In the MMO shooter Destiny, the mysterious black market trader Xur, the Agent of the Nine, appears on January 30th. Where he is located, what he has to offer, and how he changes the lives of Guardians in Destiny this time, you can find out in our article with screenshots and video.

Two weeks ago, Xur was incredibly popular and in demand. He had the Icebreaker with him. Young Guardians held babies to him, asking him to bless them. The lame could walk again, the blind could see, everything was wonderful, and Xur left with huge profits.

In the last week, the other end of the scale was reached. Xur only had the No Land Beyond in his inventory. Quickly, the Tower was deserted, the confetti remained in people’s pockets, and everyone hung their heads, while some insults (“snake-faced bastard”, and that came from Bungie) flew in Xur’s direction.

Three things could make his arrival this time friendlier: Heavy ammo synths, the Heart of the Praxic Fire, and the weapon whose name is not to be mentioned, for fear that it might be scared away. Should he actually have those items, then the Icebreaker was just the beginning. Well, in any case, the Offering Quest will continue for 48 hours…

All about Xur, the Agent of the Nine, on January 30th, 31st, and February 1st in Destiny

When does Xur arrive in the Tower and how long does he stay?

Xur arrives on Friday, January 30th, at 10:00 AM German time and leaves on Sunday, February 1st, also at 10:00 AM.

Where is Xur? What is his location?

Xur is located in the North Tower, by the Speaker.

Our friends at ziro.tv are going through this for you.

What do the numbers on the armor mean?

These are the values (Int, Dis, or Str) of the exotic armors. The first number is the “starting value” at light level 30, the second and higher number is the maximum value at light level 36. We have written an article about it.

What weapons and armor does Xur have for Titans, Warlocks, and Hunters?

This week, Xur has the exotic rocket launcher Dragon’s Breath for 17 strange coins. He offered it just once before, four weeks ago.

For Warlocks, he offers the Starfire Protocol (134/144), a DLC chest piece, which he has been selling constantly lately. In the last five weeks, four times. It seems to be the new Voidfang Vestment. As always: Xur hates Warlocks.

For Hunters, he has the gloves “Don’t Touch Me” (weak 76/82). He last offered those five weeks ago.

For Titans, the DLC boots Type 44 In the Offside (134/144). He just had these in Destiny last week, though with a weaker roll.

Xur has exotic glove engrams, but no synths for heavy ammo.

However, for those who need ammo for conspiracy theories: The 4 items Xur is offering today were already part of this exact configuration on January 2nd. (Even a glove engram was available back then).

What weapons and armor can Xur upgrade in Destiny this week?

Xur can upgrade six armors and six or seven weapons each week. More details on this game mechanic are summarized in this article. Keep in mind that it only makes sense to upgrade “old” versions of the Exotics, meaning anything with a higher maximum damage than 300 or a higher light level than 30.

Xur can upgrade the following armors this week:

• For Hunters, the Mask of the Third Man (104/112), a helmet
• … and Ahamkara’s Spine (80/86), gloves
• For Titans, he upgrades the Helm of Inmost Light (strong 118/127)
• … and the Mark of Alpha-Lupi (124/134), a chest piece
• For Warlocks, he upgrades the Skull of Dire Ahamkara (111/119), a helmet
• … and the gloves Sunsinger (strong 103/110)

Xur can upgrade the following six weapons this week:

• The auto rifle SUROS Regime.
• The hand cannon Dorn.
• The shotgun The Universal Remote.
• The fusion rifle Universal Remote.
• The sniper rifle Icebreaker.
• And the machine gun Extremely Good Advice.

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In this week’s Weekly Update for Destiny, Bungie addresses heavy ammunition. There is a bug that is so deeply rooted in the system that it will take at least four more weeks to fix it. Additionally, innovative ways to defeat Crota in Hard Mode are introduced.

The “Heavy Ammunition” bug, which repeatedly strips Guardians of their heavy ammunition, is one of the major topics in social networks and forums surrounding Destiny. It makes raids more challenging, costs Glimmer, and is just incredibly annoying. What’s worse is that it has been mentioned so often, and yet, at least according to casual opinion, it shouldn’t be a big deal to fix.

