With the start of the new Season 5, Bungie has nerfed what is probably the best energy weapon in Destiny 2 – the Ikelos shotgun. Our author Robert thinks the nerf is good, but Bungie now has to deliver.
This is what the shotgun can do: The Ikelos shotgun has a unique perk that only exists on this weapon: Barrel-Extension. This perk caused you to deal significant bonus damage for 5 seconds after a melee attack.
Since the shotgun fires automatically, you could unleash a full magazine on the enemy in this short time span. It must be clearly stated that there is no other energy weapon in PvE content that even comes close to this damage output. Even with the nerf, this remains unchanged.
This is how Bungie nerfed the shotgun: After a melee attack, only the first three shots from the shotgun deal bonus damage, after which the Barrel-Extension perk is reset. To reactivate it, another melee attack is necessary.
This change has consequences:
- The damage per second (DPS) decreases, and the weapon is no longer as potent as before
- The automatic function of the shotgun has become more or less useless
You now even have to be careful not to fire too many shots that no longer benefit from the damage bonus. The crux of the matter is: Even with the nerf, the Ikelos shotgun will likely still be one of the best energy weapons in the game.
Even though weapons like the Lord of Wolves can now match in damage – it is exotic and dependent on its own perk, and the catastrophic ammunition management is not even taken into account. So what has changed? Nothing. Bungie has nerfed a strong weapon and made its handling more difficult for optimal performance.
That’s why the nerf of the Ikelos shotgun was still the right decision
That’s why only the Ikelos shotgun was used: No weapon performed the job as well as the shotgun from the Escalation Protocol. Enemies with yellow health bars and bosses melted away under the influence of the shotgun.
If at all, players only resorted to other weapons in very few situations. And that’s too bad. After all, Bungie has made this mistake before.
The Ikelos shotgun is the new Black Hammer: The Black Hammer was considered the ultimate special weapon in Destiny 1. Anyone who landed three precision hits received a full magazine back – from out of nowhere.
This trivialized boss fights significantly, as enemies could be taken out effortlessly from a safe distance. Although players now need to get close to enemies with the Ikelos shotgun, the problem is the same. There’s no need to equip another weapon to successfully tackle the PvE content.
The story of the Black Hammer is a tragedy with a happy ending. First, the ammunition regeneration was nerfed, after which the weapon returned in an exotic version. In Destiny 2, Bungie ultimately integrated Whisper of the Worm, an exotic Black Hammer.
The biggest enemy of the loot shooter? Lack of diversity! In a game that primarily thrives on collecting and optimizing new gear, stagnation is deadly, as it quickly makes the game monotonous.
For this reason alone, Bungie had to weaken the weapon. The challenge will now be to ensure through suitable weapons and perks that the Ikelos shotgun is only the best choice in certain situations, rather than always as it has been.
This is how Bungie can make the nerf of the Ikelos shotgun forgettable: The new firearms from the Black Armory will have to prove that they can compete with the Ikelos shotgun in certain situations.
By this, I do not mean other shotguns with the Barrel-Extension perk, but other weapon types that are similarly effective but require a different playstyle. Only then will Guardians happily reach for other weapons again. This motivation is currently absent, but it is urgently needed.
What do you think of the nerf of the Ikelos shotgun? Right decision? Or unnecessary?
