Did you know that Destiny 2: Heresy has a pretty darn foolproof system for spotting secrets no matter where you are? This might not have been a big deal in seasons prior, but The Nether activity has oodles of secret chests and whatnot, which means you'll be hunting for those.

For better or for worse, The Nether is the crux of Destiny 2: Heresy. It's not that the rest of the seasonal offers are bad (quite the opposite, in fact), but Nether is such a stellar experience almost across the board that you'll probably be spending hours upon hours prowling through the Dreadnaught. Much of it's got to do with chasing loot, naturally, and the good news is that Nether is loaded with goodies. The bad news is that the majority of them are tied to secret chests, and you need to know how to chase those down. Fret not, though, because I've got a trick for you: relying on your Ghost!

How to find all the secrets and chests in The Nether activity in Destiny 2

Pull out your Ghost! No, really, it's that simple: you just need to pull the ol' Ghost out, and if you're reasonably close to a secret chest, Ghost will turn in its general direction. Better yet, even if you're not actually having your Ghost out to look for secrets, you're going to get a Ghost icon in the upper right corner of your HUD whenever you're close to a scannable/lootable goodie.

You can build upon this feature, too: use the Wombo Detector Ghost mod at all times. It allows you to detect resource drops and loot caches within 50 meters of where you stand, automatically marking them on your HUD as soon as you're in range. Note that this will also help you stack up on Metastisized Essentia and the Essence of Desire, which is particularly handy.

The small downside to this feature is that the secret loot chests, for example, do not despawn. This means they'll remain on your HUD even after you've looted them, making them a royal pain to keep track of during a prolonged Nether run.

On a final note, make sure to give this technique a shot in the new Sundered Doctrine Dungeon, too. You never know: this feature used to be extremely popular back in the earlier years of Destiny 2's content roster, where Ghost would be able to scan various points of interest to deliver semi-hidden narrative context. It was great fun, as repetitive as it might've gotten in the end, and I'm thrilled to see a partial return to form for the feature.

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Destiny 2's economy of resources and collectibles is never-ending, changing in an instant with the release of new content. That's proven the case for Episode: Heresy, with many new resources added for Guardians to balance. Essence of Desire is one of those newcomers, but it requires some effort to earn lots.

With each new Episode (or Season), Destiny 2 often adds novel gameplay mechanics and progression systems to keep the game feeling fresh. With Heresy, that comes in the form of the Tome of Want and forrays into an activity players seem to like, The Nether. However, to use the Tome of Want and to open those locked chests in The Nether, Guardians will need plenty of Essence of Desire.

Where does Essence of Desire come from?

Thankfully, Essence of Desire isn't too hard to come by on its own. Players can earn Essence of Desire while participating in activities on The Nether, but the drip feed can be painfully slow. That said, there is another way to earn Essence of Desire, and you'll get a lot more for your troubles.

In Eris' Flat in The Last City, Guardians will find a Taken Altar just to the left of the entryway. You can only interact with the Altar if you hold ten or more Metastasized Essentia, and doing so will consume the resources. In return, players will get a bunch of loot, including 10 Essence of Desire.

The Taken Altar is the most lucrative way to earn Essence of Desire, but that also means you'll have to spend a lot of time in The Nether to accrue the 10 Metastasized Essentia needed per interaction. At least, in addition to the Essence of Desire, you'll also get some reprised Season of Arrivals weapons and some upgrade materials with each pull.

What is Essence of Desire used for?

As mentioned earlier, Essence of Desire is the key to several rewards in Episode: Heresy. Most notably, each time Guardians activate a ritual using the Tome of Want, it costs two Essence of Desire. The Tome helps you narrow potential rewards down, allowing the ability to focus specific weapons, armor, or resources.

In addition to the Tome, Essence also comes up whenever players find locked chests while exploring The Nether. Each of these locked chests similarly costs two Essence of Desire to unlock. Inside, Guardians will be rewarded with Sigil Shards and a guaranteed weapon drop.

While there's no requirement for players to stock up on Essence of Desire, they certainly help make The Nether all the more rewarding. Plus, if you're already engaging with Episode: Heresy anyway, you'll undoubtedly end up with some Essence of Desire to spend.

The post How to get Essence of Desire in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

If there's one thing Destiny 2 players are familiar with, it's collecting new resources as they enter the game. Episode: Heresy adds a trove of new currencies and collectibles to fret over. However, only one requires as much labor to earn as its name is difficult to pronounce: Metastisized Essentia.

Destiny 2 is always getting new forms of currencies and resources. Many of these items are specific to a Season (or Episode), acting as the grease between the gears of new activities or whatever pursuit Guardians are currently chasing. Metastisized Essentia is one of the new Heresy currencies, working like the Radiolite resource from Episode: Echoes. While Metastisized Essentia can lead to even greater rewards during Heresy, Guardians must first set aside a tidy supply.

Where to find Metastisized Essentia

If players want to go out and farm a solid stack of Metastisized Essentia, the place to head is into The player-approved Nether activity. The new activity is a great way to earn rewards throughout this Episode, including new Heretical weapons, Sigil Stones, and, of course, Metastisized Essentia. Not to mention the Tome of Want, allowing players to direct their loot whilst in The Nether. Metastisized Essentia is strewn throughout the Dreadnaught while engaged in the activity and marked as a resource node by Ghosts if you use a Detector mod on your Ghost Shell.

Visually, Metastisized Essentia is a spiked white ball sitting atop black tentacles. Looking a little closer at the resource, you can see it's both riddled with eyes and apparently breathing. Interacting with the resource, Guardians will receive one or two Fleeting Metastisized Essentia and some Sigil Stones.

After collecting Fleeting Metastisized Essentia, it's technically still not in players' possession. The resource must be refined into regular Metastisized Essentia by looting the final chest in each zone. Of course, that chest is guarded by a boss who appears after Guardians clear three minor objectives.

In addition to the Metastisized Essentia readily available in The Nether, players can also get a supply of the resource from Eris' flat in The Last City. On one side of the room is the Shaping Slab, the Episode's main reputation vendor. Metastisized Essentia is a reward available on that reputation reward track.

How to use Metastisized Essentia

Metastisized Essentia is only valuable to players in clusters of 10, as that's how the resource is exchanged back at Eris' flat. Opposite the Shaping Slab, right near the doorway, there's a Taken Altar hungry for Metastisized Essentia. 

For every 10 of the resources turned into the Altar, Guardians will get a trove of rewards. 

• Essence of Desire x 10
• Enhancement Cores
• Enhancement Prisms
• Reprised Season of Arrivals weapons
• Episode: Heresy reputation

While it doesn't appear that Metastisized Essentia is used for any Heresy systems itself, it is worth depositing what's had in between runs through The Nether. Guardians will assuredly be amassing the resource as they interact with the Episode, so it's worth converting it into some potential usable rewards.

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Most players would agree: guns are pretty darn important for Destiny 2. It may come as a surprise to some of the newer players, then, that the pinnacle of utility in the game was an Outlaw/Rampage combo for a while. Chris Proctor worked hard to change that, and succeeded.

It's hard to put into words just how straightforward and downright boring the Perk meta was for Destiny 2 earlier on, truly. Up until Shadowkeep or so, the only thing you really wanted on your gun was a potent reload perk and a reasonable damage perk, and that was it. When Chris Proctor took over weapons design and features back in 2019, however, this all changed, and so it's sad to hear that he's leaving Bungie for good. "In two weeks I'll be living in another country, and in four weeks I'll post an update from a new role," said Proctor over on LinkedIn.

Chris Proctor is leaving Bungie, moving to a different country

"Working at Bungie at all is the job of a lifetime, sandbox design even moreso, let alone owning Destiny weapons for 5 years and ending up as Sandbox Craft Lead at a studio with a legendary grasp of core gameplay," said Proctor in his announcement. "It's been a humbling experience, and the time of biggest growth in my career (and I reached 23 years in games, 20 as a designer this year). I can't recommend Bungie highly enough as a place to do amazing work with some of the most skilled game devs in the industry."

Often cited as one of the most personable and beloved Bungie employees among the Destiny 2 community members, Proctor made a name for himself by making guns genuinely interesting and engaging to use. And while it's true enough that you do still want them to reload faster and dish out more damage, it'd be silly to pretend Bungie hadn't made strides over the past couple of years. Predictably, the community is saddened by the fact that Proctor is moving on.

Proctor hasn't provided any information on what his next project might be, but he did say that he's about to embark on a "huge, international [move]," and that "it's an exciting time" for him.

Under Proctor's leadership, Bungie began introducing extremely potent and satisfying crowd control Perks such as Voltshot. To say nothing of Reconstruction, Bait & Switch, or Explosive Light, just to list a few. Though I'm certain Bungie would've improved things to some extent even without Proctor, the man knew his stuff, and it'll be interesting to see how Destiny 2's meta changes now that he's gone.

The post The man who fixed Destiny 2’s weapon roster is leaving Bungie appeared first on Destructoid.

The wait for the Sundered Doctrine Dungeon won't be long, and it will be an integral part of the Destiny 2: Heresy content.

Bungie has officially revealed the new dungeon, but not many details are available from the developers. There will be a race taking place as well, and the dungeon will also feature a few exotics as available rewards if the rumors are to be believed.

Let's take a look at how you can participate in the dungeon to earn the rewards.

How to participate in the Sundered Doctrine Dungeon in Destiny 2

The Sundered Doctrine Dungeon will be available on February 7, 2025, starting at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST, and it will be set in Rhulk's Pyramid Ship (Savathun's Throne World). You can find the node for it just beside the large Vow of the Disciple Raid node above the Miasma.

For the first 48 hours, a Contest Mode will be available, which is going to be the ultimate test for the players.

To participate, you'll have to form a fireteam with three players. You'll also need to own The Final Shape Dungeon Key and finish The Drowning Labyrinth quest. During the contest mode, power will be capped at 1995 power, and you'll be facing a new enemy faction called the Dread. As usual, the dungeon will have its boss battles as well, and there's an exclusive set of rewards for the team winning the race.

Based on the datamined information and online rumors, here are the rewards available as part of the Sundered Doctrine Dungeon.

• Trace Rifle
• Scout Rifle
• Hand Cannon
• Shotgun
• New title named Delver
• Three new emblems

Best tips and tricks for Sundered Doctrine Dungeon

The Sundered Doctrine Dungeon is going to be a difficult task, and the Contest Mode is expected to be a stern test. You'll be facing endgame enemies, while your power will be capped. Even if you're not part of the race, clearing all the objectives and tasks can be a huge challenge. Here are some tips you can remember to improve your chances of success.

• Complete the Bounties that will allow you to unlock artifact perks early.
• Try to get a high-stat armor to improve your survivability.
• Collect upgrade materials.
• Prepare different loadouts.

If you're not planning to participate in the race, it will be useful to check out a few strategies other players are taking to clear the raid. You should also play with other experienced players and communicate well as a team. This will improve your chances of success and help you to unlock all the available rewards.

The post How to start the Sundered Doctrine Dungeon in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

It's been a while since there was a reason for players to get excited about a trace rifle in Destiny 2. However, the new Lodestar Exotic trace rifle from Episode: Heresy might be just the thing to rekindle that old love with the weapon type.

Destiny 2's trace rifles had a bit of a heyday up into the Lightfall era. Back then, it was much easier to generate heavy ammo bricks when using two special ammo weapons. Trace rifles fit nicely as the "primary" special weapon, featuring large reserves. Those days wouldn't stick around forever, though, and the guns fell by the wayside when Bungie retuned heavy ammo drops. Now, with a primary ammo trace rifle on the table, it might harken back to those old times.

Where does the Lodestar come from?

The Lodestar Exotic trace rifle is a reward that's exclusive to Episode: Heresy's Season Pass. That said, players don't necessarily need to purchase the Episode itself to access the new weapon; it's available on the free reward track at Rank 40. So, as long as you're participating in Destiny 2 during Episode: Heresy, you shouldn't have a problem acquiring the weapon.

If players did shell out for Episode: Heresy or bought the annual pass version of The Final Shape, the Lodestar will be available to claim immediately from the Season Pass. Further into the premium track, the Artificial Sun Ornament is also available once Guardians reach Rank 100.

Once Heresy is over, the Lodestar will likely be available for purchase through the Monument to Lost Lights in The Tower. While Bungie hasn't explicitly confirmed this, it has happened to countless other Exotic weapons earned through the Season Pass.

What does the Lodestar do?

The Lodestar is very different from the trace rifles players are familiar with. On the surface, one reason is that the gun uses primary ammo, essentially making it infinite. Looking deeper, the Exotic also has some peculiar behaviors that might take a little getting used to.

When Guardians aim down the sights of the Lodestar, instead of emitting a solid beam like other trace rifles, it will behave more like a pulse rifle. The bursts of energy have their place, though, as they increase damage and detonate Blinding explosions on Arc-debuffed enemies. Additionally, once players deal enough Arc damage while using the Lodestar, they can perform an alternate reload to imbue the weapon with Jolt while firing from the hip.

The Lodestar should work nicely with any number of Arc builds in this Episode, especially with the Artifact Perks that rely on Arc debuffs like Jolt. Lodestar may be hitting far above its weight class during Heresy because of its Arc focus, but even after, it'll still allow players to relive the glory days of running double special weapons.

The post How to get the Lodestar exotic in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Episode: Heresy has set itself up to offer one of the best experiences for Destiny 2's Arc Subclasses. With sweeping buffs across the Subclass, new Aspects, and a new keyword, Bolt Charge, to play with, it looks like Arc may be the strongest it has ever been for Heresy.

Of course, an individual Guardian's experience may vary, which typically depends on the quality of a player's build. If you know how to craft a setup that leans into what's currently hot, you'll have no problem playing with all of Destiny 2's new Arc Subclass toys. If not, well, that's what I'm here for.

Start strong with the Artifact

For Episode: Heresy, Guardians can access the Tablet of Ruin as an Artifact. While the Tablet of Ruin isn't as singularly focused as the Stasis-centric Artifact from Episode: Revenant, there are quite a few options that benefit Arc players. With the, frankly, wild changes to the Arc Subclass and a number of its features, the Heresy Artifact ensures players can have a blast while riding the lightning.

In particular, Overclock And Load is available in the second column, offering bonus Handling and Reload Speed stats to any Arc weapons wielded while you're Amplified or have Bolt Charge active. This proves especially nice as a compliment to the reworked Amplified state, now granting damage resistance and making enemies less accurate.

The third column has two Artifact Perks of note, Dielectric and Photonic Flare. Dielectric ensures that players gain a stack of Bolt Charge whenever they defeat an enemy with an Arc debuff (Blind or Jolt). On the other hand, Photonic Flare creates a Blinding explosion whenever an Exhausted or Severed enemy is defeated with Arc damage. Sever is easy enough to apply with Strand weapons, and Exhausted comes from Overload weapons or those with specific Origin Traits.

There's only one Arc Artifact Perk in the fourth column, but it's absolutely worth having. Flashover massively interacts with the new Bolt Charge keyword, increasing its lightning bolt damage and making Guardians Amplified when they reach max stacks of Bolt Charge. With Amplified as good as it is, you'll want to be in that state as often as possible.

Finally, the last column of the Artifact has Defibrillating Blast. Still, depending on the final build setup, you may get more mileage out of Particle Reconstruction or Heavy Ordnance Regeneration. Defibrillating Blast grants max stacks of Bolt Charge when players stun a Champion. The Arc bolt created heals the wielder and Jolts nearby enemies.

Of course, with alternatives like Volatile Marksman, Horde Shuttle, and Particle Reconstruction, you may be tempted toward another elemental affinity. The good news is, there's some wiggle room for these alternatives, even if players go for all of the Arc options. So, feel free to throw on that Strand Support Frame auto rifle to heal in The Nether.