Guardians are constantly reminding Bungie to fix the bug as quickly as possible. It occurs when Guardians in Destiny wear armor that is supposed to increase their capacity for heavy ammunition.

The “Heavy Ammunition” bug has plagued Destiny for months

On Reddit, there’s been a “fun” thread created daily for a while now: Bungie should finally take care of this.

And when it was announced last week in the Weekly Update how many strange coins Xur has collected through the Icebreaker, a thread was quickly opened, wishing for exact figures on how much heavy ammunition had disappeared for this Weekly Update. As expected, Bungie has withheld this information.

The bug is deep in the heart of the system

Bungie is naturally aware of the problem and explains in the Weekly Update why it takes so long to address a fix. It is an error that lies hidden in the depths of the code.

When a Guardian respawns (after their death, after a cutscene, or when returning from orbit), the Guardian and their ammunition are recreated.

The system assigns them ammunition that is supposed to match the last ammunition they had. However, the weapons and thus the ammunition are created before the armor’s “capacity” is accounted for, and here there are modifiers that can increase the ammo reserve. This is quite a serious problem that is not easy to solve, at least not without introducing serious new issues. Simply removing the feature is also not an option.

The basic flaw here is an ordering problem. Our inventory system creates your weapons when your characters spawn. When that happens, it tries to restore the same fraction of ammo that you had when you died. The bug occurred because the weapon is created before capacity modifiers from armor perks are applied, so the persisted fraction yields fewer rounds.

At Bungie, they believe they are getting closer to a remedy, a targeted fix, and are promising a solution to the problem that hopefully will be deployed by the end of February.

The error seems to lie at a critical junction where various systems of Destiny come together. Thus, a solution that doesn’t create more problems than it solves is delicate.

Creative solutions for Crota

Otherwise, the Weekly Update for Destiny brought, as so often, relatively little new.

Praise was given to the strategy and skill of the Guardians in disposing of a certain “Crota” and highlighted two particularly effective strategies that Bungie likely hadn’t thought of themselves.

And perhaps as a small ray of hope for the hoarders among you: In the comments, the community manager assured that Bungie is discussing expanding the vault, the storage space for Guardians. They know how much Guardians want this, and they want it too. Such new features take time to develop.

On Fridays, there’s always a double combo within 10 hours. First comes the Weekly Update at night, then Xur will be back in the Tower on Friday, January 30, at 10:00 AM. We will report whether he has brought us more. It would be appropriate if he brought heavy ammo syntheses with him. Some Guardians would be more pleased with that at the moment than with any Exotics.

If you are waiting for him and want to pass the time: Here is our well-organized Destiny themed page.

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In Destiny, the legendary and exotic weapons often have absurd and obscure names. Where do they come from?

TFWPKY, ANITC, Gjallarhorn, Badger CCL, Doctor Nope, LDR 5001, the Trolley Problem … Where did Bungie get all these names from? And what in Eris’ crazy breath do they mean?

If you’ve ever wondered about this, you should treat yourself to this article. Wonderful useless trivia knowledge that you’ll remember for a lifetime while forgetting what the second binomial formula is after five minutes. Isn’t the human brain amazing?

• Another NITC – The scout rifle of the Vanguard is probably called “Another Nail in the Coffin”. This is an English idiom describing a step that brings one closer to the grave. Sometimes, cigarettes are referred to as such.
• Badger CCL – The other scout rifle of the Vanguard. It is believed that Bungie refers to “Badger couldn’t care less” and hints at a quite popular (72 million views) YouTube video about a honey badger, a creature that is so fearless that it doesn’t care about anything. Seems fitting for Destiny.

• Doctor Nope – the automatic rifle is a clear reference to the Bond villain Doctor No. Suited for Destiny, it has a slightly more casual vibe.
• Found Verdict (Schuldig befunden) – the shotgun probably alludes to Judge Dredd’s standard saying before he starts. There is also a character in the fantasy cycle of a Canadian author (The Game of the Gods) to which this saying would also apply. Many references are ambiguous and could refer to various sources.
• Gjallarhorn – this is the horn of Heimdall from Norse mythology, which he blows to warn the gods of the impending apocalypse (Ragnarok). Most today probably know the bridge guardian Heimdall from the Thor movies, where he is impressively played by Idris Elba.
• LDR 5001 – the sniper rifle LDR plays on “Long Distance Relationship.” 5001 feet would be about 1.5 kilometers … a distance within which a sniper rifle can still deliver a deadly shot. A macabre allusion to the fact that shooter and victim are in a kind of long-distance relationship.

