The upcoming DLC “Warmind” will introduce a new level system in Destiny 2. In an early TWAB, the developers mentioned that individual performance and reaching the maximum power level will become more significant in the future.
In the current TWAB, Bungie’s Senior Designer, Daniel Auchenpaugh, discussed how reaching the maximum power level at the launch of Destiny 2 was too easy and happened too quickly. This made leveling up one’s character feel unsatisfying, especially since there were no activities that truly required reaching the maximum level.
With the release of the second DLC, “Warmind”, this will change.
New Significance for the Max Level
According to Auchenpaugh, reaching the maximum level in Destiny 2 will regain significance and a sense of triumph. The changes introduced with the second DLC will therefore apply to everything in Destiny 2 and not just the endgame activities of “Warmind”.
Additionally, the grind of Public Events for a chance at Exotic Weapons and Clan Engrams will have less impact on endgame progression in the future.
Bungie’s intention is that for all players participating in weekly activities, it will take several weeks to reach the new level cap. The soft cap, which can be easily reached through drops from all sources, will be at 340 with the upcoming DLC, while the maximum power level that players can reach with the help of weekly reward sources will be set at 380.
Furthermore, +5 mods have not yet been accounted for, so the new maximum power level with “Warmind” will be 385.
Raids and Trials will provide the biggest level boost, while Clan Engrams will only grant a very small level advantage. Rewards from other weekly sources will fall somewhere between these activities.
Players who do not participate in weekly group activities are unlikely to reach the cap before the next release; passionate completionists will reach it before those who focus exclusively on raids or Trials.
The farming of Exotics outside of weekly activities will no longer be a viable way to increase your power level once you’ve reached the soft cap. If you receive Exotics from a non-weekly source, their power level will match that of legendary Engrams.
These changes to quest rewards and the farming of Exotics are intended to ensure that players achieve the power maximum most effectively by participating in as many different challenges and weekly activities as possible.
Moreover, leveling itself is expected to progress significantly slower than players are currently accustomed to. Bungie anticipates that it will take roughly the same amount of time to go from 340 to 370 as it does from 370 to 380.
Less Power from Clan Engrams
Clan Engrams will in the future serve to help reach the new soft cap of power level 340 in Destiny 2. Up to this level, the Engrams will grant rewards that are, on average, about 15 power higher than the currently best possible gear.
Once the soft cap is reached, Clan Engrams will only grant rewards that are about 0 to 2 points above the best possible gear.
To prevent exploits with newly created characters and one-time quest rewards, rewards will be capped at the soft cap of the release they appeared in. The cap for launch quests of Destiny 2 will therefore be set at 260, while “Curse of Osiris” will be at 300 and “Warmind” at 340.
However, the calculation of reward drops will not change: The rewards will still be calculated based on “the best possible power.” It does not matter whether the gear is equipped, in the vault, or on another character.
Additionally, PvE in Destiny 2 should become more challenging again