Warlock

Players can choose between two main Arc build styles with the Warlock Class. Guardians can either go all in on support with Ionic Traces to ensure god-like ability regeneration for themselves and allies or opt to maximize damage. Either build can work wonders; it's just a matter of the content players intend to tackle and what kind of gameplay they want.

Ionic Trace farmer Warlock

Ionic Traces are great. The Arc-exclusive pickups restore ability energy on their own, and they can be buffed with all manner of Aspects, Fragments, and Exotics to do some truly remarkable things. For instance, with the right setup, Warlocks can become an Ionic Trace-generating machine and gain stacks of Bolt Charge in the process. Not only do those Ionic Traces restore energy to all of your abilities, but whenever an Ionic Trace tracks to you, allies benefit, too.

This build starts with the Subclass, where Warlocks will want to play with some new Aspects and Fragments. For regular abilities, Healing Rift, Chain Lightning, and Flashbang Grenade offer additional support, allowing for healing, Jolt, and Blind, respectively. Super choice can be up to players, but I've enjoyed having Chaos Reach for some big damage whenever needed.

Arc Aspects for this support-focused build are Ionic Sentry and Electrostatic Mind. Ionic Sentry is a new Aspect that gives Warlocks easy access to Bolt Charge stacks. As players eliminate foes with Arc weapons or abilities (or Kinetic weapons), they build progress toward an Ionic Sentry turret. When activated, it Blinds enemies on impact and chains Arc damage to nearby foes. Electrostatic Mind helps add to the near-constant flow of Ionic Traces Guardians will create, spawning one whenever enemies are defeated with Arc abilities or if they're affected by Jolt or Blind. Electrostatic Mind also refreshes Amplify whenever an Ionic Trace is nabbed.

Fragments are where players have a bit of wiggle room. A few, like Spark of Resistance, are an auto-include because damage resistance is so important, but others are more dependent on play style. Spark of Discharge is also worth using, ensuring all those Ionic Traces grant stacks of Bolt Charge and offering a chance to create more Ionic Traces when using Arc weapons. From there, the other two Fragments aren't set in stone. Personally, I like Spark of Frequency and Spark of Beacons. The two Fragments help strengthen other aspects of the build, spreading the Blind debuff and improving Amplified.

Moving to gear, the piece that makes this build come alive is the Fallen Sunstar Exotic helmet. The Exotic improves Ionic Traces, making the pickups track to you faster and granting bonus ability energy. Taking things to the next level, nearby Fireteam members also get ability energy back whenever you do. Complimenting the Exotic helm is an Arc fusion rifle from Season of the Plunder: Delicate Tomb. The Exotic fusion rifle now benefits from massive buffs, including Particle Reconstruction. It also generates Ionic Traces and Jolts enemies, playing into everything else we have going on.

Stat-wise Guardians will want to ensure they're hardy enough by capping Resilience at 100. From there, this build wants ability energy for frequent Flashbang grenades, so Discipline comes next, followed by Recovery.

Electric friends Warlock

If Warlocks want to focus on pumping out as much damage as possible instead of supporting the Fireteam, Arc still has plenty to offer. Arc Warlocks always had the option to take along an Arc Soul, shooting at anything foolish enough to get in your way. Well, now that Arc buddy can be accompanied by the new Ionic Sentry turret, leading to destructive displays of friendship and power. Part of the allure of this build is its simplicity and flexibility. It can be used with any number of Exotics or heavy weapons to accommodate demanding Raid encounters or other high-difficulty activities.

The build starts in the Subclass menu, where players will want to opt for Healing Rift, Chain Lightning, and Flashbang Grenade, just like the previous build. The Aspects are also the same options, Electrostatic Mind and Ionic Sentry. The reasons are different; however, with Electrostatic Mind only in the build to ensure Ionic Traces make us Amplified. Ionic Sentry is more in the spotlight in this build, as we'll use it as fast as possible.

Fragments are also similar to those chosen for the support build. Guardians still want Spark of Discharge for Bolt Charge access and Spark of Resistance for hardiness. To that end, Spark of Beacons will almost always be active, and the Blind effect helps ensure Arc Artifact Perks trigger. Finally, as this build will be played more aggressively and with more emphasis on Bolt Charge, Spark of Frequency offers a better Amplified effect and makes Bolt Charge stacks count for more.

While much of the Subclass setup is similar, the build comes into its own with the Exotic choice. The Getaway Artist Exotic gauntlets allow Warlocks to consume their Arc grenade to become Amplified and gain an empowered Arc Soul instantly. With Flashbang Grenade's low cooldown and a few Ionic Traces, players will find that they have their grenade recharged before their Arc Soul fizzles out. 

There isn't any one specific Exotic weapon that makes this build function, and that's okay. Players can use whatever heavy and primary weapons they want, but it is worth having an Arc special weapon equipped to make use of Spark of Beacons. With Piercing Sidearms in the Artifact this Episode, Indebted Kindness fits the bill nicely -- especially if players managed to earn a roll with Voltshot.

Warlocks should be ripping across the battlefield like a bolt of lightning. Start encounters by consuming your grenade to create an Arc Soul, and then start decimating foes with Arc weapons. It shouldn't be long before players have an Ionic Sentry available. Then it's just a matter of keeping the two Arc buddies going while triggering Bolt Charge lightning strikes and plugging away with whatever else Guardians want to use. Like the other Warlock build, Resilience and Discipline are king. Once both are at 100, Guardians can dump the rest of their stats into Recovery.

Hunters

Though Hunters may not have gotten a whole new Arc Aspect, the Class did get some substantial Subclass changes. As such, there are now some notable options if Hunters are looking for a shocking new build. With Bolt Charge on the table, players can incorporate it into a well-rounded Arc setup or build completely into the new effect to get as much out of it as possible.

Hive Boomer Hunter

If Guardians ever wanted to know what it felt like to play as the Hive in Destiny 2, this Hunter build is probably as close as we'll ever get. The setup allows players to wield an iconic Hive weapon and reap benefits that even the Lightbearing Hive don't have access to. Hunters will become a thunderous wrecking ball powered by Hive magic and electricity.

Getting the build rolling, Hunters will want to equip Gambler's Dodge, Disorienting Blow, and any grenade players wish. We're taking Gambler's Dodge to ignore the long cooldown on Disorienting Blow, and we're taking that so we can become Amplified whenever we strike an enemy with the melee ability. It also grants Bolt Charge stacks and blinds the target. For a Super, Gathering Storm is an all-around solid choice, but there's no harm if you really want to use another.

Aspect-wise, Ascension got a bit of a glow-up since its initial arrival, now offering more Fragment Slots and the ability to Amplify allies. It also Jolts enemies within range, too. The other Aspect of choice is Flow State, refreshing Amplified whenever Hunters defeat a Jolted enemy. For Fragments, Spark of Resistance offers that nice damage resistance, and Spark of Frequency makes Amplified and Bolt Charge even better. 

Spark of Ions works alongside Flow State, creating an Ionic Trace when Jolted enemies go down. Those Ionic Traces benefit from Spark of Discharge, granting more total Bolt Charge stacks. It's up to players for the last Fragment, but Spark of Amplitude can be nice for some free Orbs of Power.

The thing that makes this entire build work is the combination of two Exotics: the Mothkeeper's Wraps and the Ex Diris grenade launcher. The Mothkeeper's Wraps Exotic changes grenades to two charges of a new ability. This new grenade releases moths that target enemies, Blinding them on detonation. If they find an ally instead, they grant Void Overshields. Ex Diris also works with moths, creating them on direct or final blows. However, when the two are combined, Ex Diris can create multiple moths when its effect occurs, and the same happens when you toss a moth grenade.

To make the most out of this build, players will need to ensure special ammo is plentiful. To that end, getting the armor mods section of this setup is extra important. For stats, Guardians will want to hit 100 Resilience first before pouring as much as possible into Discipline, then Mobility.

Lightning strike Hunter

If Hunters want more flexibility in their weapon choice, the next build offers plenty of opportunities for Bolt Charge. It even incorporates the weapons that inspired the feature to double down on lightning strikes on priority targets. Guardians can bring a storm's wrath anywhere they like on the battlefield and reposition to another target in the blink of an eye.

For Subclass setup, players can take Marksman's Dodge and Combination Blow if they need to lay into bosses during a prolonged damage phase. Otherwise, Hunters should opt for Disorienting Blow and Gambler's Dodge more generally for the Bolt Charge stacks, the primary means of getting the Amplified buff, and the Blind debuff on enemies. The grenade choice should be Pulse. For Supers, if boss damage is a concern, Gathering Storm is the way to go. Otherwise, Storm's Edge offers impressive clearing capabilities and acts as an emergency eject button.

We're looking to get the most functionality out of our Exotic armor choice, so for Aspects, we'll be taking Tempest Strike and Ascension. Tempest Strike lets Hunters use a powered melee while sliding to unleash an Arc uppercut projectile that Jolts anything it hits. The Aspect also grants Bolt Charge stacks when defeating enemies. Ascension also functions based on movement, allowing players to activate while airborne to travel upwards, Jolting enemies with Arc damage and Amplifying allies.

In the realm of Fragments, Hunters want to maximize all their effects in play. As such, Spark of Shock and Spark of Magnitude will improve Pulse grenades, increasing duration and making them Jolt targets. Working with that, along with all of our other sources of Jolt, Spark of Ions generates ability energy-restoring Ionic Traces. Finally, Spark of Frequency and Spark of Resistance make Hunters hardier, boosting Amplified effects, increasing Bolt Charge stacks gained, and increasing damage resistance.

For gear, Hunters are looking at the Gifted Conviction Exotic. This chest armor ensures that a volley of bouncing Arc explosives also Jolts nearby enemies whenever Ascension or Tempest Strike is activated. If the effect Jolts enemies, Hunters additionally gain bonus damage resistance. We'll take either the Thunderlord Exotic machine gun or the Cloudstrike Exotic sniper to make that setup all the sweeter. Either choice creates the same lightning strike effect that inspired Bolt Charge with repeated damage.

After everything is put together, players can use Ascension, Tempest Strike, or even Storm's Edge to maneuver around the battlefield. As players use their abilities and movement tech, they'll be Jolting enemies and becoming Amplified on a near-constant basis. All the while, ability energy and Bolt Charge will be plentiful, which can lead to back-to-back big hits between the Pulse grenade, Ascension, Tempest Strike, Bolt Charge, and whichever Exotic weapon players choose. Stat priorities are much like most other Hunter builds, 100 Resilience first, then stack Discipline and Mobility.

Titan

The Titan Class has seen a lot of changes over the last two Episodes, both to Subclass functionality and general performance. Arc is looking pretty spicy for Heresy, with great build options to let players become a never-ending Bolt Charge amplifier or an unkillable vanguard breaking through the front lines.

Lightning Rod Titan

The first Titan build leans into the new Bolt Charge feature, allowing the whole Fireteam to seamlessly build stacks and discharge the feature passively through weapon damage. Titans will be holding the line, dropping a recently improved Barricade and unloading on foes with Arc weapons and abilities to unleash lightning strike after lightning strike of Bolt Charge.

Starting with Subclass selection, Titans want to take Rally Barricade for its short cooldown, as it will heavily play into Aspects. Thunderclap generally works pretty well for a powered melee, even if players can't charge it all the way. If you're confident in your Ballistic Slam abilities, it was buffed to grant Bolt Charge and deal more potential damage. Pulse grenade is also on the menu, similarly working with a chosen Aspect. For Super, Titans can take Thundercrash for massive damage whenever it's up.

In the world of Aspects, Titans are going for Touch of Thunder and Storm's Keep. Touch of Thunder improves several grenade options, including Pulse grenades, increasing its damage over time and generating Ionic Traces. Storm's Keep is the new Aspect, rewarding multiple stacks of Bolt Charge to the user and nearby allies whenever a Barricade is deployed. Guardians behind the Barricade gain additional stacks of Bolt Charge, and weapon damage can discharge the effect.

Fragments are straightforward, improving grenades, buffing Amplified, and making Bolt Charge stacks count for more. Titans will want to take Spark of Shock, Spark of Magnitude, Spark of Resistance, and Spark of Frequency. Together, these should make Titans and their Barricade a solid rally point.

The Exotic armor piece that helps bring this setup to life is an old favorite: Heart of Inmost Light. The Exotic chest armor is perfect for a build using Barricades as often as possible, as using one ability empowers the other two with faster regeneration and increased damage. Titans can drop a Barricade and immediately gain enhanced Pulse grenades (which are already benefitting from several buffs) and a beefier Thunderclap. Of course, the Barricade and Storm's Keep are interacting to provide Bolt Charge, not only to you but also to the whole Fireteam.

Guardians can finish the build with an Exotic weapon like Thunderlord to double down on Arc lightning Strikes. And that machine gun can be made all the better with the Heavy Ordnance Regeneration Artifact Perk. To make the most out of this setup, Titans will want to prioritize Resilience above all else, as it's also the stat used for its Class abilities. That ensures Barricade uptime is as optimal as can be, and additional stats can go into Discipline and then Recovery.

Amplified Berserker

The alternate Titan build is for Guardians who want to be a menace to the enemy force, running headlong into swarms and obliterating swathes of foes. Players will have ample protection and heal while they take out their rage in melee combat.

Titans will want their Arc Subclass tuned, including important Aspect and ability choices, to get this build rolling. For Class ability, this build uses Thruster because we're not building into Barricade interactions, and it has the shortest cooldown out of the available options. Our melee ability will be Thunderclap, and it will be a cornerstone of the build. Flashbang works great as a grenade choice, offering a fantastic opener or a way to escape a sticky situation. As for the Super, Either Fists of Havoc or Thundercrash both work well, depending on what the content calls for.

Aspect-wise, this Titan build uses Juggernaut and Knockout. Juggernaut provides a front-facing shield when sprinting with a charged Class ability. If enemies damage the shield, Titans gain a stack of Bolt Charge. Being Amplified increases the strength of the shield. Knockout allows us to become Amplified when we defeat enemies with melee attacks and heals us in the process. The Aspect also buffs regular melee attacks with Arc, increasing range and damage.

Fragment choices are self-explanatory, feeding into the Juggernaut Aspect and the types of gameplay the build best supports. The mainstay choices are Spark of Resistance and Spark of Frequency, increasing protections, and the Amplified buff, respectively. Spark of Frequency also benefits from all the melee Titans will be doing, increasing weapon Reload Speed and Stability after landing a melee hit. Spark of Haste also increases Resilience, Recovery, and Mobility while players sprint (which they'll be doing quite a bit). Finally, Spark of Feedback is spicy, increasing outgoing melee damage after players receive melee damage.

For Exotic armor, this build excels with An Insurmountable Skullfort. The Exotic helmet fully restores melee ability energy and a chuck of health with each powered melee kill. Considering the sheer power of Thunderclap, even if it's completely uncharged, that's no problem when facing down Minor enemies and even some Majors. Even if the Thunderclap doesn't land a kill, melee energy is restored based on the number of melee hits from the ability.

For weapons, the Monte Carlo Exotic auto rifle completes the build. The Exotic restores melee energy on auto rifle hits, so a whiffed Thunderclap isn't as big a deal as you might imagine. Even better, if players have the Catalyst, its "melee" attack triggers An Insurmountable Skullfort's healing and melee regeneration effects. If players want to go the extra mile, they can add a sword to decimate big targets that refuse to go down. Players will want to ensure they max their Resilience at 100 before moving to focus on Discipline and Recovery next. Strength would normally be a consideration, but Monte Carlo's effect allows us to ignore the stat.