• 

  No Land Beyond (Kein Land Ausserhalb) – we have already written something about this. This is a direct quote from a well-known Russian sniper in World War II. The film “Duell – Enemy at the gates” tells his story. It is perhaps the most obvious reference in Destiny. It also has multiple layers; just as the sniper had to defend Stalingrad against overwhelming odds, the Guardians must defend the “last city” against an overwhelming darkness and “reclaim their land.” One of the dominant themes in Destiny.
• One Way Ticket 000 – 000 is the Australian emergency phone code, a “One Way Ticket,” a simple fare will take you to the morgue.
• Patience and Time (Geduld und Zeit) – comes from Tolstoy’s century novel War and Peace – the strongest warriors are said to be patience and time.

• 

  Plan C – this is the plan when even Plan B goes wrong. An “emergency plan” when all else fails.
• Red Death (Roter Tod) – probably refers to Edgar Allan Poe’s tale “The Masque of the Red Death.” There, the wealthy of a city celebrate Carnival in isolation while the population dies from the plague. But the “red death” appears at their masked ball and brings ruin.
• TFWPKY 1969 – The Fall will probably kill you – is a quite legendary quote from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” – a film from 1969. Two outlaws consider escaping a hopeless situation by jumping into a deep river. One steadfastly refuses because he can’t swim. The other says: “Are you crazy? Probably the fall will kill you anyway.”

• The 4th Horseman (der 4. Reiter) – the Revelation of John in the Bible, the Apocalypse, describes the end of all days and knows four apocalyptic riders, the 4th is “Death.”
• The Comedian – could be a reference to Watchmen, where the “Comedian” is a rather insane, melancholic, violent hitman and superhero.
• The Devil you know, The Devil you don’t – a reference to a US proverb: The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t, because you know what to expect from him. In Destiny, the devil you know (the weapon) is considered much better compared to the “The Devil you don’t” – the devil you don’t know.

• Trolley Problem – this is a relatively well-known thought experiment in which people are asked if they would switch the tracks of a trolley to save five people, even if it would condemn one other to death. A “Trolley” is the English word for tram. The flavor text of the weapon explains: “Pull the switch, it’s the right decision.”
• Unfriendly Giant (Unsanfter Riese) – perhaps the most obscure reference: The text for the weapon “Unfriendly might be a bit too harsh. He’s actually quite shy” refers to a yogurt shop near Bungie’s headquarters, called “Shy Giant Frozen Yogurt.” The weapon name in Destiny itself is likely derived from a children’s book by Roald Dahl.
• Two to the Morgue – this is probably a reference to “The Untouchables,” a film with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery, where it underscores the importance of repaying violence not with equal violence, but with greater violence – “They send one of us to the hospital, we send two of them to the morgue.”

This was just a selection of the many weapon references that Bungie has hidden in Destiny. And it’s not just weapons that are teeming with them. In shaders, ships, armor, and many other things in the game, there are more such winking or clever details to discover.

What are your favorite names in Destiny?

P.S.: We have a bonus. If you ever wondered what “Mythoclast” means: The word describes the destruction of myths.

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The survival horror game Dying Light mocks the “legendary” loot cave in the MMO shooter Destiny.

In the new zombie shooter “Dying Light,” there is a loot cave, and that is no coincidence, but a jab at Bungie’s successful shooter Destiny.

Hidden in the farthest corner of the world of Dying Light, a cave awaits the player. There it reads, “Your destiny is to build your legend (and get loot)” – a clear reference to “Destiny,” the infamous loot cave, Bungie’s “Become Legend” marketing, and the ominous fascination of the Guardians for their beloved loot.

According to a player on reddit, after entering the cave an unholy number of zombies spawn, and when they are finally defeated, it says: “Enough! Patch 1.0.2 has been released! Do more quests!” – “Enough, the Patch 1.02 is out, do more quests now.”

It was somewhat similar, if we remember correctly, also in Destiny, right?

