Do Primus Engrams drop in Destiny 2 randomly? Or are they tied to specific progress? As clever fans have now discovered, there seems to be a system behind it that can almost predict the drops.
Since the introduction of Primus Engrams with the launch of the Forsaken expansion in Destiny 2, numerous theories about how to best obtain them have circulated. However, until now, there was no reliable way to predict a Primus Engram drop. But now it seems that some passionate fans have deciphered the system behind the Primus drop rate.
Fan Theory: Drop rate for Primus Engrams can be calculated
What are Primus Engrams? These are special engrams (purple) that scale up to 600 over the player’s power level and yield legendary weapons and armor pieces.
How to obtain Primus Engrams? Bungie explained that you can obtain Primus Engrams by defeating challenging enemies and by completing Crucible matches. However, clever fans have apparently uncovered a particular system through extensive in-game testing that allows them to predict drops of Primus Engrams.
As their theory suggests, the number of enemy kills is crucial for the drop. Between 1,800 and 2,000 kills guarantee a Primus Engram according to the testers’ experiences.
Enemy category determines the kill points: Certain enemy categories have different “kill values.” The numbers are not set in stone, but many other users on Reddit can now confirm these approximate guidelines:
- Enemies with red health bars count as 1 kill
- Enemies with orange health bars equal about 5 kills
- Enemies with yellow health bars and bosses correspond to about 20 kills
Other engravings can also be calculated: The same system apparently applies to rare (blue) and legendary (purple) engravings – just with different values. Blue engravings appear for around 100 kills, and purple engravings for about 300 eliminations.
According to the testers, the drop rate can be estimated so accurately that they were able to predict when rare and legendary engravings would drop simultaneously.
Keep in mind: According to the testers’ statements, there are still some additional factors that affect the calculations of the drop rate for Primus Engrams.
It should be noted that the Primus determinism buff works differently if the Guardian has recently received a Primus Engram. If not, Primus determinism speeds up this process.
The guideline of 1,800 kills is based on a fresh buff and does not apply to players who have not seen a Primus Engram for days. These players are likely to receive their Primus Engram sooner. Other factors such as the “Well Rested” buff or fireteam medals will be tested in the near future.
By the way: The fan theory also suggests that Bungie has changed the way Primus Engrams previously worked. Because they used to seem tied to the difficulty level of the respective enemies. Currently, it seems to be harder to obtain a Primus Engram. However, it is easier to predict the drop.
Interested? Exact test results and more details on this fan theory can be found in the corresponding post on Reddit and on YouTube.
If you’re not into theories and prefer hard facts? Then check out our guide collection for Forsaken.
What have been your experiences with Primus Engrams so far? Have you noticed any other details or patterns?