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Having been both bitten and burned by Destiny 2 in the past, I'm not one to judge a seasonal content drop based on my first impressions with it. That said, I have to admit that the new Nether activity feels awesome, and most of the community seems to agree.

There have been hints and murmurs about the potential quality of Destiny 2: Malice, granted. I very nearly fell off the Destiny ride myself a little while back: a decision that was only supported by the fact that Destiny 2: Revenant wasn't all that good. Thankfully, Malice is kicking things off with a bang, and Nether is currently the rather excellent capstone to the whole thing. In the broadest sense possible, The Nether is a kind of a mash-up between the Menagerie and The Coil, with a tiny bit of Onslaught thrown in for good measure. Exciting? Oh, you bet.

Bungie did a good job with Destiny 2: Heresy's Metroidvania Nether activity

While Bungie might've dabbled in Roguelite gameplay mechanics with prior seasonal releases, The Nether takes this concept about as far as Destiny 2 ever did. First things first, the fact that we get to explore the Dreadnaught once again is exciting in its own right, but The Nether combines the regular Patrol gameplay loop with features previously explored in Deep Dive and The Coil activities. The end result is an admittedly punishing, but satisfying and rewarding showcase of just how good Destiny 2 activities actually can be.

Playing my first few runs of The Nether, I was surprised with how much I enjoyed the darned thing, despite the fact that it's quite obtuse in some key ways. Even more surprising, however, was the fact that my experience wasn't a fluke: the Destiny 2 Reddit community seems to adore Nether so far, citing its excellent reward structure and an exciting gameplay loop. That's high praise, alright.

The big question, though, is whether The Nether will remain a high-point of Destiny 2: Heresy as we proceed deeper into the season. Regardless of how good it might be, a single activity is rarely enough to carry a whole seasonal release on its back, and Bungie's Final Shape offerings haven't been all that good so far if we're being honest.

Historically, the Destiny community has also been rather susceptible to enjoying honey-moon phases as Bungie rolls out new content. I'm not saying we'll all suddenly being to feel like The Nether sucks, mind, but I do think Heresy will need to show that it's got what it takes in other areas, too. As for how everything else, other than The Nether might pan out, It's decent stuff so far but it's still way too early to tell. A good showing for now, though, so kudos to Bungie this time around.

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Tome of Want represents the principal way of obtaining different rewards in Destiny 2: Heresy, and maximizing it will help you get closer to your dream build in the latest episode.

The new system will be music to the ears of those who hated the grind system of the Revenant Episode. Back then, we had the Tonic system, which was awful to describe in one word. It confused me every time when I looked at it, and the ratio of resources to rewards was plain unfair. The Tome of Want system is a noticeable improvement, and here's how you can utilize it to get drops from the Heretic Arsenal.

How does the Tome of Want work in Destiny 2: Heresy

The principal job of the Tome of Want is to help users get the rewards that they want. It will allow you to zero down on the type of equipment you want after completing certain activities. With the Tome of Want, you'll be able to spend Heresy resources to perform rituals that will reward you with new weapons of your choice.

In many ways, it's an extension of our beloved Engram Focusing method, but with certain extra steps. To perform a ritual, you'll need Essence of Desire. This item drops from all kinds of Heresy activities, and you'll need plenty of it to perform the rituals.

The Tome of Want has two main parts: Ritual Rites and Tome Engravings. Ritual Rites is the main deciding factor behind what type of rewards you'll get. Tome Engravings work pretty much like Volatile Tonics whenever it's gathering power.

Once you complete a ritual, you'll get up to three copies of the same rewards. The rewards will depend on three different factors:

• Scriptures: This marks the broad reward categories.
• Crumbling Scriptures: This will help you to refine the reward type.
• Ritual of Desire: This is the energy that lets you conduct the Ritual.

If you're using blue-rarity scriptures, you can use them without any limits. If you're using Legendary Scriptures or above, they will be consumed once you use them. The best types of rewards will be obtained from Exotic Scriptures, but they're pretty hard to get in the first place.

How to get rewards with Tome of Want

The first task is to fill the Tome with the required Ritual Power. You can do this by completing different episodes and playlists, defeating all kinds of enemies in Heresy activities, and more. Once you've enough Ritual Power, it will consume one charge and provide you with a reward. Every active Ritual will have 3 charges, and you can re-do the entire process once all of them are exhausted.

Make sure that you choose your reward categories carefully to maximize your loot potential. It's not mandatory to mention the Crumbling Scripture category, but the two other factors will help you zero down on the loot you get.

The Tome of Want also allows you to switch between Rituals. Still, I will avoid doing so as your already-selected Scriptures and other relevant resources will be simply wasted. Overall, it's a really neat system that will allow you to have far greater control over what rewards you get after completing the different Episodic quests in Destiny 2: Heresy.

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As with most content drops for Destiny 2, Episode: Heresy adds a new activity in the form of The Nether. While Guardians will largely be slaying out foes and handling mini-objectives in The Nether, the activity throws a twist into the mix: players can't heal themselves through traditional means.

This no-doubt throws Destiny 2's healing-capable Warlocks into disarray, but it also means that players can't just hang around and wait for health to regenerate on any Class. Instead, if players want the ability to heal themselves and the rest of the Fireteam, they'll need to make some conscious decisions about their loadout.

Living on the edge

The Nether isn't the first time Destiny 2 has limited the healing capabilities of our Guardians. Even as recently as the last Episode, a combat modifier called Brawn increased player health while restricting healing. What Guardians encounter in The Nether is much of the same. Within the activity, players' health increased by 300, and shields increased by 75, but at the cost of regeneration capabilities.

You'll have to find new ways to stay alive when partaking in The Nether, and that's the point. During the developer livestream showcasing Heresy before its launch, Bungie explained that it wanted health to become a resource in the activity, encouraging more methodical play. The idea certainly has some merit, as The Nether seems to have been balanced to make the lack of self-healing very difficult to ignore, especially towards the end of a run.

Healing options in The Nether

Despite The Nether being specifically designed so that the image of the unstoppable, invincible Guardian is shattered, there are still some consistent ways to stay alive. Mostly, that will mean either taking some equipment built to heal other players or scrounging around The Nether looking for scraps of health and ammo. There are also some opportunities to get around The Nether's curse with buildcrafting.

While one method isn't necessarily superior to the other, relying on the pickups you find within the activity can be perilous if luck isn't on your side. Though it might mean sacrificing something else that can help bring some pain to your enemies, opting for healing through either equipment or your build means that the Fireteam will always have a way to regain health, even in dire predicaments.

Support Frame auto rifles

The most obvious way to directly oppose the lack of self-healing in The Nether is by having each member of the Fireteam use a Support Frame auto rifle. These weapons work like normal auto rifles when you aim down the sights, but instead, shoot healing bullets when firing from the hip. Currently, there are two of these weapons in the game, one from The Final Shape's weapon pool and another arriving for Heresy.

Most Guardians likely have a No Hesitation auto rifle or two lying around if they've completed The Final Shape's campaign. If you're lucky, you have already unlocked the ability to craft the solar weapon and can customize it to your liking. No Hesitation uniquely can benefit from a damage buff after rapidly healing allies, and it additionally provides Restoration to those healed.

The new Adamantite auto rifle is not craftable, but it works a little differently. Instead of increasing its own damage, Adamantite increases healed allies' damage and starts creating Unravel projectiles on that person. Depending on the weapon's roll, you might still even be able to reap similar benefits to No Hesitation. The Circle Of Life Perk also allows Adamantite a damage buff after healing allies.

Alternatively, if players don't want to use an auto rifle at all, Red Death Reformed, Crimson, and Lumina are also on the table. The Exotic pulse rifle, Red Death Reformed, allows Guardians to heal themselves when they defeat enemies and nearby allies when reloading after kills. Lumina is an Exotic hand cannon that can shoot healing shots to heal allies, and Crimson is an Exotic hand cannon that can be used to heal the wielder.

Collecting health from pots

Aside from what players are taking into The Nether, the activity can provide some respite within its own walls. Throughout the activity, Guardians will come across pots and urns strewn about the Dreadnaught. If players spot one, destroying it can yield some kind of resource, whether it be health, ammo, or even something as odd as a Strand Tangle.

Generally, the pots can help in a pinch, but they're not to be relied upon. There's no telling what you'll find when you break one open, and on the off chance it's not health, you'll find yourself still hurting. That said, pots can be handy as a quick in-the-moment way to find additional resources.

Orbs of Power and Recuperation

Though you can't heal yourself via standard means like a Solar Healing Grenade or a Warlocks Healing Rift, there are some ways to build into healing in The Nether. Specifically, if players incorporate an armor mod on their legs, they'll be able to reclaim a bit of vitality each time an Orb of Power is collected.

The armor mod powering this interaction is called Recuperation, and it only costs one energy to equip. It's well worth swapping out an elemental Surge or a Holster mod in favor of a little extra health every time one of those juicy Orbs appears on the field.

Boons

In addition to everything Guardians can do to prepare for The Nether ahead of time, there are some powerful in-activity buffs that exist to help things along further. These buffs are called Boons, and they're separated into three different categories of power: Minor, Major, and Corrupted.

The Minor Boon Paracausal Health is one to keep an eye out for, as it makes each health pickup found in pots count for that much more. This Boon can also be stacked up to 10 times, making it something worth grabbing if staying alive proves an issue.

As for Major Boons, I've had some good times with both Finishing Heal and Classical Healing. Finishing Heal provides a bump of healing each time players use a Finisher to defeat an enemy and it can be coupled with other Boons that also function off of Finishers. Classical Healing, on the other hand, rewards a big chunk of health every time Guardians use their Class ability. This Boon can itself be enhanced by another Minor Boon that increases Class ability regeneration.

One option likely won't cut it

Though the above options all work to heal players in The Nether, it's probably wise for the vast majority of players to double up on healing possibilities. The Nether is a revive-based activity, so the run is over when the Fireteam runs out of revives. You want to do everything you can to prevent a run of The Nether from being cut short so you can earn as many rewards as possible.

To this end, it's worth planning ventures into The Nether, especially if you bring a full Fireteam of friends. If possible, I'drecommend at least two players with a weapon with healing capabilities. I'd also suggest everyone in the Fireteam use the Recuperation mod on their leg armor. From there, the Boons and luck of the pots will take players the rest of the way.

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Stop me if you've heard this one before. It's launch day for some new Destiny 2 content, but irrepressible error codes and server instability make the title impossible to access. That's what's playing out right now for Episode: Heresy, with the final Episode stumbling right out of the gates.

Destiny 2 really needs a win right about now. The live-service game hasn't had a good year, with mediocre, bug-filled Episodes replacing the old Seasonal model. The hope was that Bungie was saving the best for last, that Heresy would re-inspire some faith in players after months of negative press and controversies. However, the launch of Episode: Heresy did not inspire confidence, coming online with a slurry of error codes preventing most players from doing much more than reaching Orbit.

Server maintenance has been extended

While it doesn't seem like the vast majority of players can access the new content Episode: Heresy brings or remain in-game to do much else, Bungie is aware of the situation. Almost immediately after the Episode went live, the studio initially commented on X via its Bungie Help account, noting, "We're currently investigating stability issues and a rise in various errors codes, including PLUM. More information will be provided when available."

It seems that in addition to the instability brought alongside the Heresy update, some other aspects of the game might have been broken, too. The team accidentally turned back on elemental surges in Raids, which had been a previous controversy side-stepped by disabling the modifiers. As of now, it appears as though elemental surges are enabled in most Raids but not all. Unfortunately, a fix will have to go by the wayside while Bungie irons out the stability issues miring Episode: Heresy.

"Note, today's server and stability issues are our top priority to fix," the studio explained. "We appreciate your patience while we continue our investigation." From there, it wasn't too much longer before Bungie officially extended official Destiny 2 downtime. Hopefully, this immediate snafu isn't the first taste of what players can expect from the new Episode. 

Destiny 2 is certainly no stranger to server issues or extended downtime, especially surrounding the launch of new content, but this was not the time to fall back into old habits. Either way, Heresy did not create the best first impressions right out of the gate.

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I'll be the first to admit that Destiny 2 isn't in the best of states right now, what with all the hubbub around its post-Final Shape seasonal releases. Yet, there's no denying the fact that the fancy new Heresy trailer is every bit as cool as Destiny's very best showpieces.

Seriously, though, Destiny 2: Heresy's launch trailer is an impressive piece of marketing kit. It looks stunning, to begin with, and even if you're a total newcomer to the series, the setup is quite obvious. For the veterans among us, hearing Oryx, the Taken King, speak again is awesome. Somewhat curious, too, as we've been told time and again that Oryx had been killed for good, never to return again. So much for that, eh?

Jump straight into Destiny 2: Heresy on February 4 to help (?) Oryx, somehow

Granted, it's quite unclear as of yet whether Oryx has properly returned, or if this is just an expy of some sort. Regardless, it's not just refreshing to have the old Hive god back, but also to see him in a kind of a support role to the Guardians' efforts. As per the trailer, the Guardians are seemingly going to have to work alongside Oryx to secure his power to Take, as well as ridding the Dreadnaught of his newfound Dread infestation.

One of the things I appreciate the most about the trailer is that the two featured vendor NPCs aren't just standing around, waxing poetic. One of Destiny's biggest problems, as far as cutscenes go, was that the characters would actually do something only on very select occassions, making it all seem very wooden and unconvincing.

Here, we've got Eris being attacked by a major Dread enemy, the Drifter doing a Leap of Fate straight into nothingness, and a whole bevy of other animation goodness. It's not a huge deal for Destiny 2: Heresy's longevity, no, but it sure as heck is neat to see.

Episode: Heresy is set to release on Tuesday, February 4, as part of Destiny 2's new weekly reset. If you, too, are hyped to see Oryx return and want to check out if this is the content drop we've all been waiting for, you know what to do.

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Though I'm not one to harp on the sorry state of a game, I do think Destiny 2 is in a rough patch right now. Thankfully, we're very close to the release of Episode: Heresy and its fancy new Tome of Want feature is looking mighty promising indeed.

Destiny 2: Episode - Heresy is positioning itself as the nostalgic new take on several beloved elements and features from Destiny's past. Not only is the legendary Dreadnaught returning as the featured activity location, but there are murmurs of Oryx himself making a return, somehow. Setting aside convoluted lore, though, the gameplay side of things is plenty exciting as well, thanks to the aforementioned Tome of Want, which seems awfully similar to the old Chalice system featured in the Menagerie activity.

Destiny 2: Heresy's Tome of Want harkens back to Menagerie, but how will it work in practice?

As one of the finest pieces of sunset content Destiny has ever had, the Menagerie is one of those high points that veteran fans will remember fondly for years to come. The Menagerie itself isn't some unattainable ideal that Bungie's never reached before: we've had much better activities since. In fact, Episode: Heresy's own The Nether roguelite Metroidvania mode looks downright excellent. No, the bit that made the Menagerie truly excellent was the Chalice: a unique loot-focusing system that Bungie has refused to return to.

The Chalice was very simple: by slotting in specific runes and/or resources, you could ensure that your next Menagerie loot drop was almost exactly what you wanted it to be. This, combined with the Menagerie's randomized nature (and a few unique semi-exploits), made this the activity to play whenever you had the time. While we don't know yet if the Tome of Want will be as rewarding as the Chalice was, it sure as heck sounds fun.

Basically, Destiny 2: Heresy's Tome of Want is a baseline seasonal item, and we'll all unlock it on day one of the release, on February 2. The Tome is a focusing item, leveraging the new Essence of Desire seasonal currency to reliably dish out more-or-less the exact kind of loot players are attempting to target-farm. Expect a bevy of upgrades, optimizations, and optional tweaks for the Tome of Want as you progress through Heresy, but this is all standard fare. So, interesting stuff, but we'll have to see how it pans out in practice before we start praising it.

