Destiny 2 Archives – Destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/tag/destiny-2/ Probably About Video Games Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:54:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.5 211000526 How to get the Speaker’s Sight exotic helmet in Destiny 2 https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-get-the-speakers-sight-exotic-helmet-in-destiny-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-get-the-speakers-sight-exotic-helmet-in-destiny-2 https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-get-the-speakers-sight-exotic-helmet-in-destiny-2/#respond Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:54:19 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=602386 Destiny 2 Speaker's Sight exotic helmet

Exotics in Destiny 2 are the bread and butter of every build. While having legendary armor and weapons with the right perks equipped is important, exotics tend to be the central focus of a build and cement the direction you go.

One such exotic is a great way to kick off a build that's less about being your own powerhouse, and more about enabling your teammates. Here's how to get the Speaker's Sight exotic helmet in Destiny 2.

Where to find the Speaker's Sight helmet in Destiny 2

There are two ways that you can get yourself the Speaker's Sight. The first way is to complete The Final Shape campaign on Legendary difficulty for the first time (as Warlock). This will give you the choice between the Mataiodoxia chest armor and the Speaker's Sight helmet, through which you'd choose the Speaker's Sight.

Destiny 2 Focused Decoding Master Rahool
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The other option is through Exotic Engram Focusing. This can be done through Master Rahool at the Tower, who can be found directly to the right upon landing. If you're getting the Speaker's Sight for the first time, you'll need to get him to max rank and prestige before unlocking an additional page of Exotic Engram Focusing. Here, you can spend an Exotic Cipher and an exotic engram to get the Speaker's Sight helmet. If you've got the Speaker's Sight already and simply want a better roll, you can spend an exotic engram and a few other resources instead of a Cipher.

Is the Speaker's Sight worth using?

The Speaker's Sight helmet comes with the intrinsic perk The Lost Voice, which causes Healing Grenades to spawn a turret that provides Restoration to nearby allies. Healing allies also spawns an Orb of Power. This helmet works incredibly in any support build on Warlock, centering around providing permanent restoration, cure, and healing to allies. As a personal suggestion, running this with the No Hesitation auto rifle sporting the Physic and Circle of Life as its perks is perfection.

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How to get the Chromatic Fire exotic chest armor in Destiny 2 https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-get-the-chromatic-fire-exotic-chest-armor-in-destiny-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-get-the-chromatic-fire-exotic-chest-armor-in-destiny-2 https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-get-the-chromatic-fire-exotic-chest-armor-in-destiny-2/#respond Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:08:56 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=602343 Destiny 2 Chromatic Fire Exotic Chest Armor

While getting god rolls on legendary items in Destiny 2 is the focus, snagging yourself exotics or their god rolls is a great idea too. There are a lot of great exotics in there, with perks that can seriously help certain builds.

One of these exotics, available only to Warlocks, can help in builds where you're mainly using your Kinetic weapon. Here's how to get the Chromatic Fire exotic chest armor in Destiny 2.

Where to find the Chromatic Fire armor in Destiny 2

There are a few ways you can get the Chromatic Fire armor. The first, and probably easiest, is through exotic engrams. Each engram you open has a chance to be the Chromatic Fire armor, with engrams more likely to drop exotic items you haven't gotten yet (if there are any you haven't gotten). Once you have every exotic that can drop from engrams, this instead works off a random, equal chance.

Destiny 2 Focused Decoding Master Rahool
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If random drops aren't your forte, you can use exotic engrams in your inventory with Master Rahool in the Tower. He's found immediately to the right if you land at the main Tower spawn. You can check out his Exotic Engram Focusing section to find the Chromatic Fire here. If you've gotten it before and simply want a better stat roll on it, you can spend just the exotic engram and a couple of other resources. If you haven't, you'll need to access an additional page in Exotic Engram Focusing (done by hitting max rank with Master Rahool once) and spend an Exotic Cipher along with the engram.

While you shouldn't try to get it this way, it's also possible for Xur to sell the Chromatic Fire when he returns each Friday. If he is selling it, you'll have until the weekly reset on Tuesday to get it.

Is the Chromatic Fire worth using?

The Chromatic Fire armor comes with the intrinsic perk Crystalline Transistor. This causes precision final blows from weapons in the Kinetic slot (first slot) to create an explosion in the element of your equipped Super. It will also apply an effect depending on that equipped Super:

  • Arc - Blinds targets.
  • Stasis - Slows targets.
  • Strand - Severs targets.
  • Solar - Scorches targets.
  • Void - Weakens targets.

As for whether you should use it, it isn't a bad exotic chest armor but is outclassed by exotics tailored to specific subclasses. The Solar buff, for example, is completely outclassed by the Dawn Chorus exotic helmet (provided you have a weapon that can scorch targets). If you don't have a good exotic for a specific element though, or simply don't want to keep switching exotics, you could do a lot worse.

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Destiny 2 Spire of the Watcher loot table: All weapons and armor https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-spire-of-the-watcher-loot-table-all-weapons-and-armor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-spire-of-the-watcher-loot-table-all-weapons-and-armor https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-spire-of-the-watcher-loot-table-all-weapons-and-armor/#respond Thu, 19 Sep 2024 16:50:30 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=601570 Destiny 2 Spire of the Watcher Armor

All of Destiny 2's dungeons house not just interesting challenges but a wealth of loot too. These make them well worth farming week after week, provided you want the god roll for certain weapons or armor.

One such dungeon, added with the Witch Queen Dungeon Key, is Spire of the Watcher. This dungeon has a great armor set and some interesting weapons worth checking out, including a noteworthy exotic bow. Here's the full loot table for the Spire of the Watcher dungeon in Destiny 2.