The treasure cave in Destiny was a spot where players quickly surrounded spawning enemy hordes to get their engrams, which Master Rahool then conveniently turned into rubbish. This is what Destiny looked like back in September and October. Long ago, and it was often mocked. Not least also by Bungie itself. Now they have, of course, other problems.

For those wondering what Guardians do today instead of the “old” treasure cave when they feel like such stationary shooting: Either farm Glimmer on Mars or farm engrams on Venus.

Otherwise, as Bungie desired, player activity has shifted more to strikes, the nightfall, or the current raid. The treasure cave probably lives on only in memories for most or recently as an Easter egg in Dying Light.

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A player in Destiny reached Rank 100 with the reputation faction “Dead Orbit.” But at the end of the rainbow, there was no pot of gold waiting.

The endless ranks with factions or the Cryptarch in Destiny create the idea that there must be something more to gain. That Bungie has hidden some special gimmick at Ranks 25, 50, 100 in these dizzying heights, just waiting to be discovered by an explorer.

And to be that first explorer, Guardians in Destiny take on quite a lot. They go where no Guardian has gone before, such as reaching Rank 100 with one of the Crucible reputation factions.

On reddit, a Guardian shared (and can prove) that he reached reputation Rank 100 with the faction “Dead Orbit.” However, the reward was not something special, but the same as all reputation rank-ups from Rank 3 onwards:

A legendary Dead Orbit package

Here the Guardian opened 18 Dead Orbit packages one after the other.

What rewards are available from reputation factions like Dead Orbit, New Monarchy, or Future War Cult?

There is a chance for legendary faction gear, also for certain faction shaders, emblems, and even a special spaceship alongside the Crucible title and the materials.

But there is no “special” reward waiting for players at certain round ranks.

The diligent player then thought and proposed that Bungie could provide fixed rewards at “round” ranks: perhaps a legendary spaceship at Rank 50, a special ghost shell at Rank 75, and at Rank 100 a very special exotic.

Is there a maximum rank in the factions?

But this is probably not going to happen anytime soon. Bungie seems not to have anticipated such high “reputation tiers” and likely doesn’t want to promote such extreme farming. There is no official statement at any rate.

The Guardian with 1200 hours in Dead Orbit is, by the way, satisfied and happy with Destiny, even if he thinks that Bungie could still do a bit more.

And somehow frightening: After Rank 100, it just keeps going. He is already at Rank 104 now. Trend: Rising.

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The MMO shooter Destiny actually turned out to be the hoped-for system seller for the PlayStation 4 in 2014. In the release month of September, sales figures skyrocketed.

“System seller” – that’s something like Super Mario back then for the first Nintendo or the good Sonic for the Sega Mega Drive. Because despite all the technical innovations, it is the big icons and exclusive titles that ensure that gamers reach for new consoles.

Destiny was not an exclusive title for the PlayStation 4, but was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Sony’s marketing strategy, however, aimed to claim the game for itself and boost PS4 sales. So they offered attractive bundles at bargain prices.

And Bungie cooperated with Sony: There are Strikes, PvP maps, and exotic items that will be exclusive to PlayStation players for at least a year. PlayStation 3 players were also offered the opportunity to upgrade their Destiny to a PS4 version for free while keeping their Guardian. Of course, this also applied to Xbox 360 to Xbox One.

In the run-up to the release in September, analysts were concerned with the potential of Destiny to boost next-gen console sales. And the statistics say: Yup, it worked.

It wasn’t solely responsible, but it was largely thanks to the release of Destiny on September 9 that there was a threefold increase in PS4 console sales compared to the previous month, August. PS4 sales rose to 1.75 million units in September.

In October, there was again a dip before sales surged toward the end of the year, as expected. Additional hits like Call of Duty and GTA V hit the market. And thanks to tradition, for some, there was a new console under the Christmas tree. It’s a pity there were problems then – and no, we don’t mean the delayed Christmas presents …

According to vgChartz statistics, Destiny has sold 4.55 million copies on PlayStation 4. This makes it the fourth best-selling title of the year. We’ll surely learn about sales on Xbox One soon as well. Because even if Sony likes to see Destiny as an exclusive title, it should have contributed significantly to Xbox One sales as well.

To the article with the nice graphs and statistics go here.

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