For me, it all comes full circle when I think about the Tome of Want. My biggest problem with Destiny has always been uncertainty: how will the next big feature pan out, where might Bungie take the narrative next, and how might the game's precarious meta be balanced in a few weeks? I don't think Episode: Heresy will bring about some much-needed certainty into the mix, but I do think this will be much better than the annoying Tonic system was, and that counts for something.

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Destiny 2's Arc Subclass is about to improve in the upcoming Episode: Heresy. Bungie has started sharing some details about the next bout of in-game content, including how each Class' abilities will change.

The spotlight here is on a new Arc keyword, Bolt Charge, that lets you repeatedly target foes with lightning strikes. Of course, that's not all from the finale Episode of The Final Shape, as new Aspects are also inbound to help shake up the gameplay sandbox.

While these tweaks and additions don't come with every Tuesday reset in Destiny 2, they often appear in significant updates. With three Episodes for The Final Shape, the structure allowed Bungie a well-defined period of four or so months before changing things up when a new Episode arrived. Now, it looks like some of the biggest shakeups of The Final Shape era were saved for Episode: Heresy.

Introducing Bolt Charge

Bungie highlighted what players could expect from Subclasses heading into the new Episode. While Arc will have a lot going for it in Episode: Heresy, one of the spotlight items is the new keyword: Bolt Charge. It is an Arc feature that allows Guardians to call down a surge of electricity to damage foes. It works differently from other keywords, potentially requiring a bit more planning.

"While you have one or more stacks, from any source — Aspects, Fragments, weapon perks, etc.  — dealing damage with any weapon increases your Bolt Charge stack count. Each time a stack is gained, you gain a chunk of melee energy. At 10 stacks, your Bolt Charge is ready and any ability damage — Arc or otherwise — summons a powerful Arc bolt, dealing roughly the same amount of damage as a Solar Ignition with a smaller area of effect. Different from Ignition though, Bolt Charge is tuned to have more consistent and predictable uptime," the studio said.

It sounds like the key to making the new feature work is getting that first stack of Bolt Charge. From there, additional stacks seem easy to gain, as any weapon damage contributes. Bungie did mention that players wouldn't just be limited to pure Arc builds to use the new keyword. Prismatic Subclasses will also have access to Bolt Charge through various options.

After watching the short gameplay clip of a Titan player using the new Arc Aspect to trigger Bolt Charge on the first encounter in the Vesper's Host Dungeon, the feature looks incredibly powerful. In that clip, it appears the lightning strike knocks a respectable 15 percent or so of health off the Brig.

New Aspects

Warlocks have a new tool to play with in the form of Ionic Sentry. This Arc Aspect allows Guardians to create their own Tesla tower that chains electricity to any foes unfortunate enough to be within range. As a bonus, the Ionic Sentry deploys with a Blinding effect and builds stacks of Bolt Charge as it slays enemies. Using the Ionic Sentry is as simple as charging the feature up by getting Arc kills and then activating it by tossing out a grenade.

Bungie commented on the new Aspect's design, "Stormcallers are masterful at channeling Arc energy, reshaping and redeploying it to cause mayhem on the battlefield. With Ionic Sentry, Stormcallers have harnessed Arc energy and coalesced it into a perfect orb of hurricane and harmony. Once it is charged up through Arc ability and weapon kills, you gain access to Ionic Sentry as a special grenade throw, similar to how Gunpowder Gamble works for Gunslingers."

While Hunters did not get an Arc Aspect to coincide with Bolt Charge, Guardians will have a new Void Aspect to play around with. It is called On The Prowl, allowing Hunters to defeat marked priority targets. When defeated, those priority targets create a weakening smoke cloud that Hunters and allies can use to become invisible again, gaining ability energy in the process.

Titans are also getting a fancy new Arc Aspect: Storm's Keep. Whenever Titans use their Class ability, they'll bestow a "moderate" number of Bolt Charge stacks to themselves and nearby allies. If Titans take one of the Barricade abilities, friendly players (including the casting Titan) will gain Bolt Charge stacks while behind it and can also discharge the lightning strike with weapon damage instead of only ability damage.

"We wanted to do a few things with this Aspect for Strikers," the studio noted. "We wanted to create an opportunity for Barricade to be used offensively and we wanted to capitalize on what Bolt Charge can provide. We envision Strikers pushing forward on the battlefield and using their class abilities to cement themselves as the tip of the spear in any fireteam."

Arc Subclass updates

Several updates are coming to the Arc Subclass aimed at making it more viable and forgiving in endgame content. Most importantly, PvE enemies will now be less accurate against Amplified players, and Guardians themselves will gain 15% PvE damage resistance when under the effect.

Many Fragments are also seeing tweaks to support the Arc-focused Episode. Spark of Discharge will grant a stack of Bolt Charge whenever an Ionic Trace is collected, and Spark of Momentum gets the new effect of getting a Bolt Charge stack after sliding over ammo bricks. It's also easier to trigger the Fragment, but the melee energy bonus has disappeared.

Spark of Frequency will have the added benefit of providing an extra Bolt Charge stack whenever players gain Bolt Charge from any source. That is joined by Spark of Volts, which also adds Bolt Charge stacks when Guardians get Finishers on top of the Amplified buff. Finally, Spark of Ions will additionally reward Ionic Traces whenever players defeat enemies with Bolt Charge.

Hunters

While Hunters may not have a flashy Arc Aspect to use in Episode: Heresy, plenty of updates are coming to the Subclass itself. The Tempest Strike melee ability is getting its damage increased by 57% in PvE. Additionally, players gain a stack of Bolt Charge if it is used to kill a Jolt-affected target.

The Disorienting Blow melee is also seeing a change, offering a "moderate" amount of Bolt Charge stacks whenever dealing damage with the ability. It will also deal AoE damage around the target, and its Blind effect has increased from six meters to a little over nine and a half meters. And for Arc Staff Super enjoyers, there's now a good reason to ensure you're reflecting blows, as it will offer a stack of Bolt Charge. 

Any of these retuned abilities will work well with the touched-up Ascension Aspect. The Aspect now provides three Fragment slots when running an Arc Subclass (already available on Prismatic). Activating the Aspect's effect, an upward Arc Staff twirl, now procs the effects from several other Hunter Class abilities. Bungie noted that Gambler's Dodge, Marksman's Dodge, Empowering Dodge, and Threaded Specter would be included for now, but more options could come in the future.

Titans

Alongside the new Aspect, Titans have a slew of quality-of-life tweaks coming their way. First and foremost, and most important for Storm's Keep, are a few changes to Barricades. Overall, Guardians will be more resilient when behind a Barricade, with splash damage resistance jumping from 60% to 80%. On top of this, the Taunt effect is changing a bit, no longer losing potency and range over time.

The Juggernaut Aspect is also getting a glow-up. The Juggernaut shield effect now offers 60% splash damage resistance in PvE and 10% in PvP. Additionally, you have an extra 10% flat damage reduction in PvE when the shield is up. Finally, when the shield successfully blocks damage, Titans gain a stack of Bolt Charge.

Titan's Ballistic Slam melee ability is also seeing some significant updates. It allows Titans to deal AoE damage with a ground slam after sprinting and while airborne. In Heresy, you won't have to sprint for long before the ability is ready, and damage will scale based on the distance Guardians travel. If that didn't get your attention, overall PvE damage has been bumped by 30%, and a stack of Bolt Charge is earned for each enemy damaged by the melee.

Warlocks

Warlocks have the least of tweaks to their Arc Subclass, but they already had a powerful setup with Arc Soul and Supers like Chaos Reach. Speaking of Chaos Reach, its damage will increase by 15% against non-Champion targets in PvE. The Stormtrance Super is similarly getting a damage boost, jumping by an additional 20% against non-Champion PvE foes.

The Lightning Surge Aspect is getting some tweaks, too. When Guardians use its effect, Amplified will be consumed. Damage is also getting reduced in PvP, from 20 per projectile to 15. That said, a payout is getting easier to predict with a two-meter width and a one-meter height increase of its cone.

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Believe it or not, Oryx, the Taken King, is returning to Destiny 2. Bungie confirmed as much in a Developer Livestream for Episode: Heresy, but there's obviously a lot of information the studio has yet to give us. We know we'll be venturing back into the Dreadnaught, and the Taken and Hive will be involved, but we lack the finer details. The stream did, however, provide players with an idea of what the bones of Heresy will look like.

Oryx, the Taken King, is a major villain from Destiny's past. Once a Hive god and a significant force to be reckoned with, Guardians would eventually topple the monarch in the original Destiny's The Taken King expansion. To do so, we boarded Oryx's Throne World spacecraft hybrid, the Dreadnaught. While the King's Fall Raid is currently available in Destiny 2, Episode: Heresy will be the first time Guardians can explore the Dreadnaught in the sequel. 

The return of the King

Following a trend established in the Episodes of The Final Shape, it seems Episode: Heresy also plans to bring back a major villain. While Echoes brought Maya Sundaresh back into conversations, and Revenant offered a finale for Fikrul, Oryx definitely has the most star power as an Episode's headlining villain. That said, the revival of Oryx doesn't appear as simple as what was attempted in the Ghosts of the Deep Dungeon.

In some key art shared during the livestream, a ghostly visage of Oryx is shown peering over the Dreadnaught. The blue-spectered foe doesn't appear to be haunting us in the flesh, perhaps much in the same way that the Ahamkara Riven came back for Season of the Wish. That said, Bungie did hint at a flesh-and-blood enemy at the root of Heresy's conflict: an as-of-now unnamed Dread character.

Of course, with the prospect of Oryx's return on the horizon, Guardians will need to call in the specialists to deal with the combined Dread, Hive, and Taken threat. Naturally, that means Eris Morn, the Ghost-less Moon Guardian who briefly became a Hive god during the Season of the Witch. Joining the Hive expert is her more-than-just-friends ally, The Drifter, and Commander Sloan from Titan, who'd become afflicted by Taken corruption during Season of the Deep.

Are we getting the power to Take?

During the stream, there were some coy hints and references that Episode: Heresy may finally let players do something they've been asking for since the Taken were encountered: Gain the power to Take. The power of the Taken is intrinsically tied to Oryx, as he originated the ability. While control of the mindless faction has drifted since Oryx's fall, who knows what's bound to happen when the King himself returns? 

If persistent rumors suggesting that we're going to use the Dreadnaught to leave the solar system pan out, then it stands to reason we might need to master the same powers as its former steward. Bungie's Narrative Architect, Nikko Stevens, said, "[Sloan] has been afflicted with this Taken corruption that we saw back in Season of the Deep, and she's learned how to sort of hold it back but also utilize it to make her stronger. So she is going to be teaching us some of that." Adding some fuel to the fire, Senior Social Media Manager Andy Salisbury noted, "We're going 'Beyond,' once again."

Stevens added another piece of context later on when asked about the Path of Resolve in Heresy. "There is 'an event' that happens at the beginning of the Episode," Stevens noted. "This 'REDACTED' event sort of kicks off Sloan's motivation for teaching us about the Taken power that she has been holding back. So, that is the Path of Resolve, she's going to be teaching us how to fight fire with fire." 

The Narrative Architect continued, explaining how the Path of Resolve would factor into gameplay on the Dreadnaught. "We're going to be going into the Dreadnaught, taking some control of that Taken energy, taking some control of those old Hive Magiks, and wielding them using our Light and using our Paracausaility," Stevens said.

Into The Nether

Launching with the first Act of Episode: Heresy is a new activity called The Nether. The studio explained that The Nether would take players back through the old patrol zones of the Dreadnaught as Guardians rot out recent incursions by Dread, Taken, and Hive foes. As Senior Designer Ryan Harris notes, the activity was designed to be highly replayable.

"Baseline, the Patrol Zones are randomized and varied. The encounters inside are varied and randomized as well. So, time over time, when you launch into the activity, it's going to be a different starting bubble, different encounters, and different events and objectives for you to engage with," Harris explained.

The Nether may have some familiar trappings, but the activity will take on a wholly different vibe. Guardians will not regenerate health on their own, so a dedicated healer might be needed to conquer more serious difficulties. To compensate, Bungie is increasing player health by 300 and shields by 75 while in The Nether. "We really want to make your health a resource," Harris noted.

Ammo will also appear at a more limited capacity in The Nether, but the developers explained that there are ways to earn both health and ammo drops throughout the activity. Finally, as Guardians progress through The Nether, they will acquire Boons, which are buffs that will remain present for the rest of the run. Destination materials, chests, and destructible environmental objects like pots were described, acting as potential resource caches.

The Nether will have variable instances, with one mode that caters to solo players. "For players who are wanting that explorative aspect, we've seperated out the modes a little bit. People can go in and they can explore the Dreadnaught, but people who are just looking to bust through the activity and get loot, they have a different matchmade mode," Stevens noted. In addition to the solo and regular matchmade mode, there's also an Expert difficulty option.

The post Somehow, Oryx returns for Destiny 2’s Episode: Heresy appeared first on Destructoid.

Destiny 2's Raids sure are cool. Predictably enough, Bungie's decision to port Raids from Destiny to its sequel was extremely popular, though one of the most notable old Destiny Raids is nowhere to be seen. As it turns out, the Wrath of the Machine isn't even on the docket.

This information comes from Destiny 2's Global Community Lead, Dylan Gafner, who is also known by his dmg04 moniker. As seen via the XCancelled web app, Gafner posted a cheeky call for fans to ask him anything with the caveat that he wouldn't respond to any of the questions. It didn't take long for Gafner to respond to one particular comment from comedian2008, who tried to get some information on the potential launch window for the Wrath of the Machine Raid from the original Destiny. According to Gafner, the port isn't happening "any time soon," which isn't great news for series veterans.

Destiny 2's next Raid is a mystery, but we do know it's not Wrath of the Machine

As you may already know, the original Destiny only had four Raids in total: Vault of Glass, Crota's End, King's Fall, and the Wrath of the Machine. It just so happens that all of them bar Wrath of the Machine have already been ported over to Destiny 2 to immense satisfaction from the community. All three returns have been widely acclaimed by virtually everyone, and served as excellent pit-stops in between entirely new and original Destiny 2 Raid content.

To provide more context to Gafner's partially off-hand comment, Bungie is currently working on new Destiny 2 Raid content. We've known that there's something cooking in the oven for a while now, since at least August 2024, though we obviously don't have any details on the what, why, and how of this mysterious new Raid. The obvious expectation was that Bungie might wish to once again tide the community over by porting Wrath of the Machine, but that's not the case.

One of the main reasons why the Destiny community has historically rallied around Raids is that their respective releases are celebrated with competitive racing events. Those have instead been relegated to the new Dungeons, such as 2024's Vesper's Host and the upcoming Sundered Doctrine. This isn't a bad approach, but Dungeons are obviously smaller-scale and substantially less complex than full-fledged Raids.

With all of that in mind, even though we do know that Bungie is working on all-new Raids, we don't have the faintest idea of how and when they might be coming out. Presumably, they'll be released as part of the new Destiny 2: Frontiers content pipeline, but the whole thing is a real mystery beyond that. The fact of the matter, though, is that Destiny lives and dies by its endgame content, and it'd be downright blasphemous if Bungie just gave up on Raids as a concept. Guess we'll just have to stay tuned, at least for the time being.

The post Destiny 2’s not getting the Wrath of the Machine Raid anytime soon appeared first on Destructoid.

While Destiny 2's Episode: Revenant is in its waning weeks, Bungie has a few tricks up its sleeve to see the content off, as several balance changes have hit the game ahead of the new Past is Prologue event.