All weapons and armor that drop from Spire of the Watcher in Destiny 2

Spire of the Watcher has three different encounters from which to earn loot, each offering different weapons and armor pieces upon completion. Additionally, you can open two secret chests on the map to receive a random piece of gear you've earned before. This might sound bad, but it can have potentially better rolls this time around. Excluding the secret chests, the following encounters can drop the following pieces of gear:

First Encounter: Ascending the Spire

Destiny 2 Seventh Seraph's Carbine Auto Rifle
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  • Long Arm Scout Rifle
  • Terminus Horizon Machine Gun
  • Seventh Seraph Carbine Auto Rifle
  • Helmet
  • Gauntlets
  • Leg Armor

Second Encounter: Silence the Spire

  • Terminus Horizon Machine Gun
  • Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver Hand Cannon
  • Gauntlets
  • Chest Armor
  • Class Item

Final Encounter: Persys, Primordial Ruin

  • Wilderflight Grenade Launcher
  • Liminal Vigil Sidearm
  • Long Arm Scout Rifle
  • Terminus Horizon Machine Gun
  • Seventh Seraph Carbine Auto Rifle
  • Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver Hand Cannon
  • Helmet
  • Gauntlets
  • Chest Armor
  • Leg Armor
  • Class Item

Alongside everything in the final encounter, you have a small chance to receive a second reward, the Hierarchy of Needs exotic bow. This bow causes precision hits and final blows to build up a Guidance Ring charge. Hip firing at full charge shoots out a Guidance Ring, which causes arrows shot through it to seek targets.

Which weapons and armor are worth farming for?

All legendary weapons listed above are about equal in usefulness. You'll find them fun to add to your arsenal, but other weapons added since are either at their level or better in one way or another. The armor, on the other hand, is well worth farming for. Every armor piece makes you look like a cowboy or cowgirl, including a stylish hat. It's also worth farming for the Hierarchy of Needs since it can be quite nice for ad clear, provided you play around those Guidance Rings and consistently score precision hits.

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Destiny 2 Line in the Sand god roll – Best perks and attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-line-in-the-sand-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-line-in-the-sand-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-line-in-the-sand-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/#respond Thu, 19 Sep 2024 16:24:38 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=601529 Destiny 2 Line in the Sand Linear Fusion Rifle

While the new Vex-looking weapons of Destiny 2's first Episode are one of the highlights, that doesn't mean you should ignore some of the reprised weapons and their returning perks. These weapons, with their refreshed perks, pack a massive punch.

Just look at the Martyr's Retribution, for example, which can roll with Heal Clip and Incandescent. That's a nasty combo. Another solid weapon returning is a linear fusion rifle of all things. Here's the god roll for Destiny 2's Line in the Sand linear fusion rifle.

The best perks and attachments for the Line in the Sand in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Line in the Sand Example Build
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The Line in the Sand rocks the Precision Frame archetype like all its linear fusion brethren. This causes the iconic single shot of the weapon type but also makes recoil more predictably vertical and easier to control. While this doesn't give the weapon a huge stat bonus, it does let us pick a roll that feels good instead of playing into certain strengths. With all that in mind, we want the following setup:

  • Barrel: Arrowhead Brake
  • Battery: Accelerated Coils
  • Perk 1: Clown Cartridge
  • Perk 2: Bait and Switch

Arrowhead Brake is a great barrel overall, reducing that recoil even further and improving handling a touch. Accelerated Coils lowers the damage a little bit, but increases the charge speed a ton to overall give more DPS. Clown Cartridge might function off a random chance, but 10-50% of the mag overflowed is still great. Finally, Bait and Switch lets you weave the Line in the Sand within your other weapons for a nice damage buff.

If you want to swap something out, some people prefer Rapid Hit over Clown Cartridge. This perk causes precision hits to increase reload speed and stability. Another fan-favorite perk is Firing Line over Bait and Switch, but this is better for boss DPS with a team.

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Destiny 2 The Slammer god roll – Best perks and attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-the-slammer-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-the-slammer-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-the-slammer-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/#respond Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:31:29 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=600421 Destiny 2 The Slammer Adept Sword

Nightfall weapons are some of the most sought-after weapons in all of Destiny 2. Each week that rolls around, a new weapon from a pool of six or seven weapons is available from that Nightfall, including its Adept variant. Here's the god roll for the current Nightfall sword, The Slammer.

The best perks and attachments for The Slammer in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 The Slammer Example Build
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The Slammer is part of the Vortex Frame archetype, which causes heavy attacks to do a spin attack. This damages all enemies around you and is stronger than regular heavy attacks. While this is exciting, it doesn't change the build we're rocking much. To get the most out of the sword, you'll want the following setup:

  • Blade: Jagged Edge
  • Guard: Balanced Guard
  • Perk 1: Eager Edge
  • Perk 2: Cold Steel

Jagged Edge is a great blade on just about any sword, giving increased Impact at the cost of less ammo capacity. Given that most DPS phases for bosses end long before you're out of sword ammo, that's a worthy tradeoff. Balanced Guard does give good boosts overall, though your Guard isn't too relevant unless you block with swords a lot. Eager Edge is excellent as a traversal tool or to close the gap, so you should appreciate its utility. And finally, Cold Steel empowers those spin attacks with your heavy to also slow targets. This makes any follow-up hits very easy.

If you want to change certain perks, you can swap Eager Edge for Chain Reaction in ad-clear scenarios. This causes enemies killed by The Slammer to release an elemental damage explosion. You can also swap Cold Steel for Bait and Switch if you want to focus on weaving your other weapons in between sword hits.

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Destiny 2 Crota’s End loot table: All weapon and armor drops https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-crotas-end-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-crotas-end-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-crotas-end-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops/#respond Wed, 18 Sep 2024 16:33:41 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=600365 Destiny 2 Crota's End Crota Battle

Each of Destiny 2's raids is exciting, mainly for their exclusive exotic weapon. Whether it be the Vex Mythoclast from the Vault of Glass, the Conditional Finality from Root of Nightmares, or even the Euphony from Salvation's Edge, you're mainly gunning for those.

That doesn't mean the rest of the loot should be ignored, though, as some gear can be immensely useful. Here's the full loot table for the Crota's End raid in Destiny 2.

