Do you feel like you’re only encountering one weapon in the PvP of Destiny 2? The statistics also say: Hard Light is tyrannizing the Crucible. We take a closer look at the numbers and venture a prediction on how long the reign of terror will last.
This weapon dominates the PvP: Recently, MeinMMO reported that the once-ridiculed Exotic “Hard Light” currently dominates the Crucible. The trend over the past few days clearly shows: The exotic auto rifle currently not only dominates but almost tyrannizes the entire PvP.
Guardians report encountering the weapon in every match and have only one counter at hand. That is to use “Hard Light” themselves and thus turn the battlefield into a colorful and insane laser show.
The statistics say: In the Trials of Osiris, “Hard Light” holds the undisputed first place among the most used weapons. Today, on March 24, 2020, the Exotic has nearly 8 million kills to its name (Source: Trials Report) – the trend is rising.
- In second place, with only about half as many kills, is the popular “Mindbender” shotgun
- Third place is taken by another shotgun: “Astral Horizon.” The powerful Trials shotgun currently has about 2.7 million kills.
- The next primary weapon can only be found in sixth place (1.9 million kills). The also exotic auto rifle SUROS Regime only accounts for about a quarter of the kills of “Hard Light.”.
It must be mentioned that the current Trials map (Anomaly) significantly favors the use of the new Exo specialist. Because in the narrow corridors and winding passages of the space station, the bouncing laser projectiles unleash their full potential and are likely responsible for entire team wipes.
What is the situation in regular PvP? Not only in competitive modes and the Trials of Osiris does the laser show from “Hard Light” dominate everyday life. Also in the quick play, the dominance of the exotic auto rifle has long been the order of the day.
This is what the usage looks like in conflict mode (Source: Guardian.gg):
- Playstation 4: 24 %
- Xbox One: 26 %
- PC: 19 %
For Destiny veterans, the state may evoke flashbacks to the days of the reign of terror of the Thorn. In the times of Destiny, there were always periods when certain exotics stood out as primary weapons. The Graviton Lance, for example, during its heyday, but that was before the powerful special weapons like shotguns and sniper rifles.
Is a nerf likely? Currently, we do not consider a nerf to be very realistic in the near term. Bungie has proven over the past few months that they can react quickly. However, in these situations, it has usually been about exotics or mechanics that were “broken” or allowed unintended advantages.
“Hard Light” is currently not broken or bypasses mechanics; it is simply superior to its competition due to the combination of buffs. In the past, Bungie typically adjusted weapon balance with the start of a new season. Whether they will make an exception here because of the usage numbers, we cannot predict.
If next week there is a more open and expansive map in the Trials, the usage could self-reduce, but even there “Hard Light” has the advantage of being the only auto rifle that fundamentally does not have to fear damage drop-off at range.
Bungie has already announced that future patches may take a bit longer: Destiny 2 is now being developed from home – Bungie is closing studios due to Corona.
