauled, and/or expanded to allow for new cool and fun combinations of which you may not even know yet that you want. The characteristic playstyles of this subclass will be preserved – just maybe in slightly different forms.
General information about Void 3.0: Just like Stasis, which is defined by the 3 keywords “Slow, Freeze, and Shatter”, Void 3.0 and the other old subclasses will soon specialize in 3 such keywords. In the case of Void, these are “Suppression, Weaken, and Volatile”.
These terms should not be really new for seasoned players, but they will now become an important part of a broader, systematic framework – essentially the foundation for the orientation of the revised subclasses. They will not only appear in the subclass menu, but also on weapon perks, exotic armor, or mods of the respective seasonal artifact. Here are the central elements of the Void system:
With Void, there are 3 negative status effects that can affect enemies:
- Suppression – All active abilities are interrupted, and no abilities or movement modes can be activated while Suppression is active. Affected AI enemies cannot fire weapons.
- Weaken – The target takes increased damage, and its movement speed is reduced. Affected AI enemies shoot less accurately.
- Volatile – The target is affected by unstable Void energy and explodes when it takes additional damage or dies.
In addition, there are 3 positive effects you can apply to yourself and your allies:
- Void Overshield – A protective barrier of Void light that reduces incoming enemy damage.
- Invisibility – You become invisible and do not appear on enemy radar.
- Devour – You feast on the energy of your enemies. Kills fully restore your health, grant grenade energy, and extend the duration of Devour.
First Preview of Void 3.0
Keep in mind that these are just some initial, exemplary changes.
Example Nightstalker Hunter:
- Shadowshot – Moebius Quiver Super
- You fire 2 volleys of 3 Void arrows each in a cone-shaped area, which seek out enemies and create Void anchors upon impact. Shadowshot makes the tethered enemies volatile and deals increased damage against tethered enemies.
- One of the most annoying things about the current version of the Moebius Quiver is that you often need to press the input to activate the super many times to shoot each arrow individually. This takes a lot of time and often misses the intended target. Now that multiple arrows can be fired at once, it should be much easier to flood an area with traps in preparation for a fight or for burst damage against a boss.
- Stylish Executioner – Aspect
- Defeating a weakened, suppressed, or volatile enemy grants invisibility and True Sight. After executing a stylish execution, your next melee attack (while invisible) will weaken enemies.
- This is a twist on the revised perk “Flawless Execution”. With this aspect, the Nightstalker can specialize in defeating debuffed enemies and thus maintain invisibility.
Example Sentinel Titan:
- Overwatch – Aspect
- Summons a Void barricade to grant you and nearby allies a Void overshield. This barricade also slowly regenerates the Void overshields of allies seeking cover behind it.
- This is intended to highlight the role of the Sentinel as the team’s protector at the front line. Overwatch is just the right tool for that.
- Shield Toss – Projectile melee attack
- Throw your shield at an enemy. The shield can bounce off enemies and surfaces and provides you with a bit of Void overshield for each enemy hit.
- Titans are to receive more options for projectile melee attacks. This shield throw represents a good choice for aggressively pushing into enemy groups. This allows you to soften them up a bit and stay in the game a little longer.
Example Shadebinder Warlock:
- Pocket Singularity – Projectile melee attack
- Unleash a seeking unstable ball of Void energy that explodes when it approaches an enemy. This throws the targets back from the explosion site and makes them volatile.
- This is meant to knock enemies out of cover. A well-placed ball can launch enemies into the air so you can make the then volatile enemies explode with a headshot before they even touch the ground.
- Child of the Old Gods – Aspect
- Place your Rift to summon a self-thinking Black Hole that hovers beside you, waiting for a target. It will dashes at enemies, starting to siphon their energy and weaken them. Defeating enemies affected by this aspect grants you back some Rift energy depending on the type of Rift (Empowering Rift or Healing Rift).
- Child of the Old Gods is a powerful debuff tool that allows Shadebinders to have another means to control an area while sustaining themselves.
What do you think about what Bungie is planning with Subclasses 3.0 and how do you find the first examples based on the revised Void subclass? What features of Witch Queen are you looking forward to the most? Let us and other readers of MeinMMO know in the comments.
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