All loot from the Crota's End raid in Destiny 2

Crota's End has four separate encounters from which you can earn loot, including two secret chests from the Abyss and Shrieker Hallway encounters. These two secret chests can give any piece of gear you've acquired, though, with a new random roll. The encounters that give loot are The Abyss, Bridge, Deathsinger, and Crota encounters. These encounters each have an equal chance to drop the following pieces of gear:

First Encounter: The Abyss

  • Song of Ir Yut Machine Gun
  • Abyss Defiant Auto Rifle
  • Fang of Ir Yut Scout Rifle
  • Chest Armor
  • Leg Armor
  • Class Item

Second Encounter: Bridge

  • Swordbreaker Shotgun
  • Oversoul Edict Pulse Rifle
  • Fang of Ir Yut Scout Rifle
  • Gauntlets
  • Chest Armor

Third Encounter: The Deathsinger

Destiny 2 Word of Crota Hand Cannon
Image via Destructoid

  • Song of Ir Yut Machine Gun
  • Oversoul Edict Pulse Rifle
  • Word of Crota Hand Cannon
  • Gauntlets
  • Chest Armor

Fourth Encounter: Crota

  • Swordbreaker Shotgun
  • Abyss Defiant Auto Rifle
  • Word of Crota Hand Cannon
  • Helmet
  • Gauntlets
  • Class Item

Alongside the above rewards, each encounter has a small chance to give an Essence of the Oversoul. When interacting with the giant sword after defeating Crota at the end of the raid, you can begin a quest where you'll need to get 20 Essence of the Oversoul. Upon doing this and defeating Crota one final time, you'll receive the Necrochasm exotic auto rifle. Through some additional steps, you'll need another 15 Essence of the Oversoul to get the weapon's catalyst.

What gear is worth farming for?

Beyond getting the Necrochasm, the Abyss Defiant and Word of Crota are all well worth using. The Abyss Defiant is especially strong in Episode 1 thanks to the auto rifle-related artifact perks, and it can roll with Heal Clip and Incandescent. Meanwhile, the Word of Crota is a potent hand cannon that can work well in Void builds, rolling with Repulsor Brace and Destabilizing Rounds. Otherwise, getting the armor for cosmetic purposes is the only other thing worth farming for.

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How to get the Indebted Kindness sidearm in Destiny 2 https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-get-the-indebted-kindness-sidearm-in-destiny-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-get-the-indebted-kindness-sidearm-in-destiny-2 https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-get-the-indebted-kindness-sidearm-in-destiny-2/#respond Mon, 16 Sep 2024 17:39:33 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=598756 Destiny 2 Indebted Kindness Sidearm

Destiny 2's newest Episode, Echoes, has brought with it a lot of weapons people have been focused on. The Aberrant Action sidearm, Lost Signal grenade launcher, and Martyr's Retribution grenade launcher are three great examples of that. While getting the new weapons is the most exciting, however, some older weapons are still hefty powerhouses. Here's how to get the Indebted Kindness sidearm in Destiny 2.

Where to get the Indebted Kindness in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Warlord's Ruin Dungeon Key Art
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The Indebted Kindness is available as a drop from the Warlord's Ruin dungeon, released with the Lightfall Dungeon Key. If you don't yet have it, it can be purchased from the Eververse store for 2,000 Silver. Unlike a lot of weapons, however, Indebted Kindness can drop from any of the three main encounters of the dungeon. This means your most effective method of farming will be to simply complete the dungeon on all three of your characters each week. Since you seemingly can't craft the weapon, you'll need to trust in RNG to give you the right roll.

Indebted Kindness god roll

If you're farming for the best roll on the Indebted Kindness, you'll want the following setup:

  • Launcher Barrel: Volatile Launch
  • Magazine: Tactical Mag
  • Perk 1: Lead from Gold
  • Perk 2: Voltshot

Volatile Launch gives a much better blast radius to each of your shots, at the cost of projectile speed and handling. Tactical Mag, meanwhile, gives better stability, reload speed, and magazine size at seemingly no downside. Lead from Gold is great for getting some of that precious special ammo back when picking up heavy bricks. Finally we have Voltshot, which causes your shots to jolt when reloading after a kill. It's one of the best perks in the game right now, so it's a must-have here.

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The best Titan build in Destiny 2 https://www.destructoid.com/the-best-titan-build-in-destiny-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-best-titan-build-in-destiny-2 https://www.destructoid.com/the-best-titan-build-in-destiny-2/#respond Mon, 16 Sep 2024 17:39:16 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=598714 Destiny 2 character in glowing armour

Hunter and Warlock builds in Destiny 2 are mostly easy to setup. While getting a great build going is far from easy, they have a lot of different builds that can see success even in content like Master raid encounters or Grandmaster Nightfalls. Titans don't have it so easy, but that doesn't mean you can't find a good build that works. Here's the best Titan build in Destiny 2.

The best Titan loadout in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Titan Subclass Setup
Image via Destructoid.

As a baseline, we will be running the Titan's Solar subclass. You can run Prismatic here, but you won't be able to focus as heavily on Solar-related bonuses. You'll also lose access to Solar fragments, which can provide major damage and survivability bonuses.

We're starting things off with the Hammer of Sol Super. Burning Maul is by far much weaker, as Hammer of Sol still outputs crazy damage along with getting some nice range. For abilities, you can pick what you want for the first two but should run Throwing Hammer and Healing Grenade as your third and fourth slots. Throwing Hammer lets us get stacks of Roaring Flames and create a Sunspot, which heavily increases our damage. It will be our main source of ability damage, so you'll want this back as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Healing Grenade helps survivability which can be a little tough for the build.

Moving over the Aspects, Roaring Flames and Sol Invictus will be the best combo. Roaring Flames, as mentioned earlier, helps a ton for increasing Solar damage by simply damaging with Solar abilities. Meanwhile, we can get those abilities back and spam them with Sol Invictus. The idea here is to throw your hammer at an enemy to create a Sunspot, then stand in it to deal all your damage through your abilities and weapons.