Oddly, the tweaks to general gameplay are pretty significant for the end of an Episode. Of course, these alterations will likely set the pace for the upcoming Episode: Heresy, but you can start taking advantage now.

Every once in a while, Bungie changes how things feel in Destiny 2. The studio usually tackles one or two topics at a time, such as Exotic armor or ability tuning. For Episode: Revenant's final Act, both Exotic weapons and armor are seeing some changes and general tuning for many of the weapon archetypes available in-game.

Exotic Armor updates

In a post detailing update 8.1.5.3, Bungie covered how the game would change for the final Act of Revenant, starting with Exotic armor. One of the most significant pieces of news is that the Ballidorse Wrathweavers Exotic for Warlocks is now functional once more.

The studio had previously deactivated it near the start of Episode: Revenant after Guardians found a way to one-shot bosses with Stasis explosions. Naturally, that didn't attract the best attention in the Stasis-focused Episode, but at least players now have a few weeks to play around with it and all of the Stasis Artifact Perks for some wild combinations.

Warlocks also saw another boon to Exotic armor in Bungie correcting another functionality issue. The Stormdancer's Brace Exotic is supposed to refund Super energy and grant a damage buff for each enemy slain with Stormtrance. Players weren't getting the Super energy gains if they activated the Prismatic Subclass's Transcendence ability. This bug has been resolved and now functions correctly.

The next positive change was more general, as it affected multiple Exotics. For Exotic armor effects that reward an elemental Surge damage bonus, like Mantle of Battle Harmony, Foetracer, or Path of Burning Steps, the Solar Surge x4 wasn't applying to anything other than Two-Tailed Fox. Bungie has corrected this so players can enjoy the full force of a Solar Surge.

The additional Exotic armor tweaks aren't strictly positive. Many are fixes for bugs but end up decreasing current effectiveness. First up are Hunters with the Celestial Nighthawk Exotic. It inadvertently benefited from the roaming Super buff in Episode: Revenant, recharging Golden Gun much faster than intended. This has been adjusted so the Super charges normally.

For Titans, Bungie took a swing at the Crest of Alpha Lupi Exotic and its Spirit of Alpha Lupi effect on the Titan Exotic Class Item. It appears the studio feels that the healing offered was a bit too generous for Thruster enjoyers, so it has been reduced across the board. The full Exotic now only restores 60HP with its healing pulse when using the Thruster Class ability. Similarly, the Spirit of Alpha Lupi on Stoicism has its healing capability reduced to a mere 30HP while using Thruster.

Warlocks didn't escape without a nerf of their own, another instance of Bungie fixing something that wasn't working correctly. Before the third Act of Episode: Revenant, Warlocks could extend the Song of Flame Super by activating the unique effect of the Mantle of Battle Harmony Exotic. The studio has corrected this oversight so the already-powerful Super doesn't get out of hand.

Exotic weapon updates

There weren't nearly as many changes to Exotic weapons as there were to the armor, as mentioned above. That said, all of these tweaks are worth noting, as they're all for popular weapons. Kicking things off for PvP players is the ever-popular Ace of Spades. Depending on how you look at it, this could be either a buff or a nerf, but the weapon now does Solar damage with its Firefly explosions. Those booms were previously Kinetic damage.

The Whisper of the Worm Exotic sniper has been reliably popular even before its reintroduction through the remade Whisper Exotic mission. Now, it's a force to be reckoned with, bolstering multiple Catalysts and build options. As the gun is about landing multiple precision hits to refund ammo, Crucible fans should know that the flinch against other players has been reduced by 50 percent.

Finally, Graviton Lance has been a favorite of Guardians looking for a long-range, reliable Void weapon. It's not getting diminished in terms of the direct damage it does, but it is getting a slap on the wrist with a return to its previous RPM. Graviton Lance is now back to 300 RPM, down from 325 RPM.

Weapon archetype and Perk updates

For weapons in general, some are rising up for Episode: Heresy, while others have seen their time in the sun and are getting a bit of a nerf. Sidearm fans can start to break out their favorite Heavy Burst archetype, as the category has received an overall damage increase. Body shot damage has been bumped from 30 to 33, and precision damage has jumped from 48 to 52.8, making these weapons incredibly dangerous at a range where reliable precision damage isn't an issue.

Submachine guns are also getting some love, seeing a general magazine increase across the board. It seems, based on the vague wording of the buff, that all submachine guns are included in this boon, including Exotics. Bungie specified that the magazine increase would be anywhere between 10 and 15 percent, depending on the specific weapon. For Lightweight pulse rifles, general damage went from 17 to 20.4 and 31.45 to 31.6 for precision damage. Auto rifles got a small but needed bump to damage as well. The Rapid Fire archetype specifically went from 13.5 to 13.6 damage and 23 to 23.1 for precision damage.

Lightweight scout rifles are getting inched up in effectiveness. The Lightweight archetype's damage receives a nudge from 32 to 38 and precision damage from 64 to 64.6. Alternatively, High-Impact pulse rifles are getting tuned down a bit, with Bungie noting that it now takes six precision hits to eliminate a player with a Resilience score above 10. High-Impact archetypes now deal 21.5 damage per shot, down from 22. Additionally, precision damage dropped to 38.7 from 39.6, and the damage falloff for aiming down sights has been reduced.

Outside of general damage tweaks, hand cannons have a new Intrinsic Trait for the Precision archetype. The guns now reduce the aim down sight movement penalty by 10 percent. On the opposite end of the range spectrum, sniper rifles across the board now have 20 percent less camera roll flinch against players. Topping weapon changes off, Bungie reduced the self-damage done to players using heavy grenade launchers by 50 percent.

Looking at the individual Perks that can appear on weapons, Bungie made two changes for Act Three. The most substantial is that the Iron Banner Origin Trait, Skulking Wolf, now works in PvE and makes enemies less accurate when they're shooting you. Also, the studio noted that it rolled back the changes to how the Target Lock Perk works on submachine guns. Those alterations were made in Update 7.3.5, forcing the Perk to trigger when Guardians went through 20 percent of their clip rather than 12.5 percent.

The post Destiny 2 Episode: Revenant Act 3 balance changes appeared first on Destructoid.

Just like the Riven's Wishes event from Season of the Wish, Destiny 2 is currently running a limited-time event with some notable rewards on offer. The Past is Prologue event will take players back to old familiar haunts across the system as they do what they can to kindle the will-they, won't-they energy between Eris Morn and The Drifter. Thankfully, there are also plenty of prizes on the table for helping the two out, including the return of a coveted Shader from the original Destiny.

The Past is Prologue event is a lot like the Riven's Wishes event from last year. Guardians are given relatively basic tasks, like participating in Gambit matches or slaying Hive on the Moon, that reward Bento Tokens upon completion. Each of these Tokens can be exchanged for powerful rewards, and that returning Shader is a complimentary gift after players complete five tasks.

How to start the Past is Prologue event

The Past is Prologue event is available to all players, even those enjoying Destiny 2 on a strictly free-to-play basis. To kick things off, players will need to journey to The Tower and pay a visit to that snarky Gambit vendor, The Drifter. Ol' Drifter now has a new tab to interact with, labeled Limited-Time Event. In there, players will find four event Quests and one master Quest tracking progress toward the Shader reward.

Once players have each Quests, they should immediately complete the first step, as it simply requires discussing the Quest and Eris Morn with The Drifter. Guardians can tackle the tasks in any order they see fit, but if players plan accordingly, they can knock multiple objectives out simultaneously. 

As players complete Past is Prologue Quests, they'll be rewarded with Bento Tokens. It seems that some Quests can reward more Bento Tokens than others, depending on the complexity of the task. These Bento Tokens can be exchanged with Eris Morn for desirable rewards on the Moon.

Past is Prologue rewards

Resources and Mementos

Weapons

Artifice Armor

What's worth getting from the Past is Prologue event?

Much like The Drifter, Eris Morn has a Limited-Time Event tab for Past is Prologue. This menu is where Guardians can exchange their earned Bento Tokens for the fabulous prizes on offer. While the usual event offerings of Mementos or Exotic currencies like Ascendant Shards and Exotic Ciphers are available, the real prize for Past is Prologue are the Adept weapons and Artifice armor.

While the Artifice armor outright costs double compared to everything else, it may be the easiest way for a player to guarantee themselves a piece of the coveted gear with some decent stats. That said, only some of the Artifice armor up for offer has a roll worth nabbing, with many appearing with mediocre (at best) stat scores or distribution. That said, the gloves, gauntlets, and grips actually have decent distribution, and Class Items won't ever drop with stats anyway. As for the Adept weapons, players should get any they don't already have, so long as they'll actually use them. The Cataphract GL3 with the PvE god roll won't be helping any Crucible mains, and the same goes for Igneous Hammer for those that don't engage with PvP.

After players spend five Bento Tokens with Eris, they'll complete the Packed Lunch Quest and earn the returning Chatterwhite Shader. That said, the fun doesn't stop after the first five Bento Tokens, as the studio previously detailed that players would earn a total of eight Bento Tokens. It appears that more Quests rewarding the Tokens will make their way to the game, and there is a note on the Packed Lunch Quest that says, "Additional 'Past is Prologue' Quests will unlock next week, or can be obtained from Xur this weekend." Either way, Guardians will have a few more rewards coming their way, so long as they keep up with the event.

When does Past is Prologue end?

The Past is Prologue event is a limited-time and optional endeavor Guardians can undertake, but the potential rewards are great. Bungie has noted that the event will only run for two weeks and implied that players won't be able to spend their Bento Tokens after the start of Episode: Heresy. In a This Week in Destiny communication, Bungie explained, "The Past Is Prologue event will only be around for two weeks. So don't waste any time and make sure you spend all your Bento Tokens before the start of Heresy."

So, if Guardians are in desperate need of an Artifice Class Item or want to snag themself a fancy Adept Igneous Hammer, they absolutely shouldn't miss out on the Past is Prologue event. While Adept weapons are always hard to pass up, if players already have the most tantalizing rewards, at least there are still some free Mementos and Exotic currencies up for grabs.

The post Destiny 2’s Past is Prologue event offers an exclusive Shader and more for a limited time appeared first on Destructoid.

While a current focal point of Destiny 2's Episode: Revenant is a Tonic system that didn't initially work as intended, the third Act offers players a reliable way to brew Exotic Tonics. While it was possible for Guardians to create an Exotic Tonic before, there weren't recipes for the concoction until recently. Of course, as with many things in Destiny, players aren't just given the means to produce these valuable Tonics. First, Guardians must uncover the Tonic recipes for themselves; otherwise, strike it lucky on a never-ending treadmill of chance.

The Tonic system in Destiny 2 is a feature of Episode: Revenant that served as a way for players to influence gameplay and rewards. The idea is that players earn Tonic ingredients by defeating enemies and completing certain activities. Those ingredients can then be distilled into either a Volatile Tonic that boosts a specific effect or an Enriching Tonic that augments rewards. Of course, before Guardians can brew a Tonic, they'll need its ingredients and the required recipe. That's where Exotic Tonics become a bit more tricky than Rare or Legendary counterparts.

What are Exotic Tonics?

Episode: Revenant Tonics come in different rarities. Players start with the ability to create Uncommon, green Tonics and learn new recipes as Fieldwork is completed and more Tonics are brewed. Typically, players create somewhere between four and six Uncommon Tonics to earn a recipe for a Rare Tonic, and the same is true going from Rare to Legendary. However, Exotic Tonics are a bit different, and not just in how players earn them.

Exotic Tonics are only available for one category of Tonics: Resource. As such, each helps players earn a specific Exotic currency. There are three Exotic Tonics in-game: a Tonic of Exotic Ciphers, a Tonic of Ascendant Shards, and a Tonic of Ascendant Alloys. In addition to offering a chance to earn more of the specified resource from activities and kills, each Exotic Tonic lasts for 112 minutes or nearly two hours.

How to earn Exotic Tonic recipes

With enough time and effort, Guardians can learn all of the Uncommon, Rare, and Legendary Tonic recipes just by continuing to craft Tonics. Exotic Tonics require a specific course of actions to earn, with two taking players into the Kell's Fall Exotic mission and another being up to lady luck. As players hunt down the Intrinsic Trait upgrades for the Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun in Kell's Fall, they'll earn two Exotic Tonic recipes, the Tonic of Ascendant Shards and the Tonic of Ascendant Alloys.

It doesn't matter the order in which players obtain the Intrinsic upgrades, as the Tonic recipes aren't tied to specific pickups. Instead, players need to locate and collect the Intrinsic upgrades in any order to open up more Exotic Tonic recipes. Alternatively, the final Exotic Tonic has been in the game since the start of Revenant, but it might be the hardest to make. That's because there's no recipe; players must get lucky while brewing other Tonics.

The Tonic of Exotic Ciphers can technically be made after players have started creating Legendary Enriching Tonics. There's a slim chance that while brewing any Legendary Enriching Tonic, a Tonic of Exotic Ciphers will also be created. Guardians can tilt the odds in their favor by earning the Extraordinary Tonics upgrade from Eido through Major Fieldwork from the first Act. It increases players' chance to create higher-tier Tonics while brewing, which helps but still leaves a lot to chance.

How to create each Exotic Tonic

After players have earned the recipes for the Tonic of Ascendant Shards and the Tonic of Ascendant Alloys, they can start producing as many beverages as resources allow. Technically, the same is true for the Tonic of Exotic Ciphers, but without a specific recipe, Guardians are at the mercy of whatever reagents are plentiful or trivial to farm. Here are the ingredients required to brew the Exotic Tonics from Episode: Revenant:

Tonic of Ascendant Alloys

• Enriching Nugget (2)
• Enriching Flake (2)
• Tomb Flake (2)
• Reflective Flake (2)
• Enriching Powder (6)
• Reclaimed Vitality (60)

Tonic of Ascendant Shards

• Enriching Nugget (2)
• Enriching Flake (2)
• Tomb Flake (2)
• Reflective Flake (2)
• Enriching Powder (6)
• Reclaimed Vitality (60)

Tonic of Exotic Ciphers

As mentioned previously, the Tonic of Exotic Ciphers can be a bit of an enigma for reliable farming. Ideally, players will luck into a few as they progress Tonic recipes and Fieldwork. If not, some tips and tricks can at least help Guardians spend their ingredients wisely. One important first note is that the Tonic of Exotic Ciphers only appears when brewing Enriching Tonics. Don't waste your time or resources with Volatile Tonics, at least in the pursuit of a Tonic of Exotic Ciphers. 

Another worthwhile consideration is the cost of each Legendary Tonic in the hunt for Tonics of Exotic Ciphers. Specifically, the World Gear category of Tonics offers the cheapest cost per Legendary Tonic. Each Legendary World Gear Tonic requires Enriching Nugget (2), Enriching Powder (3), and Reclaimed Vitality (20). Each ingredient is readily available when playing almost anything in-game, with even more significant payouts for Episode: Revenant content.

If Guardians want to eek a bit more feasible use out of the Tonics made in pursuit of some Exotic Cipher juice, they can brew from the Onslaught, Tomb of Elders, or Kell's Fall categories instead. However, those Tonics all require an additional reagent earned from the activity with the same namesake. It costs an additional Enriching Flake for Onslaught Tonics, a Tomb Flake for Tomb of Elders Tonics, and a Reflective Flake for the Kell's Fall Tonics. 

Going the route of weapon Tonics is a bit more work, as it demands players to frequent the activity from which they're hunting weapons. That said, there's no question that the rewards stand to offer a lot more than Glimmer and upgrade materials earned from dismantling set after set of Shadestalker armor.

