In Destiny 2, the return of one of the most popular Exotics is imminent. MeinMMO assumes that all Hand Cannon lovers will have reason to rejoice this fall.
This popular Exotic is coming back: Because viewers donated so generously during a charity stream, Bungie revealed that Hawkmoon will return. In Fall 2020, with the large expansion “Beyond Light“, one of the most popular Exotic Hand Cannons will make its Destiny 2 debut.
Normally, many Guardians are quite critical of revamped content from the original, but the sight of their baby Hawkmoon (Hawkmoon) mostly sparked euphoria.
But in what form could the elegant revolver be revamped, and why do we assume that all Hand Cannon lovers will soon have a reason to celebrate?
Why players can soon look forward to the iconic “Vault of Glass” raid in a new guise, you can read here:
In what form will Hawkmoon come to Destiny 2? Originally, Hawkmoon relied on a decent amount of luck. 3 random bullets in the magazine dealt bonus damage – accompanied by a unmistakable sound (via YouTube). In the early days, luck treated players a bit too well and allowed for incredible damage.
Destiny boss Luke Smith has already confirmed that Hawkmoon will also rely on the characteristic luck mechanic in Destiny 2. However, they want to go in a different direction than random damage.
At this point, we do not know what the Exotic will look like in its revised form. However, considering other returnees, we can assume that the character of the weapon will be preserved but will return with one or two interesting twists.
Examples of Exotics from Part 1 that are better in Destiny 2 (but not completely broken) include:
As Bungie is currently using Hawkmoon to generate massive anticipation, we assume that the Exotic will be worth it. MeinMMO even goes further and suspects that Hawkmoon could be the salvation of many Hand Cannons.
Are Hand Cannons finally due for a revision?
This is the problem: Since their last major revision, 2 out of 4 Hand Cannon archetypes are virtually useless, one is close to being useful, and only one currently convinces. In February, we reported that Bungie would not change anything in this regard, much to the dismay of Guardians – as stylish revolvers are the favorite weapons of Guardians.
So here are the 4 archetypes:
- 180s: Fire quickly and very accurately, but have poor damage – only interesting for controller players because they virtually eliminate recoil.
- 150s: Are the first choice for all Hand Cannon lovers – they intrinsically provide a speed boost, have excellent handling and good damage.
- 140s: Resemble the 150s but are slower and significantly inferior – the damage is slightly higher, but not enough to make a difference; furthermore, they lack the smooth bonuses. The 150s simply do everything a tad better.
- 110s: Fire painfully slowly, kick like a mule but hit hard – unfortunately, the slightly higher damage makes little difference in practice, and the characteristic range has been capped. There are no significant reasons to equip a 110.
Indeed, legendary Hand Cannons are thus limited to the 150s.
The requested buff is likely coming: Hawkmoon belonged to the 140s in Destiny 1 – thus part of the current “failures.” Time and again, Bungie has indicated that they are collecting feedback on Guardians’ favorite genre.
We assume that a proper buff is on the way this fall. Because with the major fall expansions, the biggest sandbox adjustments have also come into play.
What better time than the return of one of the most popular Exotics of the genre to conduct a revision?
Whether the 140s will be as “generous” as they were in Destiny 1 is uncertain. In PvP, a critical hit and 2 body shots were needed for a player to be history. Currently, it takes 3 mostly critical hits – for 150s and 140s.
That way, the two archetypes could be distinctly differentiated from each other, with a fast fire rate, better handling but good aiming, or slightly worse stats, but without such a high precision requirement.
This fall, revolver range should finally matter again, as Bungie hinted in May (via TWaB). This would particularly benefit the long-neglected 110s.
What do you think? In what form could Hawkmoon return and retain the characteristic randomness principle without breaking the game? Do you also think it is time for a revision of Hand Cannons? Let us know your thoughts on the subject in the comments.