If you want, you can swap out Sol Invictus for the Consecration aspect. This lets you slide to turn your Throwing Hammer into a huge solar blast wave. This is considered a meta ability by the community right now and thus could be better for you. If you do choose to go this route, you should swap the Ashes and Searing fragments below for others of your choosing.

If you haven't swapped out Sol Invictus, we want the following fragments:

  • Ember of Ashes
  • Ember of Empyrean
  • Ember of Torches
  • Ember of Searing

Ashes provides us with more scorching to targets we hit, which just means more damage. Torches gives us with Radiant when we hit an enemy with our Throwing Hammer, which Empyrean then extends whenever we get Solar weapon or ability final blows. Finally, we have Searing, which spawns Firesprites whenever defeating scorched targets. Grabbing these gives us grenade energy, thus providing more on-demand healing.

Best Titan armor setup

Destiny 2 Titan Armor Setup
Image via Destructoid.

The armor setup for Titan is fairly straightforward. We take the Synthoceps gauntlets here as this is a close-range build. Having that extra melee and Super damage along with the other bonuses is a huge help. Meanwhile, our other mods look to either improve survivability or buff Throwing Hammer damage. The most vital by far are the Hands-On mod for your Helmet, Heavy-Handed mod for your Gauntlets, and Solar Surges on your Leg Armor.

In terms of stat boosts through armor mods, you should focus primarily on Resilience first, then on Strength so you can get melee recharge speed. If you have some leftover, then Discipline for grenade recharge speed will help a ton.

What about weapons?

Finally we come to weapons. Here, you can run just about anything you want as long as it's Solar. As you saw in the armor setup section, we took several Solar Weapon Surge mods which we want to exploit here. If you need some help, the weapons Tommy's Matchbook, Sunshot, and Dragon's Breath are the best solar Exotic weapons in the Kinetic, Energy, and Power slots respectively. Any Solar weapons in other slots are fine.

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Starfield is what I always wanted Destiny to be, but it too fails to deliver https://www.destructoid.com/starfield-is-what-i-wanted-destiny-to-be-but-fails-to-deliver/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=starfield-is-what-i-wanted-destiny-to-be-but-fails-to-deliver https://www.destructoid.com/starfield-is-what-i-wanted-destiny-to-be-but-fails-to-deliver/#respond Fri, 13 Sep 2024 20:05:00 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=595305

From an objective point of view, Destiny 2 is a thoroughbred Bungie shooter. Satisfying movement and gunplay, loads of gear to chase after, and all the trappings of a modern live-service content treadmill. Yet, the fantasy it sells to the player is a fair bit different. The Destiny you see in passing isn't quite the Destiny that lured me in.

The bit that spurred me to actually articulate why I first started playing Destiny 2 came about very, very recently, with Bungie's announcement of the content structure for 2025. Now, the stuff Bungie told us about sounds fine. Interesting, even, but that's not really what I want to talk about here at all. Instead, it's the artwork. Specifically, the very picture I use as the featured header above.

Now, Destiny has always been excellent at showing awesome alien vistas without actually allowing you to actually properly interact with them. And, to be perfectly frank, "interact" in this context is basically sci-fi overlanding with a bit of survivalism thrown in, for good measure. Obviously, that is not what Destiny is, but much of its art does rhyme with the concept.

Image via Bungie

One of Beyond Light's most striking pieces of media wasn't a screenshot of a decked-out Guardian taking down a squad of Fallen in a single (frosty) attack. Instead, it was a calm image of a Guardian taking a cliffside breather, with the Pyramid vessel in the far background.

This piece of art is most certainly not an outlier. Huge, sweeping vistas come part and parcel with every single pre-release artwork package Bungie puts out, and they help ground the world in a way no in-game vista ever could. Destiny has always been famous for all of the delightful views Guardians witness on their way to pummel this week's new ontological hyper-predator. This is a surface-level nod at the grander; it's a suggested exploration happening in-universe and is about as far as Destiny 2 goes.

Yet, I often find myself wanting to interact with the environment and just explore the world of Destiny, and I'm most definitely not the only one. That's where Starfield comes into the picture.

Image via Bungie

Pre-release, Starfield, too, targeted the same sense of awe as Destiny often did. And from the beginning, one key difference kept their journeys distinctly apart — Bungie's world stayed neat and focused, whereas Starfield, by virtue of its gameplay, could not. Then it was hey, presto, suddenly I could reach out and venture into the concept art to explore all those places I could never access in Destiny.

In this respect, Starfield is perfect. It's an effectively infinite exploration engine, brimming with places to be and weird things to find. I've also upgraded the exploratory aspects of the game with the delightful Desolation - POI Overhaul mod by agd25, as well as Shade's Vehicle Tuner. The former makes POIs a bit more sensible and far spread out, while the latter adds actual overlanding features to the REV-8 buggy. All this plays further into the free-form sci-fi exploration niche I've hoped to experience for literal years now.

And sure, perfect is a bit much, as Starfield isn't on top of its game elsewhere. It's clunky and underbuilt in some major ways, and after about 120 hours of gameplay, it struggles to truly surprise me in a meaningful way. Such is the nature of these things. I was never under the impression that an actual playable game could deliver the same sense of awe as static concept artwork could, of course, so I'm generally okay with the trade-off.

Image via Bungie

Raiding and completing dungeons is, understandably, the high-point of any Destiny player's experience with the game. Yet, those aren't the bits I myself appreciate the most about the game. Instead, I've always been fond of just snooping around the maps, finding one-off setpieces (now entirely devoid of any activity) and enjoying the Bungie artists' penchant for detail. Try looking up the old Niobe Labs in the EDZ map, for example, and it won't take long at all to feel like you've unearthed a forgotten secret in the far-future, post-apocalyptic Switzerland of Destiny.