The post Destiny 2: How to brew Exotic Tonics appeared first on Destructoid.

Guardians diving into Destiny 2's new Exotic mission, Kell's Fall, will encounter an odd sight toward the start of the endeavor: an organ. Those musically inclined players hoping that the instrument is a part of some elaborate puzzle or gameplay mechanic are in luck, as the organ is the key to most secrets within Kell's Fall. Thankfully, players don't need to do all the work required to piece together each melody, as any will work if you know which order the notes go in.

The Kell's Fall Exotic mission has its share of secrets tucked within, including Exotic Catalyst Quests and intrinsic upgrades for the Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun. Many of these optional pursuits are accessed via the organ found within the mission. However, players must know what tunes to play to get what they want. Guardians can spend some time hunting down all the hidden melodies scattered throughout the Exotic mission, but that time-consuming work can be skipped thanks to the efforts of the Destiny community.

How to use the organ in Kell's Fall

Shortly after players first encounter The Trickster, they'll enter a building with the organ against the back wall. The organ is connected to a series of pipes, which are, in turn, connected to switches with symbols on them. Each symbol can be shot to play a particular note on the organ, and a series of symbols can be shot to put together a melody.

Not all of the switches will be available on the first run of Kell's Fall. However, more organ switches will become available in subsequent runs, with all accessible by the third completion. That said, it appears that most, if not all, melodies can be played on the organ with the switches available during the second run through the Exotic mission. 

When Guardians are ready to input a melody, they'll need to stand on the circular plate directly in front of the organ. From left to right, the switches can be numbered through 13, so players don't have to try to remember each switch symbol. As long as the switches needed are present, players can orchestrate as many melodies as they want, even all of the known combinations in a single run.

Known Kell's Fall organ melodies

As mentioned earlier, it's primarily thanks to the Destiny community that it's this easy to enter each of Kell's Fall organ melodies. Throughout the Exotic mission, eagle-eyed Guardians may spot a string of glowing symbols written on a wall or a wayward symbol tucked out of sight behind some rubble. These symbols correspond with the symbols on the organ switches, and in the correct order, these are the melodies players are looking for. Some are easier to find than others, and some are downright cryptic with the placement and orientation symbols that appear.

While there's a Triumph in the Secret category of Episode: Revenant for playing six melodies on the organ, eight have been discovered by the community. It's certainly possible that there are more melodies that players have yet to learn of; the community has banded together to share what's already known. These are all of Kell's Fall organ melodies confirmed to work, and here's what they do:

Slayer's Fang Intrinsic Upgrade #1

The code to open the door to the first Intrinsic Upgrade is 2, 11, 1, 10, 7, 6. If players enter the sequence correctly, they'll see the text, "Ancient gears grinding deep within the fortress."

Slayer's Fang Intrinsic Upgrade #2

The code to open the door to the second Intrinsic Upgrade is 1, 4, 11, 1, 4, 10. Once the melody is correctly entered, players will see text that says, "Barrier giving way."

Slayer's Fang Intrinsic Upgrade #3

The code to open the door to the third Intrinsic Upgrade is 1, 8, 1, 6. Once the melody's code is correctly entered, players will see a line of text saying, "Air stirring in a forgotten passage."

The Scorned Organist

The code to access the secret Kell's Fall boss is 10, 4, 6, 1, 11, 4, 8, 1. After Guardians enter the sequence, the Fireteam will be teleported to an arena to fight the Scorned Organist.

Uldren's Shrine

The code to open the door to Uldren's secret shrine is 1, 8, 4, 11, 1, 6, 4, 10. Players can confirm they entered the melody correctly if they see text that reads, "The melody sounds like a child, yearning for his father." The secret shrine is tucked away in the Undercroft section of Kell's Fall, in one of the red dome buildings, on the platform just before dropping down into the next area. 

The Trickster and The Mad Bomber

The code 1, 8, 1, 9 allows The Trickster to appear during the fight against Kaniiks, The Mad Bomber. Players will know they've entered the sequence correctly if they see text that says, "The melody twists your stomach in knots. You've made a terrible mistake." The added boss can be hurt during the encounter and will turn invisible to escape after taking enough damage.

The Trickster and The Mindbender

The code 1, 8, 1, 11, 9 sends The Trickster to the fight against Hiraks, The Mindbender. If the code was entered correctly, players will see text that says, "The melody sends a chill down your spine. What have you done?" As with the previous code, The Trickster will appear in another fight. The added boss is similarly damageable and will also pull another disappearing act once hurt enough. 

Savathûn is still watching us

The code 4, 7, 9, 6, 2, 6, 7, 1 is a bit of an oddity, as all it seems to do is award a cackle from Savathûn that echoes over the room. Players will, of course, know they've correctly entered the sequence if they hear the antagonist from The Witch Queen laugh over the comms. While there are suspicions that there could be more to this melody, no one has been able to identify anything else happening after activating the switches.

The post Destiny 2: All known melodies for the Kell’s Fall organ appeared first on Destructoid.

There's much to be said about the current state of Destiny 2, but the world's first race events are a tried-and-true roll call for the community. Since we're not getting any new Raids anytime soon, Dungeons are the next best thing, and Sundered Doctrine is now on the docket.

Though we have absolutely no actual promotional materials for Sundered Doctrine in Destiny 2, Bungie has been kind enough to reveal some interesting details about this fancy new Dungeon in the latest TWID (This Week in Destiny) blog post. For example, we now know that Sundered Doctrine takes place aboard Rhulk's sunken Pyramid vessel, back in Savathûn’s Throne World. Sundered Doctrine's world's first completion race will kick off on the Dungeon's release on February 7 (Friday). Remember, too, that this means Contest Mode will be enabled for the next 48 hours, making Sundered Doctrine far more challenging than it otherwise would be.

The Sundered Doctrine Dungeon world's first race is coming to Destiny 2

Sundered Doctrine is thus poised to be the second Dungeon released to its very own world's first race, following last year's Vesper's Host. Only, this time around, Bungie intends to pull all the stops for the winning team: "This time around, rather than a podium race, we’ll be looking to crown the single team that rises to the top and finishes first. With that, we are leveling up the reward, creating something memorable and unique to honor the incredible accomplishment of the winning team. That's why, for this race, each winning team member will receive the first-ever Dungeon Race trophy," says the announcement.

This is fairly unprecedented, as such real-world trophies had previously been the exclusive purview of Raids. Things definitely are a-changing, as we can see.

If you're a mere mortal such as myself, and don't necessarily intend to compete in the world's first race proper, odds are you're still going to want to score a piece of sweet loot. Fancy new guns and armor are a given, and to get any of that goodness, you'll need to meet the Power Level requirement. As per Bungie, the PL target is 1995 for all encounters, which should be easy enough to target.

To be eligible to play Sundered Doctrine in the first place, all players in your Fireteam need to own the Final Shape Dungeon key and acquire the Drowning Labyrinth quest. Whenever a new Dungeon releases, this NPC or the other will invite Guardians to pick up its respective quest from them. This is, presumably, how we'll acquire Drowning Labyrinth upon the Dungeon's release.

I'll happily admit that I wasn't able to complete Vesper's Host during its Contest Mode period. If you, too, end up struggling with Sundered Doctrine in February, there's nothing to worry about: all the important goodies (i.e. guns and armor) will still be available after Contest Mode runs out, on the reset of February 9. From that point onwards, the Dungeon will be more accessible to the average player with a reduced Power Level requirement. Neat!

Remember, too, that this is going to mark the start of the third major Episode of Destiny 2: The Final Shape. It's a thrilling enough predicament, for sure, but Bungie's recent track record has got me slightly worried for what might happen to Oryx's Dreadnaught.

The post Destiny 2’s next Dungeon, Sundered Doctrine, is coming out very soon, and so is the world’s first race appeared first on Destructoid.

If Destiny 2 players want to make the most out of their new Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun, they'll need to revisit Kell's Fall. The Exotic mission evolves with subsequent playthroughs, not showing its true nature until after Guardians' second completion.

Alongside the Exotic Catalyst Quest objectives hidden throughout Kell's Fall, players can also find three Intrinsic Trait upgrades. But it will take more than curiosity to find the upgrades; players will have to master the Scorgan.

Many of the Exotic weapons obtained through Exotic missions are enhanceable by completing certain tasks in subsequent runs of the mission. In the case of Kell's Fall, those are the Exotic Catalysts and the Intrinsic Trait upgrades. Each upgrade generally enhances the weapon, making it even more dangerous. The final upgrade even provides a nice boost to some of the shotgun's stats. All Guardians must do is masterfully navigate through Kell's Fall, stopping to investigate all the ethereal nooks and crannies.

When are the Intrinsic Upgrades available?

To acquire each Intrinsic upgrade, players will need to open a secret passage within the Kell's Fall Exotic mission. Each of the three hidden paths is accessed via the organ towards the start of the mission. Shortly after players have their first fight against The Trickster, they'll enter a building with a large pipe organ at the back of the room. This organ is, in fact, playable, and specific hidden melodies open most of the secrets in the Exotic mission.

By standing on the plate in front of the organ, players can shoot the switches connected to the instrument. Each switch emits a note, and Kell's Fall reacts when specific arrangements are played together. To keep things simple, the community has numbered the switches up through 13, read from left to right. An essential piece of information to note is that all organ switches are not active until players have completed the first two runs of the Exotic mission through Episode: Revenant's story.

That said, players can open some of these hidden chambers even during their first run if they are persistent enough. However, the upgrades themselves won't appear until after Slayer's Fang has already been earned. Similarly, while all the switches won't be available until a third run, players should be able to open the optional Intrinsic upgrade paths available after a single Kell's Fall completion through the Episode. Additionally, Guardians can play all three melodies to open every Intrinsic upgrade path in a single run.

Slayer's Fang Intrinsic Upgrade locations

Once players have earned the Slayer's Fange Exotic shotgun, they should be able to reenter Kell's Fall (provided the Fireteam's host has made it far enough in the Episode: Revenant story) and access the hidden Intrinsic upgrade pathways. As each is unlocked by playing a correct melody at the organ, it's imperative that Guardians don't forget to stop by the instrument and confirm entries are correct via the text that appears on the screen.

Technically, Slayer's Fang starts with the first version of its Intrinsic Trait, Nightsworn Sight. So, as players unlock these upgrades, it will change to Nightsworn Sight II, III, and IV.

Nightsworn Sight II

The first Intrinsic upgrade for Slayer's Fang can be found right off to the side of the Scorgan. Normally, heading further into the Exotic mission, Guardians head up the organ's left-side path. On the right, another path leads to what appears to be an empty room. However, that's not the case after playing a particular tune. 

If Guardians stand on the plate in front of the organ and shoot switches in the order of 2, 11, 1, 10, 7, 6, they should see the text, "Ancient gears grinding deep within the fortress." The message confirms the melody was played correctly and opens another door in the room to the right of the organ.

Inside, players will find a Tonic bottle that can be collected. Guardians will be rewarded Nightsworn Sight II on top of a few other rewards after picking it up.

Nightsworn Sight III

The next Intrinsic upgrade for Slayer's Fang is in the Mirror Gallery, specifically once Guardians enter the reversed mirror dimension. Of course, players will need to have already opened the pathway via the organ earlier to proceed.

Standing on the plate in front of the organ, players can shoot the switches in the order of 1, 4, 11, 1, 4, 10. If done correctly, the Fireteam will see a message that says, "Barrier giving way."

Back inside the Prismatic-ified Mirror Gallery, the locale players are hunting for is just before the large room with the gnarled tree growing through it. Guardians will find themselves in a long hallway with a navy blue door at its end. Normally, this door is shut tight, but the melody opens it up. Inside is a room with a knife on the floor. The knife can be collected to receive Nightsworn Sight III and some additional rewards.

Nightsworn Sight IV

The final Intrinsic upgrade in Kell's Fall is just before players head into the encounter with The Mindbender. Players will have just come out of the platforming section and find themselves in the side room off of a larger chamber. If players look behind to see where they came from, they'll notice three unlit torches stacked atop one another and mounted on the wall.

Each of these torches corresponds with a lit brazier in the area. There's one in the side room with the torches, in a nook behind some chains. The other two are in the main chamber with the mirror portal to The Mindbender. Once all three braziers are doused, the torches will light instead, and a hidden passage will reveal itself. However, that passage is a dead end without the organ.

Back at the start of the mission, at the organ, players can stand on the plate to enter the sequence 1, 8, 1, 6. If Guardians do this correctly, they'll see text that says, "Air stirring in a forgotten passage." This opens another door inside the secret dead-end room by The Mindbender encounter, leading to an urn. Players can collect the urn to unlock Nightsworn Sight IV and earn additional rewards.

What does Nightsworn Sight do?

All Exotic weapons have an Intrinsic Trait that, along with other Perks and features, gives the gun its unique feel. On its own, Nightsworn Sight is a buff that allows kills to grant Truesight, increases reloaded speed and precision damage and ensures the tracking submunitions add the Weaken effect to targets.

As if seeing through walls or Weakening enemies with ricochet damage wasn't impressive enough, each time players upgrade the Intrinsic Trait, they also upgrade its effects. Nightsworn Sight II and Nightsworn Sight III increase the precision damage and reload speed bonus the Trait provides, and Nightsworn Sight IV further improves effects on top of some flat stat boosts. With the final Intrinsic Upgrade, Nightsworn Sight IV adds 10 Range, 10 Stability, and 10 Handling to the weapon.

Of course, Guardians can only take advantage of these upgrades after they've already gone out and earned them. Additionally, finding these Intrinsic Upgrades isn't enough on its own, players must remember to head back to the Enclave to Reshape the changes into the weapon.

The post Destiny 2: Where to find the Exotic Intrinsic Trait upgrades for Slayer’s Fang in Kell’s Fall appeared first on Destructoid.

The Destiny 2 community is up in arms again, this time over the new Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun from Kell's Fall.

As it turns out, the weapon can actually damage and debuff its wielder, leaving some under the impression that the situation is another blunder during Bungie's buggy Episode: Revenant. However, the situation took an odd turn when the studio hopped to social media to explain that the self-damage and Weaken effect are not bugs; they are features.

Episode: Revenant, and the greater year that's followed since The Final Shape expansion, hasn't been the best for Destiny 2. The first Episode, Echoes, ended in an unsatisfying flop, and Revenant has had no shortage of issues since it began. Between the now-infamous Weightgate, Tonicgate following soon after, and a crop of Dawning Event issues, the hits to morale and studio trust have been relentless. Now, players have a hard time taking Bungie's explanation at face value when something seems off in-game.

Why is my gun hurting me?

Imagine the surprise of players who get caught by their own ricocheting projectiles of Slayer's Fang. Not only will the weapon damage its wielder, but it can also apply the Weaken debuff. Slayer's Fang can be as powerful as anything else in the game, but if it's Weakening and has a chance to kill players, it becomes less practical and more of a hazard.

It appears that's been the consensus of the Destiny 2 community, with many taking to social media to question whether the new Exotic weapon's behavior is an accident. With the state the game has been in lately, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if yet another piece of content shipped broken. However, Bungie has made it clear that Slayer's Fang is (mostly) working as intended.

The burn means it's working

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bungie brought the discussion to the Slayer's Fang Exotic and acknowledged some of the discourse highlighted by the community. "We've seen conversations around Slayer's Fang's ability to do self-damage and apply Weaken to yourself if you're hit by the ricocheting projectiles. Note, the Weaken is only applied while Nightsworn Sight is active, while the self-damage always happens. This is intentional for both gameplay and narrative reasons and we wanted to give a bit of insight into our thought process."

