With Shadowkeep, Destiny 2 received a new armor system – the so-called Armor 2.0. However, many feel that the new armor standard is not consistently thought out. We show where there are still weaknesses and where players urgently wish for improvements.
What is Armor 2.0? Armor 2.0 is the current armor system of Destiny 2, which was introduced with the Shadowkeep expansion in the fall of 2019.
This significantly overhauled the original system. Players should finally be able to customize their Guardians without having to compromise between looks and functionality. For example, armor with strong stats but poor aesthetics can still be given a cool appearance.
Learn more about Armor 2.0 here: The new Armor 2.0 revolutionizes Destiny 2
What is the problem with Armor 2.0? Not everyone is satisfied with the new standard. While there were indeed new freedoms, they were not to the extent that many had hoped.
In the eyes of many Guardians, Armor 2.0 was definitely a step in the right direction, but the system is seen as not consistently thought out or not fully developed in several areas. There are some annoying weaknesses.
These 3 things would improve Armor 2.0
Shortly after the launch of this new system, concrete suggestions began to circulate that address the areas where the system still has weaknesses. Just three of them could eliminate the most annoying problems of Armor 2.0 and make it what many have wished for from the outset.
These changes are what players would like to see in Armor 2.0:
Universal Ornaments for all armor pieces
The desire for an unrestricted ornament system is likely to be one of the most important aspects for many Guardians regarding Armor 2.0.
Through so-called universal ornaments, players can change the appearance of legendary armor pieces within Armor 2.0 and customize it to their liking. However, Armor 2.0 does not offer the advertised freedoms that many were expecting.
Currently, the ornaments for regular armors mostly consist of Eververse sets. Crucible, Vanguard, or also Iron Banner armors have their own unique ornaments. Therefore, the selection appears quite limited, according to many players.
Once players have earned or acquired these Eververse armors or ornaments, they can transfer their appearance to all armor pieces using the corresponding ornament slot within Armor 2.0. Exotics, however, are excluded from this as they are tied to their unique appearance.
However, regular armor pieces cannot be used as ornaments on other armors. For example, Trials sets or the armors from the faction rallies are not available as ornaments either.
In short: not every armor piece that has already been found can transfer its appearance to another armor. Therefore, the promised freedom cannot always be realized. As a result, a hard-farmed armor piece with strong sets often still falls short of the players’ aesthetic desires.
Here, players simply wish: let us use the appearance of all previously collected armor pieces as ornaments and project them onto other equipment. That would align with what many have envisioned from the outset.
By the way: Players also want the cool-looking Solstice armor, which currently only comes with poor stats as Armor 2.0, to be considered a universal ornament: When is the Solstice armor finally worth it again? That’s what Bungie says.
No elemental affinity
Even in functionality, the announced freedoms ultimately did not turn out to be as generous as initially hoped by some Guardians. With Armor 2.0, the armor pieces gained a so-called elemental affinity, which limited the customization options in the form of armor mods.
Not all mods can be easily applied to every armor piece or slot. All armor pieces are assigned to one of the three elements (Arc, Void, Solar), and this affiliation ultimately determines which mods can be applied to the respective armor. This, in turn, has a decisive influence on gameplay.
Yes, there are also universal mods. However, many are dependent on the element. For example, support mods for shotguns are only found on Arc armor pieces. Armor pieces with Solar or Void affinity are therefore of little interest to shotgun players.
Due to RNG, it is anything but guaranteed to receive the corresponding armor piece with the matching element. This problem becomes particularly pronounced with rare Exotics.
Thus, artificial restrictions are still created with Armor 2.0, which opposes the promised uncompromising freedom. As a result, build diversity is more limited rather than increased. The randomness factor also plays a more significant role here.
Therefore, many players have long wished for an abolishment of the elemental affinity regarding armor pieces and mods or a means to work towards deactivation. A popular suggestion is that the elemental affinity should be removed when a legendary or exotic armor piece is fully upgraded to a masterwork.
No seasonal mod slots
Another problem with Armor 2.0 are the so-called seasonal mod slots. Armors that are thematically tied to a specific season have such a mod slot.
The problem is: seasonal mods from other seasons cannot be applied to these seasonal slots. Thus, a seasonal armor piece from Season 8 will not function with a seasonal mod from Season 9. For example, an armor piece from the Vex Offensive or the latest raid cannot be used in conjunction with the Obelisk mods from the Season of Dawn.
However, in order to benefit from these new mods, players are essentially forced to farm the current seasonal armor every season and use it if they want good stats while simultaneously utilizing the latest mods. This is also not in line with the promised great freedoms that were supposed to come with Armor 2.0.
Here, players wish that the new seasonal mods could be used with every previous armor, making them universal. Few will want to leave behind their hard-earned and often expensive upgraded armor sets with good stats from season to season.
What do you think of Armor 2.0 so far? Where do you see the biggest weaknesses of the new system? Would these 3 improvement suggestions make the system acceptable for you?