I've never been particularly fond of live-service offerings, and Destiny 2's infamous sunsetting, in particular, managed to break my infatuation with the game itself. The artists' hard work I still very much appreciate, of course, but the removal of Io and Titan - some of my favorite stomping grounds - nudged me to look elsewhere for my exploratory adventures. Starfield is so close to what I wanted in this respect that it's gotten annoying by now. Yet, the game's insistence on repeating points of interest over and over again, populating its worlds with fauna that doesn't act like it belongs, and generally being just the tiniest bit too janky to achieve proper immersion really pulls me out of of the world.

Starfield could very well be the game I want it to be, but it just isn't yet. Maybe in a few years' time, when Bethesda pushes out a few more meaningful, game-changing updates such as REV-8, modders release more delights such as Desolation, and we've had a few more big expansion packs in tow. It's a big maybe, to be sure, but it's not an impossible hope, either. And hey, the same absolutely cannot be said about Destiny, which is more than happy to stick with its unreachable vistas and tightly curated combat hallways.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Now, obviously, I don't expect this topic to make sense to everyone. For most players, Destiny 2 is all about those things that keep us glued to the screen in the moment-to-moment gameplay. That is, of course, perfectly fine and valid. If you'd like to get a better idea of what I've been mulling on about here, though, I recommend checking out Bungie's very own 10-year Destiny "Art Blast" over on ArtStation to begin with. Then, if you're still up for it, scroll on through the absolutely phenomenal unofficial concept art collection hosted by Redditor Dark129. It consists of about 2,000 pieces of Bungie's Destiny artwork, and it communicates the scope and scale of this universe incredibly well.

Bungie isn't likely to lean into the more exploratory, conceptual aspects of Destiny anytime soon, I'm afraid. The game's patrol zones are simply too busy and too small to properly deliver on that promise. That's okay, though. Starfield is extremely imperfect in many of the things it tries to do, but it almost gives me that oblique high that Bungie's been hinting at all along. In that sense, it certainly fails to deliver, but looking at it from a different point of view, it sure as heck is the closest I've gotten to it. So, I'll take it happily.

In the end, I suppose I'm just trapped between Starfield's comparative mediocrity and Destiny's forever-unattainable fantasy, forever bouncing between the two until the end of time. Or, rather, until Starfield's been appropriately modded.

The post Starfield is what I always wanted Destiny to be, but it too fails to deliver appeared first on Destructoid.

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What is Contest mode in Destiny 2? https://www.destructoid.com/what-is-contest-mode-in-destiny-2-explained/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-is-contest-mode-in-destiny-2-explained https://www.destructoid.com/what-is-contest-mode-in-destiny-2-explained/#respond Fri, 13 Sep 2024 16:51:03 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=597202 Destiny 2 Salvation's Edge Key Art

Outside of PvP, Destiny, 2 content often prioritizes simply working together without much of a competitive edge, and for some of the more hardcore Guardians, those player-versus-player thrills aren't quite enough. That's where its event, Contest Mode, comes into play.

For some of the more elite community members, or even those just a little curious, here's a breakdown of Destiny 2's Contest Mode and how the competitive team event pits Guardians against each other in another race for the top.

What does Contest Mode do in Destiny 2?

Contest Mode is an event typically tied to the launch of a new raid in the game. For the first 48 hours after release, enemies in the activity are much more difficult as teams race to see who can complete it first. Whoever is first to clear the raid gets immortalized in legend, while anyone who completes the challenge within the first 48 hours receives a special emblem that's only available for Contest players.

While this Mode is traditionally available for raids only, that is about to change. A few days after the launch of Episode II: Revenant (October 11), a new dungeon will be released. This dungeon will mark the first time that a dungeon gets a Contest Mode. While Bungie hasn't released the exact details surrounding it, this will likely be very similar. However, the Dungeon Contest Mode likely won't take a few dozen hours like some raid races have been.

Should you try out Contest mode?

Destiny 2 10 Year Anniversary Armor
Image via Bungie.

If you want to try out Contest Mode for yourself, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Firstly, you should make sure that you have two other friends you trust to run the dungeon with you. You can try running it with random players, but you're rolling the dice on how well you'll work together. You'll also need to make sure you grind out the content of Episode II before jumping in. Enemies in Contest Mode are very difficult to take down, so you'll need every advantage you can get. If you end up giving it a go, then good luck!

The post What is Contest mode in Destiny 2? appeared first on Destructoid.

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Destiny 2 Choir of One god roll – Best perks and attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-choir-of-one-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-choir-of-one-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-choir-of-one-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/#respond Thu, 12 Sep 2024 16:58:32 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=596537 Destiny 2 Choir of One Auto Rifle

The majority of Destiny 2's exotic weapons are set in stone. You get the weapon, and there's no way of getting a different form of the weapon with changed perks. However, the few that do have custom perks can do great things in the right circumstances.

One such weapon is one of the newest on the roster. Here's how to get the Choir of One god roll in Destiny 2.

The best perks and attachments for the Choir of One in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Choir of One Example Build
Image via Destructoid.

The Choir of One is the most unique auto rifle in Destiny 2, being the only auto rifle as part of the special ammo slot. As a result of this and its Command Frame intrinsic trait, the weapon fires slower than other auto rifles but hits with much stronger rounds. In a sense, it's more like a scout rifle than an auto rifle but it does also have a hip-fire variant that's like an automatic shotgun. It even pairs well with the new artifact perks as part of Episode 1, Act III. With all this in mind, the following setup should do well:

  • Barrel: Fluted Barrel
  • Magazine: Flared Magwell
  • Refit Perk: Destabilizing Rounds
  • Stock: Composite Stock

Fluted Barrel provides some nice boosts to handling and stability, helping keep those shots on target. This does remove the recoil reduction of Arrowhead Brake, but the weapon doesn't exactly need it. Flared Magwell is a hidden gem here, providing some welcome reload speed alongside stability. As for that refit perk, the best one by far is Destabilizing Rounds. Making targets volatile can help a ton under certain builds and is just great in general. Finally, we have Composite Stock, which is the default stock but works great on its own.