The team explained that the possibility of self-damage was a conscious choice. Bungie noted, "A lot of ricochet projectiles or explosives do self-damage (Sleeper Simulant can even kill the user) and it's an important balancing measure." The studio added that this potential self-damage creates a risk/reward scenario that influences a player's choice of weapon use.

Bungie also shared a lore reason why Slayer's Fang behaves the way it does. "On the narrative side, Slayer's Fang is aware of its use as a tool for destruction and doesn't lend its power to its wielders easily," the studio noted. "You may find that if you mishandle Slayer's Fang, the gun with a mouth for a barrel may just bite back a little. With the ultimate Slayer Baron weapon in your hand, you may not fear dreams nor teeth, but you will want to handle it with care."

In the final section of the post, Bungie doubled down, stating, "So, appropriate for its design and narrative goals, Slayer's Fang does a little damage plus a short Weaken instead of outright killing the player."

The community bites back

Bungie's definitive statement on Slayer's Fang went about as well as anyone familiar with the Destiny community might expect. Between the X post itself and similar Reddit topics, commenters quickly pointed out that Bungie's explanation felt too convenient. One X commenter said, "Dude there is no way you put an exotic weapon in the game that can actively harm using the weapon as intended."

Others are echoing a similar sentiment across social media. "I'm actually not too bothered by the self damage or even weaken applying from the ricocheted shots as many others seem to be since it's been a present interaction throughout the game," explains one Redditor. "But what's really bothering me is the attempt at giving it a narrative explanation of making the self-damage a canon in-universe result. It reads like it was written up by one of the teenaged kids of one of the developers who's going through their edgelord phase."

Of course, it wasn't an entirely negative response. Some players loved that Bungie took the time to come up with a narrative reason for why the Exotic weapon was behaving the way it was. "Please don't change it," begged one X commenter. "[R]ealistically it won't come up in combat and it's a neat little narrative beat. People complaining are doing it just to complain."

Poor design or backtracking?

It seems that the Destiny community has a real chicken-or-egg situation here. Was the self-damage and Weaken debuff intended all along as a yet-to-be-disclosed narrative tidbit? Or is Bungie's explanation a bandaid aimed at yet another unseen wound? It's tough to say, and we'll probably never get a definitive answer. Still, it is interesting to note that there's no mention of the potential damage or debuff anywhere on the weapon or even hinted at through its Lore page.

If Slayer's Fang's self-damage and debuff were intentional, then the quality of the weapon design becomes part of the conversation, even if we're taking the lore explanation into account. And sure, other Exotic weapons like Sleeper Stimulant have lethal ricochet potential, but those aren't weapons players are sprinting into melee range to use. Sleeper Stimulant also doesn't punish players for using it with a Weaken debuff, increasing damage taken across the board.

I do think the situation seems a bit odd. As I mentioned, there's nothing in the weapon's Lore hints that the gun could harm or debuff wielders. Also, this isn't the first time this has happened. It seems much more likely that Bungie made a powerful, fun shotgun with some oversights. The community quickly uncovered those oversights, and it's much easier to say that it was always supposed to work that way.

Slayer's Fang has its fans and has indeed shown to have its haters. Either way, it's becoming clear that it's far from an automatic pick. As many players have noted, there is no shortage of shotgun choices in Destiny 2, and plenty can do just as much, albeit in a different way, as Slayer's Fang. That's all without the risk of damaging or Weakening oneself and without using an Exotic slot.

The post Destiny 2’s newest Exotic harms and weakens wielders, Bungie says its intentional but players aren’t buying it appeared first on Destructoid.

The Agent of the Nine, Xur, is one of the most highly sought-after characters in Destiny 2, wielding the game's best gear. But since he's a master of movement, he never stays in one place and disappears from time to time.

To help you find him, check out Xur's location and wares in Destiny 2.

Where to find Xur in Destiny 2

Xur can be found in the Tower Bazaar in Destiny 2. Mark a waypoint on him to guide you over there quickly. You'll need to get there fast, as he will leave on Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET/6 p.m. BST.

You'll encounter Xur in a fairly hidden room tucked away in a corner. Approach him to see what he's got for sale today. Keep in mind that he is only available from Friday to Tuesday, meaning he won't be accessible during most of the weekdays. His location may also vary each week, typically spawning in the Tower, Nessus, or European Dead Zone. I'll be sure to update this guide when his location changes.

What's Xur selling in Destiny 2?

Xur utilizes Strange Coin currency, which is earnable through Ritual Activities like Vanguard Ops (Strikes). Each time you use Strange Coins, it'll increase your Reputation level, earning you rank rewards. We'll break down each category in Xur's collection to show you what rewards he has to offer:

Multivarious Strange Offers

More Strange Offers

Strange Gear Offers

Xur Rank Rewards

Exotic Ciphers

Like Xur's locations, his selection changes every time to give you more variety in weapons, gear, and materials. So, if you see something you direly need, it's best to get it now, or you may never see it again. Some items also require specific packs, like the Destiny 2: Forsaken Pack. You'll need to purchase the add-on separately to access the Exotic Gear collection, but you can always stick to the free stuff to save yourself money.

The post Where is Xur in Destiny 2 today? Exact location appeared first on Destructoid.

Though you may feel that Bungie has fumbled Episode: Revenant's grand finale, Destiny 2 is thankfully more than just its latest narrative beat. 2025's Festival of the Lost, for example, is bound to be a hoot, and now's the time to vote on each Guardian Class's cheeky new armor set.

After Festival of the Lost 2024's wizard-themed armor sets, Bungie is now steering back towards the event's horror roots. What better way to do so than with a suite of monster costumes from contemporary pop-horror media, then? Once again, players get to vote on each of the three Classes' respective armor sets, and it is going to be a tough choice.

Vote for Slasher or Specter armor sets for Destiny 2's FOTL 2025

The vote for 2025's FOTL is now up, and you can participate either by entering the survey via this link or by checking in with Bungie's promotional email newsletters, which should be coming our way sometime soon. The choices are all rather phenomenal, if I may say so myself:

• Titan Class: Jason Vorhees (Halloween) vs the Babadook (Babadook)
• Hunter Class: Ghostface (Scream) vs La Llorona (Mexican folklore)
• Warlock Class: Scarecrow vs Slenderman (internet creepypasta)

I don't believe there's any chance of the generic scarecrow costume beating out the literal Slenderman, but you never know! We'll need to wait and see how the armor sets look and feel in-game, but the designs as they appear in the featured artwork seem like they'd work well when mixed and matched with other assorted sets. A huge boon, that, and not something that fashion-minded Guardians will take for granted.

The really good news is that the armor sets that lose the vote won't be gone forever: "While you’ll still vote on which armor set is going to be released during Festival of the Lost, we will commit to producing the runner-up sets later. While we aren’t promising a specific timeline, they’ll typically be released before the next year’s Festival of the Lost event," says Bungie in this week's TWID.

As for all those wizard and witch-themed armor sets that lost in 2024, those are set and primed to release this year, in a surprise twist: "We know a lot of you loved the Wizards who didn’t make the cut for 2024. We felt the same way, so we’re making plans to release those armors during Heresy this year. We aren’t planning on producing all past runner-up armor, but we felt like the fashion could use a few more wizard hat options," the post reads.

So, Destiny 2 fashionistas are going to have their hands full this year 'round no matter what. The Festival of the Lost 2025 will kick off sometime late in October, and if you'd like to get a sense of what to expect, look no further than this handy guide to last year's FOTL. It's a grind, for sure, but one that's often very well worth it.

The post Destiny 2’s Festival of the Lost 2025 vote is now on, featuring Slenderman Warlocks and Friday the 13th Titans appeared first on Destructoid.

Destiny 2 has finally delivered the closing mission of Episode: Revenant's third and final Act and it's a perfectly fine piece of content. The bit that's not fine, according to some players (myself included), is the lore behind it and what happens with Eramis, one of the main Eliksni antagonists.

Obvious spoilers ahead for those who haven't yet finished Destiny 2's grand finale of Episode: Revenant's third act. I cannot help but feel that Bungie's storytelling has fallen off a cliff after The Final Shape wrapped up. Episodes have served up narrative flubs one after another, and Revenant is no different in this respect. Specifically, while it's certainly great news that we've finally received the conclusion to the all-but-forgotten Kell of Kells story thread, it's gone in a truly wild direction. Mithrax is only technically now the Kell of Kells, while the grand savior of the Eliksni goes to Eramis. How's that for a twist?

Players do not enjoy what Destiny 2 is doing with one of its main living antagonists

For those who haven't kept up with Destiny's story-beats over the years, Eramis (the literal Kell of Darkness) is many things. Chiefly, a xenocidal maniac that's been leading the House of Salvation since the Beyond Light era onwards. Disregarding whatever character growth Eramis might've received in the subsequent DLCs, she has done all of the following:

• Tried (and almost succeded) to blow up the Last City with a nuclear bomb.
• Attempted to eradicate regular Eliksni living on Europa.
• Mounted numerous assaults on both Eliksni and human civilians.
• Went after Mithrax, the Kell of Light several times.
• Caused the destruction of Rasputin and his Warsat network.

This is an inexhaustive list, mind, but it illustrates the point I am trying to make. Then, in the final moments of Revenant's final cinematic cutscene, the Echo MacGuffin ends up choosing and empowering Eramis over Mithrax. Simultaneously, Mithrax has been suffering from the curse of Nezarec all along, and it's conceivable that a super-causal artifact such as the Echo could've cleansed him of it. Subsequently, Eramis chooses to take her House of Salvation Eliksni with her and travels into deep space.

Mithrax becomes the de facto Kell of Kells (but Variks and Eido are still around). Has Bungie gone against the lore-established prophecy of Traveler itself blessing the Kell of Kells? Perhaps, but we'll have to see if there's more to this than currently meets the eye.

The fact is that it doesn't sit right with the community that one of the worst in-universe war criminals still alive in Destiny has just received their happily-ever-after ending. Not everyone agrees with this assessment, of course, but the discussion has overtaken a part of the game's subreddit.

Bungie has been on a bit of a bender when it comes to redemption arcs. Between Uldren/Crow, Savathun, Rasputin, and now Eramis, the trope is tiring by now. At the same time, there's always been a chance that Eramis would turn a new page at some point, and Bungie's been setting the stage for that over the past couple of releases. Regardless, this development doesn't feel like a very satisfying conclusion to this whole year of content.

Whether this was a redemption arc for Eramis or just a somewhat clumsy way of taking her off the board for Destiny: Frontiers, it doesn't fill me with confidence for Bungie's future narrative development. Content-wise, I'm still excited for what's to come, and Frontiers looks mighty interesting in the context of what we've been getting over the course of 2024, but I feel that Destiny's writing has lost much of its luster by now. The whole Kell of Kells schtick drives that home for me.

The post Destiny 2’s Episode: Revenant’s handling of Eramis confuses and angers players appeared first on Destructoid.

Destiny 2's new Kell's Fall Exotic mission has a secret encounter awaiting players. No, not the different bosses you fight at the end of the activity as you progress the episodic narrative, but one that can be battled right toward the start. It's a challenge against the mind behind the organ Guardians encounter within Kell's Fall, the Scorned Organist. But if players want a chance at the tortured musician, they'll need to learn how to conduct a little song of their own.

The Kell's Fall Exotic mission is the main centerpiece of Episode: Revenant's third Act. The Exotic mission is built to be replayed, with three different iterations occurring as players tackle the Act Three story. Outside of the content on the surface of Kell's Fall, the Exotic mission holds its own secrets. The Scorned Organist is one of these secrets, alongside the hidden Illusory Anchors needed for Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun Catalysts.

That said, it's surprisingly easy to go up against the Scorned Organist. All Guardians need is the right tune and a bit of patience.

Where is the Scorned Organist?

The Scorned Organist secret boss is indeed within Kell's Fall, but it's not something players will just discover as they're running through the mission. There's a specific way to get to the Scorned Organist encounter, and it involves the instrument that the foe seemingly built. While Guardians pass by the large pipe organ in each run, shortly after The Trickster's first appearance, it isn't always usable.

The organ's pipes are connected to a series of buttons that can be shot to play specific notes. However, several buttons will be missing on the first run through the Exotic mission. This drastically limits the melodies that can be played, including the one needed to get players to the Scorned Organist encounter. That said, enough of the buttons will work by the time Guardians head into the Exotic mission a second time, so it's doable as early as Kell's Fall: Distortion.

If players head to the organ, they'll notice a plate with a glowing aura in front of the instrument. Guardians must be standing on this plate to interact with the organ. There are a total of 13 buttons to play notes on the organ, so we'll number those 1-13 and read from left to right. The button sequence that plays the melody needed to fight the Scorned Organist is 10, 4, 6, 1, 11, 4, 8, 1.

If you are having trouble getting the melody to work, try swapping to a single-shot weapon (like a scout rifle) to ensure buttons aren't being hit repeatedly by accident. Once entered correctly, the Fireteam will be teleported to a new area to face the secret boss.

The Scorned Organist's final tune

After the Fireteam plays the correct melody on the organ, the group will be teleported directly to the Scorned Organist. Guardians will find themselves in a large chamber with a wide open center. The Scorned Organist will teleport into the arena a few seconds after players arrive, appearing in front of the large circle decal on the opposite wall.

Other enemies will populate the chamber, and the Scorned Organist will occasionally drop down a Void shield totem, but the start of the battle isn't too spicy. However, once players bring the Scorned Organist down to around two-thirds of its health pool, it will become immune and summon a Tormentor.

The Tormentor can be quite a pain, especially when it dive-bombs players and ends their Super prematurely. But once it's eliminated, Guardians will be able to get back to work on the boss. From here, there aren't any other tricks that the Scorned Organist has up its sleeve. Other enemies will continue to periodically flood the arena while the Scorned Organist attacks and creates Void shield totems. Once players manage to overcome the Scorned Organist and its lackeys, the Fireteam will be teleported back in front of the organ. 

Are there rewards for beating the Scorned Organist?

While there's seemingly no immediate reward for the secret battle, the Scorned Organist is actually the final step in Eido's Fieldwork for Act Three. After working through the Act Three Minor and Major Fieldwork, the final Key Fieldwork will demand the Scorned Organist's demise. 

For your trouble, players will be rewarded with the Spectroscopic Ghost Shell and a Large Tonic Reangent Sack. That said, the boss may have to be conquered again if you already jumped at the opportunity to take down the Scorned Organist before taking on the Fieldwork. If that's the case, at least once you know how to get to the secret fight, the Tormentor is the only major hurdle.

The post How to find and beat Kell’s Fall secret boss Scorned Organist in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

After toppling Destiny 2's newest Exotic mission, Guardians must return to Kell's Fall to hunt down Illusory Anchors. These Anchors are the key to opening up powerful options for the new Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun, but players have to find them first. Everything is not as it seems in Kell's Fall, and it will take courage and wits if players hope to strengthen their arsenal with the power of the dead.

The Kell's Fall Exotic mission is the highlight of Destiny 2's latest Act Three of Episode: Revenant. The endeavor takes players deep into a Dracula-inspired stronghold of the Scorn leader Fikrul. While there's plenty of action on the surface of Kell's Fall, there is a trove of secrets to uncover within the Exotic mission. After completing it once, players will earn a new Exotic shotgun that can be empowered with four unique Catalysts. The only catch is that Guardians must venture back into Fikrul's diabolical lair on an even more challenging difficulty if they want to earn these Exotic boons.

Becoming a Revenant Slayer

After players have completed a run of Kell's Fall, they'll earn the Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun and open a second version of the Exotic mission. While completing the Episode's narrative involves going back into Kell's Fall to partake in a third iteration of the content, Guardians can complete all of the Exotic Catalyst Quests as soon as Expert difficulty is available.