As for any potential changes, some players prefer having Onslaught over Destabilizing Rounds thanks to its rate of fire boost. This boost isn't bad, but I feel the weapon's fire rate is never an issue, given its low magazine size. You're generally melting through it faster than you think. Still, if you feel that sounds better to you, go for it.

The post Destiny 2 Choir of One god roll – Best perks and attachments appeared first on Destructoid.

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Destiny 2 Presage loot table: All weapon and armor drops https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-presage-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-presage-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-presage-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops/#respond Thu, 12 Sep 2024 16:45:01 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=596484 Destiny 2 Exotic Mission Presage

Destiny 2 rotates a ton of different missions every week to keep things fresh, and that goes for exotic missions as well. A good handful of these missions are locked behind that rotator, so when they do come around, it's a good idea to farm them as much as possible.

As for the exotic mission Presage, you might be wondering just what you can snag. Here's the full loot table for the Presage exotic mission in Destiny 2.

Every weapon and armor piece that drops from the Presage exotic mission in Destiny 2

In total, you can get 16 different drops from the Presage mission. The exotic weapon is a guaranteed drop alongside the other 15 drops, so you should get both it and something else. The remaining 15 drops all operate off a roughly 6.66% chance, so farming for something specific will be difficult. As for what the 16 drops are, they are as follows:

Presage weapon drops

Destiny 2 Dead Man's Tale Scout Rifle
Image via Destructoid.

  • Dead Man's Tale Scout Rifle (Guaranteed exotic drop)
  • Austringer Hand Cannon
  • Beloved Sniper Rifle
  • Bump in the Night Rocket Launcher
  • CALUS Mini-Tool Submachine Gun
  • Drang (Baroque) Sidearm
  • Firefright Auto Rifle
  • Hollow Denial Trace Rifle
  • Nezarec's Whisper Glaive
  • Tears of Contrition Scout Rifle
  • Without Remorse Shotgun

Presage armor drops

  • Eidolon Pursuant Helm/Mask/Veil
  • Eidolon Pursuant Gauntlets/Handguards/Gloves
  • Eidolon Pursuant Plate/Tunic/Robe
  • Eidolon Pursuant Greaves/Legguards/Pants
  • Eidolon Pursuant Mark/Cloak/Bond

It's worth noting that while the armor drops list three separate versions of each armor piece, these are for Titan, Hunter, and Warlock respectively. You'll only get the version of the Eidolon Pursuant armor for the character you're playing, so pick wisely.

Which drops are worth farming for?

There aren't many drops worth farming for here since most weapons have since been outclassed. However, the Austringer is still a great hand cannon and well worth the pickup if you don't have it just yet. It can either dominate in PvP with Rangefinder and Eye of the Storm, or it can smoke in PvE with Outlaw and Rampage. Otherwise, it can be worth snagging the armor set if you don't already have it for the cosmetics.

The post Destiny 2 Presage loot table: All weapon and armor drops appeared first on Destructoid.

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Players are touting Episode 1’s ending as one of the worst in Destiny history https://www.destructoid.com/players-are-touting-episode-1s-ending-as-one-of-the-worst-in-destiny-history/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=players-are-touting-episode-1s-ending-as-one-of-the-worst-in-destiny-history https://www.destructoid.com/players-are-touting-episode-1s-ending-as-one-of-the-worst-in-destiny-history/#respond Thu, 12 Sep 2024 16:09:13 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=596024 close up of The Conductor in Destiny 2

With the latest weekly reset in Destiny 2, Episode: Echoes' final story beats have become available. However, players are calling the finale, and the Episode at large, one of the worst "seasonal" narratives Bungie has ever produced. While the Episode only just recently released its conclusion on September 9, early commenters were quick to point out their disdain for what felt like a colossal time waste.

Destiny 2's Episodes were pitched as self-contained narratives set to replace the previous seasonal model. With three longer Episodes making up a year's content rather than four Seasons, Bungie positioned the change as a way to shake things up. In practice, the first Episode felt almost identical to a Season, except with more time-gating. Bungie has since announced the remaining two Episodes will be free from time-gating and that after those, the game will return to a seasonal model.

No horse in this race

The Conductor with Vex in Destiny 2
Image via Bungie YouTube

After three straight weeks of running the same Exotic mission over and over again, the finale proved the final straw for some players. Echoes' confrontation with the newly established Vex villain, The Conductor, plays out in a single cutscene where players sit idly by, paralyzed, while Ikora Rey and Saint-14 launch a single attack each, toppling The Conductor into a Radiolaria river. To say it was underwhelming would be a gross understatement.

Forbes' Paul Tassi commented on the finale, saying: "The finale of the season, sorry Episode, arrived yesterday, capping off nine weeks of story with six weeks of breaks inserted. The end was…lacking, and I would apply that to the rest of the Episode as well, now that we can see its entire (Final) shape."

On Reddit, one user made their own post about the finale, complaining that the Episode felt like a waste of time. "The final week of the episode, the story of which was already spread out across four months resulted in: essentially nothing," the post read. "[W]e are no better off than when we started other than maya/the conductor being declared MIA vs being an active threat."

The Conductor dissolving in Radiolaria in Destiny 2
Image via Bungie YouTube

Further into the post, the author noted, "[I] dont think destiny has had a more egregious ending than the confrontation with the final boss happening in a cutscene where your character is little more than a spectator, doesn't contribute to the fight or say a single word and then watches the big bad disappear."

Tassi and the community participating in the Reddit post aren't the only ones who have objections about the Episode: Echoes finale. Even a cursory glance on X, formerly Twitter, reveals random users also coming to the same conclusions. Criticisms point out that the Episode had little effect on the greater Destiny narrative.

In 15 weeks, Echoes' major narrative accomplishment is that it introduces a new villain, before promptly removing it from the board. Not only that, but Episode: Echoes fails to add context to what the titular Echoes actually are or how they work. With two more Episodes to go, hopefully the next outing, Episode: Revenant, packs more of a punch.

The post Players are touting Episode 1’s ending as one of the worst in Destiny history appeared first on Destructoid.

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Destiny 2 Wild Style god roll – Best perks and attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-wild-style-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-wild-style-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-wild-style-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/#respond Wed, 11 Sep 2024 18:14:19 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=595783 Destiny 2 Wild Style Adept Grenade Launcher

If you're running Nightfalls weekly in Destiny 2, there's a good chance you'll receive that week's weapon. You'll even get it in Adept form if you kill all Champions in a Grandmaster Nightfall run. These weapons are highly sought after for their boosted stats, though getting the best variants of these weapons can be a confusing process. Here's the god roll for the Wild Style grenade launcher in Destiny 2.

The best perks and attachments for the Wild Style grenade launcher in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Wild Style Example Build
Image via Destructoid.

The Wild Style is part of the Double Fire archetype of grenade launchers, causing it to fire two hard-hitting grenades with each shot. Since it has just one shot in the magazine, this means you'll get to fire two grenades for every reload instead of just one. This helps a lot for DPS and can pair nicely with a few select perks and attachments those are as follows:

  • Launcher Barrel: Volatile Launch
  • Magazine: Disorienting Grenades
  • Perk 1: Reconstruction
  • Perk 2: Incandescent

Volatile Launch does bring with it reduced handling and projectile speed, but that blast radius helps to balance out the negative of the magazine, Disorienting Grenades. This magazine causes shots to blind targets and makes taking them down much easier, but also reduces the blast radius by a massive degree. Reconstruction is another incredible perk on grenade launchers, letting them reload over time (even while stowed). This could give the Wild Style two in the mag, thus equating to four grenades per reload. Finally, we have Incandescent, which causes defeated enemies to scorch nearby targets. Deleting a powerful enemy with this makes taking out the nearby ads much easier.

If you want to switch some things up, Reconstruction can be swapped for Envious Assassin. This does the same thing as Reconstruction, but procs off of kills instead. Provided you're getting consistent kills with your other weapons, this could be faster. Incandescent can also be swapped for Vorpal Weapon if you want to damage powerful enemies more instead.

The post Destiny 2 Wild Style god roll – Best perks and attachments appeared first on Destructoid.

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All Cayde’s Stash locations in Destiny 2 https://www.destructoid.com/all-caydes-stash-locations-in-destiny-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=all-caydes-stash-locations-in-destiny-2 https://www.destructoid.com/all-caydes-stash-locations-in-destiny-2/#respond Wed, 11 Sep 2024 18:01:45 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=595705 Destiny 2 10 Year Anniversary Armor

The Destiny franchise is now 10 years old, and Bungie hasn't forgotten to celebrate. Outside of a new title and an incoming dungeon with a returning fan-favorite exotic, the team has put out several armor sets that are similar to the original concepts. To get these armor sets, however, takes a bit of detective work. Here are all the Cayde's Stash locations in Destiny 2.

Where to find all of Cayde's Stashes in Destiny 2

All five of Cayde's Stashes can be found within the old Tower, itself within the Pale Heart. Claiming each stash will give you the Helmet, Arms, Chest, Legs, and Class Item, depending on which stash you pick up. Additionally, keep in mind that all of the stashes aren't shown in the pictures below since we've already claimed them. However, they will be there for you. With that out of the way, let's get started.

Cayde's Stash #1

Destiny 2 Cayde's Stash 1
Image via Destructoid

To find the first stash, head near the blocked entrance to the old hangar (where you find the Home, Part II Adventure). You should see a Cabal soldier standing guard along with a large, slanted pillar. Behind the pillar is the first stash.

Cayde's Stash #2

Destiny 2 Cayde's Stash 2
Image via Destructoid

For the second stash, you want to head down the central stairs of the courtyard past the two Cabal soldiers standing guard. Instead of heading into the room of the old Vanguard war table (where you speak to Micah-10), turn around at the splitting stairs to find the second stash within the bushes.

Cayde's Stash #3

Destiny 2 Cayde's Stash 3
Image via Destructoid

Moving over to the third stash, you'll want to head up to the large raised platform within the central courtyard (on the same side as where you'd go to the old Speaker's Chambers). Against a large pillar in the center of the platform is the stash.

Cayde's Stash #4

Destiny 2 Cayde's Stash 4
Image via Destructoid

The fourth stash is the easiest to find, located on this stack of boxes where you'd normally find Cayde-6. If you're looking away from the large balcony overlooking the Pale Heart's landscape, the boxes are found on the left.

Cayde's Stash #5

Destiny 2 Cayde's Stash 5
Image via Destructoid

The final stash can be found within the Speaker's Chambers, where you first meet Cayde as part of the Final Shape main questline. From the initial spawn location, turn left and head down the long path to find this room. Under a large tree trunk, you'll find the final stash.

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Destiny 2 to get new Dungeon featuring returning fan-favorite Exotic sniper https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-to-get-new-dungeon-featuring-returning-fan-favorite-exotic-sniper/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-to-get-new-dungeon-featuring-returning-fan-favorite-exotic-sniper https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-to-get-new-dungeon-featuring-returning-fan-favorite-exotic-sniper/#respond Tue, 10 Sep 2024 22:00:15 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=595163

Alongside the announcement of Destiny 2's new content structure, players got an extra sprinkle of good news that confirmed a fan-favorite sniper rifle from the original Destiny would soon make the transition to Destiny 2. 

Bungie has confirmed the Ice Breaker is coming as a part of a new Dungeon that's also on the way. However, while details are scarce on the Dungeon itself, Bungie had to comment on Ice Breaker, considering it accidentally became a part of the franchise's 10th Anniversary key art.