After returning from the first run, players will earn the Quests by talking with Eido and the other involved NPCs in The Last City. There are four in all, Revenant Slayer I-IV. The first step of each Quest is identical; it just asks for Guardians to defeat 20 enemies while under the effects of any Tonic. All four Quests should be completed at the same time, and that will open up the next step for each Catalyst Quest: the Illusory Anchor hunt.

Three Illusory Anchors are hidden in four areas throughout the Kell's Fall Exotic mission. They will only appear when the mission is undertaken on Expert difficulty, adding a little more challenge to the whole ordeal. Thankfully, there are no limited revives in place, so players can take their time locating each Anchor and destroying it without worrying about losing progress or getting sent back to Orbit if the Fireteam goes down.

The Illusory Anchors can only be interacted with if players have equipped the Slayer's Fang Exotic. Anchors become more visible as players get closer to them with the Exotic, and aiming down the sights of Slayer's Fang solidifies them. Once an Anchor materializes, Guardians must shoot it with the Exotic shotgun to destroy it and earn Quest progress.

Revenant Slayer I - Mirror Gallery

The first locale players will have to head to in the hunt for Illusory Anchors is the Mirror Gallery. This is the first mirror realm segment Guardians traverse in the Exotic mission after smashing through the first set of rubble and following the short fight against The Trickster near the organ room. There is no boss to worry about, but enemies will still try to ruin your day. That said, they don't respawn infinitely, so they can be focused down and eliminated if they become an issue.

The first Illusory Anchor is nestled immediately to the left of where Guardians appear after entering the mirror realm. It is in between a crystalline tree and a closed door. The second Anchor is a bit further ahead, just before the large room with the gnarled tree growing horizontally. The Anchor is at the end of the preceding hallway, in front of a large navy blue door. The final Ilusory Anchor is in the large room with the horizontal tree, on the opposite side from where the second Anchor was found. It's in front of the large crystalline pink door on the right side of the room, but Guardians might have to get pretty close to it before it reveals itself.

Revenant Slayer II - Fighting Pit

The next set of Catalysts amps up the heat a bit, as players must hunt for the Anchors while juggling a boss encounter. The Fighting Pit is where Guardians face off against Kaniks, The Mad Bomber. When players head into the mirror realm during the bout, that will be the opportunity to hunt these Anchors down. Thankfully, all three Anchors in the Fighting Pit are pretty close together.

The first Anchor is located right on the central platform in the chamber, floating in the air. A second can be found against the room's back wall, opposite the mirror portal by a sealed door and some statues. The final Anchor is tucked away in the arena's side room filled with statues and podiums. It's right up against a wall.

Revenant Slayer III - Sanctum

While fighting Hiraks, The Mindbender, three Illusory Anchors, can be found in the mirror realm. The encounter will occur as usual, but Guardians can see the destructible objects during the bout. In my personal experience, this set of anchors gave my Fireteam the most trouble. After shooting the first Anchor, my Quest step was completed, but the object disappeared for my allies. We couldn't find any other anchors, so we reset the encounter, and the same thing happened again to another player. The third Guardian seemingly progressed as intended after a third encounter reset, locating and destroying all three anchors before getting a Quest update.

After porting into the main room of the mirror realm, the first Anchor is tucked behind the mirror portal the group just exited. The second Anchor is just inside the arena, near a table on the right. The final Anchor can be found in the hallway reached via the opening in the main room. Guardians will locate the Anchor near some boxes and a brazier.

Revenant Slayer IV - Throne Room

Three Illusory anchors can be located during the final battle against Fikrul. Guardians can participate in the fight as usual, heading into the mirror realm when the Scorn leader readies his big attack. Once inside, players can use Slayer's Fang to locate, materialize, and destroy the three anchors scattered around the area. There will be plenty of heat on Expert difficulty, but death just serves as a temporary delay.

The first Anchor can be found right near where players exit the portal, by the titular throne in the Throne Room. The second Anchor is in an entryway on the opposite side of the chamber. On the left and right side of this doorway are Dreaming City-esque planters. The Anchor is above the right-side planter if you're facing the door. The final Anchor is on one of the sides of the room, a bit above eye level. It's floating by an Awoken statue, again, much like one that you'd find in The Dreaming City.

What happens after finding all Illusory Anchors?

Once all three anchors are destroyed in any area, Guardians must continue and complete the Exotic mission on Expert difficulty to finish off the Quests. Of course, players can take a break after destroying the Anchors and return to get the Expert completion later; they'll just lose their checkpoint if it's not done in the same week. With that known, efficient players will likely opt to do all four Exotic Catalyst Quests during one Expert run, so long as no pesky bugs prevent anchors from appearing for someone.

Once all four Quests are complete, players will earn four new Exotic Catalysts for the Slayer's Fang. Revenant Slayer I rewards Repulsor Brace, Revenant Slayer II provides Loose Change, Revenant Slayer III gives Stats For All, and Revenant Slayer IV grants Cascade Point. Depending on the needs of the Guardian, that's a lot of wiggle room for this Exotic shotgun.

The post All Illusory Anchor locations in Kell’s Fall Exotic mission in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Act Three of Episode: Revenant has come to Destiny 2, and its main attraction is the new Kell's Fall Exotic mission. Guardians are tasked with forging deep into the Revenant lair of Fikrul to root out his corrupting influence and investigate the Echo he wields. However, the Exotic mission is not just a simple run through a haunted house; players will have to venture into the enemy stronghold multiple times if they want to conquer the fel Kell.

Kell's Fall serves as the main centerpiece of Act Three, meaning players must repeatedly venture into the Exotic mission as the narrative unfolds. While Guardians aren't prevented from joining a friend to attempt Kell's Fall if they're not caught up on the story, players cannot select the activity independently unless they've already completed Act One and Act Two.

When players are ready, they can head to The Last City and pay a visit to the Holoprojector. Eramis will set Guardians on their course, sending you off for a few other chats before heading into the Exotic mission proper.

Kell's Fall: Reflection

After loading in, Guardians will find themselves once again on the Tangled Shore in front of a bizarre sight: Scorn kneeling before players. These first foes aren't interested in a fight. Instead, they want to see players face off against Fikrul. You can head off to the right by the gnarled tree, hopping across gaps in the cliffside. Further ahead, players will turn left and continue along the linear path until they encounter the first obstacle: Araskes, The Trickster.

This battle isn't anything much for Guardians to worry about, but the foe will periodically turn invisible and scurry away. After players bring Araskes to half health, the enemy will retreat, and the way forward will open. Ahead, you'll encounter a large chamber with a pipe organ at the back of the room. If you inspect the organ a bit closer, you'll notice a series of glowing symbols attached to the instrument. These can be used to play melodies, which cause things to happen in the Exotic mission.

There is one melody readily available to play on the organ. It can be found written on a wall in a room at the end of the path the right-side stairway leads to. However, the room it opens will only have something to collect after Guardians have completed the Exotic mission at least once. Otherwise, players can head up the stairs to the left of the organ and follow the next set of stairs upwards.

You'll soon arrive at a dead end, but in the room, there is also a glowing brazier nearby. Interacting with the brazier opens a door, and the path leads to a large, empty hallway. The path forward is behind some rubble tucked behind a branch in the corner of the hall. Some rubble will block a small entryway, melee it to clear it aside. The next room has what looks like a broken mirror, but shooting the mirror reveals it to be a portal, taking players to the Mirror Gallery. This Prismatic-tinged realm is a bit of a labyrinth, but there's only one way forward for Guardians. When players reach a large area with a tree growing horizontally through it, egress is at the other end of the room, down the left path. A brazier will await in a room with another broken mirror. 

The mirror will take players back to reality, and a linear path will eventually lead to some rubble that needs clearing on the left side of a large hall. That cave passage will ultimately lead players to the Fighting Pit, where a Rally Flag and the subsequent encounter await. Kaniks, The Mad Bomber will attack the Fireteam in the next large room. Kaniks itself is shielded, so players will need to traverse the mirror realm again to gain the necessary power to defeat The Mad Bomber. In the mirror realm, certain enemies will drop motes of Revenant Power. Once Guardians collect 10 motes, they'll get the Revenant Empowerment buff, allowing players to break Kaniks' shield.

After The Mad Bomber is dealt with, Fikrul will appear to show off the power he can wield, thanks to the Echo. After the display of strength, a passage on the right will open, and players can head through there. The path ahead is pretty straightforward, but towards the end, some rubble will block the path off to the right. The path opens up to a red-lit area that serves as the Exotic mission's main platforming challenge. Players will want to carefully make their way toward the back right side of the room, heading through any caves that look like there's light coming from them.

Eventually, you'll reach what looks like a dead end with a bright white light at the end of the passage and red dome-like structures. The way forward is actually down, and you can spot the landing place by the warm glow emanating from the cave's mouth. After exiting the platforming section, players will enter a red room with braziers scattered around the area. If Guardians look back to where they came from, they'll notice three small torches stacked atop one another. As players light the braziers in this area, the torches will react in kind. After all three braziers are lit, a door will open behind the torches. A hidden symbol is written on the wall in this small room, which is worth noting for later use.

In the next room, a shattered mirror will lead players back into the mirror realm and the next encounter. Guardians are facing off against Hiraks, The Mindbender, and he'll initially be damageable when encountered. After knocking down a third of his health, The Mindbender will retreat, and Guardians must escape the mirror realm. A path on the side of the mirror realm will lead to another shattered mirror, which the nearby braziers can awaken. Once back in reality, players will encounter Hiraks in the next room.

After another third of The Mindbender's health is gone, he'll pull another vanishing act, and players will have to hunt through the mirror realm again. Hiraks will make his final stand here, and after a short bout, The Mindbender will go down. Fikrul makes another appearance to taunt players, and once Guardians are ready, they can head through the door to the right and through the mirror portal.

The path ahead will lead toward a gravity lift, and once ascended, players will encounter Araskes, The Trickster, again. After ascending a long and winding staircase, Guardians can have their rematch with The Trickster. Araskes will harass players during the climb, but he'll inevitably meet his end at the top. Through the next door is Fikruls throne room and the final challenge in Kell's Fall.

Fikrul awaits in his throne room ahead, but he's invulnerable with the power of the Echo. Before long, Fikrul will begin casting an attack, and that's the players' cue to head through the mirror portals. On the inside, Guardians can defeat enemies to collect Motes for Revenant Empowerment. Once at 10 stacks, players can head back out to Fikrul. However, the Scorn leader feels you are beneath him, so he summons a lacky, Reksis Vahn, The Hangman. 

Reksis Vahn won't take much to bring down, but it'll mean Fikrul makes his escape. After defeating The Hangman, players will receive a trove of Tonic supplies and rewards, including the Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun. If Guardians visit The Last City, they can check in with Eido, The Spider, and Crow for four (!) Exotic Catalyst Quests and the next step in taking down Fikrul: heading back into Kell's Fall.

Kell's Fall: Distortion

After the first completion, Guardians are tasked with heading back into Kell's Fall to empower the Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun and continue gathering intel on Fikrul. While most of the Exotic mission remains the same, players can access new areas and find new secrets within. For instance, the organ near the beginning of the Exotic mission will now have most of its buttons working. That said, there are still three that remain broken.

The passage through the Exotic mission is functionally the same as the first run-through. However, Guardians must locate the Apothecary, who'll be locked up just before the ascent up the winding staircase where The Trickster reappears. Otherwise, players will face off against the Screeb Matriarch at the end of the Exotic mission. This boss is even less of a threat than the last, as the Screebs created can chain explode next to the boss for massive damage. Once it's defeated, players will get treated to a bit more lore and then close out this chapter of Kell's Fall.

Kell's Fall: Defraction

Guardians will have to venture into Kell's Fall one last time to see to Fikrul's demise. After the second outing, some behind-the-scenes work with Eido and the new Apothecary ally leads to a stake-like quest item that can be used to inject Fikrul's heart with a Tonic that will turn his Dark Ether to Light. This will make the ghoulish leader mortal, allowing players to land a killing blow.

Inside the Exotic mission, it's much like the previous run. The encounters remain as players remember them, but there will be more opportunities for secret interactions and powerups for the Slayer's Fang Exotic shotgun. As with the second run, Guardians must visit the Apothecary on the way up the staircase.

The final battle takes place against Fikrul himself, but Guardians are prepared for the foe this time. The fight goes a lot like previous final battles have in Kell's Fall: the main difference is the opponent players are fighting against. During the encounter, after players get the Revenant Empowerment buff, Fikrul will assault the Fireteam in the mirror realm. The procedure is no different, though, and the Scorn leader will finally get the cinematic end he deserves.

The post Destiny 2: How to complete the Kell’s Fall Exotic mission appeared first on Destructoid.

Remember last year's "Weightgate" micro-scandal that shook Destiny 2's community to its very core? It wasn't quite as dramatic as that, granted, but it sure was a royal mess. Now, some players think that Destiny 2 is silently repeating that particular mistake in the background of its ongoing season.

The problem with Weightgate was that Bungie initially claimed that nothing was amiss, only for the Destiny 2 community to band together with hard data to show for its efforts. Subsequently, Bungie admitted that Legendary-tier weapons did have janky perk weighting in place, though it was a mistake rather than an attempt to make god roll items harder to get. The players' trust in how Bungie is wrangling Destiny 2's Perk RNG has since been eroded, however, and some feel that we've now got an encore. Redditor Wrecluse has posted their "relatively small" dataset of 104 recorded Rake Angle sword drops which (according to them) may suggest Perk weighting.

Is Destiny 2 experiencing a new Weightgate?

As per Wreckluse's findings, "Certain perk combinations, like Rimestealer + Vorpal Weapon and Replenishing Aegis + Close to Melee, appear more frequently than others." Conversely, "Chill Clip is relatively less common overall (~11.54% frequency in Perk 2A), which may suggest it is less weighted."

While 104 data points might sound like a fair number to assess, it is actually a rather small sample that even Wreckluse themselves admit isn't enough to draw concrete conclusions. As one would expect, other members of the community have been quick to call this out.

I'd argue that one of the biggest problems with Wreckluse's argument is that they haven't kept track of all of their drops' respective perks. More specifically, Destiny 2's weapons roll about a dozen unique perks whenever one drops. Instead of jotting down all of them for each of the featured 104 drops, Wreckluse has only kept track of the two main perks. This makes it much harder to spot any potential RNG anomalies right off the bat. Further, perk RNG information found at Light.gg suggests no obvious problems with Rake Angle's drops, and data sets found using this app were what initially tipped the community off about Weightgate.

With all of that in mind, it doesn't seem like Wreckluse is actually witnessing a new round of perk RNG problems unravel. I'd argue that this isn't necessarily the crux of the problem in and of itself, however. Instead, the issue is that there's a track record of Destiny 2 having RNG problems that not even Bungie was aware of. Whereas we used to be able to write such events off as bad RNG a while ago, the fact that Weightgate was a thing means it can happen again. Wreckluse's post is, thus, just one of many more to come, and they're all going to be worth keeping track of just so Weightgate doesn't happen again.

In other, extremely related news, Bungie is now actively hiring more quality assurance staff to assist with future Destiny 2 releases. Over the past year or so, it feels like the game has slowly been coming apart at the seams with every new content drop and event. Some of these bugs have been rather obvious, while others crept in only to be spotted later on. To call this anything but unacceptable would be a mistake for a game as prolific as Destiny. With Frontiers on the horizon, Bungie needs to sort out its processes to re-establish Destiny 2 as the premiere live-service co-op shooter. Otherwise, it's not looking great. But hey, at least we've all got phones to play Destiny: Rising on, right?

The post Destiny 2’s ‘Weightgate’ might stealthily be repeating itself appeared first on Destructoid.