The Ice Breaker was an Exotic sniper rifle from the original Destiny. The weapon was unique in that it would slowly regenerate ammo but could never have more than one clip at a time. Ammo pickups also did nothing for the weapon, but kills had a chance to refund ammo and cause enemies to explode -- almost like a predecessor to the Firefly Perk.

An upcoming Dungeon delivers Ice Breaker to Destiny 2

Ice Breaker sniper from Destiny
Image via Bungie YouTube

On September 9, Bungie made several posts about the future of Destiny and the franchise's 10-year Anniversary. Prominently featured in the key art for the 10th Anniversary is a Titan holding Ice Breaker. While most of the post goes without any mention of the weapon, Bungie's communication has one telling line acknowledging Ice Breaker.

The studio said, "As you may have already guessed thanks to our key art, a certain Exotic Sniper Rifle, one considered a myth by many at this point, is resurfacing in the upcoming Dungeon. We'll share more info at a later date, but we hope this helped... break the ice."

Destiny 2's Global Community Lead further commented on Ice Breaker's out-of-the-blue appearance, noting that they hadn't expected the weapon would be featured in the art. "Also lol when we got the 10th anniversary art we hadn't considered IceBreaker would be… there! Had a last minute scramble to acknowledge it. Just wait till you get your hands on it via the new dungeon (more details soon…)."

There isn't much known about this upcoming Dungeon other than the confirmation that it's coming and seemingly soon. It could very well be that Bungie wasn't ready to fully announce or tease the Dungeon, but the unexpected art direction forced its hand. Either way, it seems that Guardians will have plenty to look forward to in the near future, between a mysterious new Dungeon experience and the rebirth of one of the most unique weapons the original Destiny ever offered.

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Destiny 2 Dares of Eternity loot table: All weapons and armor https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-dares-of-eternity-loot-table-all-weapons-and-armor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-dares-of-eternity-loot-table-all-weapons-and-armor https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-dares-of-eternity-loot-table-all-weapons-and-armor/#respond Tue, 10 Sep 2024 17:26:58 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=594870 Destiny 2 Dares of Eternity Xur and Horse

While Destiny 2's newest modes tend to be a huge focus for many people, that doesn't mean old modes don't give some great loot.

Older raids like the Vault of Glass, Crota's End, and King's Fall all give great weapons outside their bonus exotic drop for defeating the final raid boss. One such mode that's become a fan-favorite came with the 30th Anniversary Pack not too long ago. Here's the full drop table for the Dares of Eternity co-op mode in Destiny 2, including all weapons and armor.

Everything that drops from the Dares of Eternity mode in Destiny 2

The Dares of Eternity mode works off of a weekly reset similar to other modes, but this weekly reset functions a little differently. Instead of a specific weapon to farm like Nightfalls, Dares of Eternity has four separate rotations of loot that swap out each week. These rotations include the Scatterhorn Armor Set, one different armor set, and a whole set of different weapons each week. Each of these rotations, excluding that common armor set, are as follows:

Rotation 1

  • Wild Hunt Armor Set
  • Arsenic Bite-4B Bow
  • Blast Battue Grenade Launcher
  • Corsair's Wrath Linear Fusion Rifle
  • Deafening Whisper Grenade Launcher
  • Dire Promise Hand Cannon
  • Enigma's Draw Sidearm
  • Escape Velocity Submachine Gun
  • Friction Fire Submachine Gun
  • Jian 7 Rifle Pulse Rifle
  • Royal Chase Scout Rifle
  • Timeline's Vertex Fusion Rifle
  • True Prophecy Hand Cannon

Rotation 2

Destiny 2 Scathelocke Auto Rifle
Image via Destructoid.

  • Praefectur Armor Set
  • Annual Skate Hand Cannon
  • Brass Attacks Sidearm
  • Code Duello Rocket Launcher
  • Distant Tumulus Sniper Rifle
  • Extraordinary Rendition Submachine Gun
  • Far Future Sniper Rifle
  • Honor's Edge Sword
  • Imperial Needle Bow
  • Interference VI Grenade Launcher
  • Scathelocke Auto Rifle
  • Shepherd's Watch Sniper Rifle

Rotation 3

  • Lightkin Armor Set
  • Chroma Rush Shotgun
  • Farewell Sidearm
  • Gridskipper Pulse Rifle
  • Ignition Code Grenade Launcher
  • Last Perdition Pulse Rifle
  • Long Shadow Sniper Rifle
  • Main Ingredient Scout Rifle
  • Shattered Cipher Machine Gun
  • Sojourner's Tale Shotgun
  • The Last Dance Sidearm
  • Toil and Trouble Shotgun
  • Wishbringer Shotgun

Rotation 4

Destiny 2 Vulpecula Hand Cannon
Image via Destructoid.

  • Pathfinder Armor Set
  • Canis Major Grenade Launcher
  • Chrysura Melo Auto Rifle
  • Contingency Plan Scout Rifle
  • Fractethyst Shotgun
  • Iota Draconis Fusion Rifle
  • Legal Action II Scout Rifle
  • Outrageous Fortune Grenade Launcher
  • Spoiler Alert Sidearm
  • Steel Sybil Z-14 Sword
  • Vulpecula Hand Cannon
  • Wolftone Draw Bow

Which weapons are worth getting god rolls for?

It should come as no surprise given the sheer amount of weapons that most of these aren't worth snagging. There aren't many outright bad weapons, but most of these are outclassed by other options. The Dire Promise and Escape Velocity stick out the most from the first rotation, as both roll with great perks for PvP and PvE respectively. The Scathelocke from the second rotation is a solid Auto Rifle, running perks like Subsistence and Rampage to smoke ad clear. As for the third and fourth rotations, there are a few decent options like the Long Shadow and Vulpecula, but nothing to write home about.

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Destiny 2 explains 2025’s new content structure, and it sounds… good? https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-explains-2025s-new-content-structure-and-it-sounds-good/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-explains-2025s-new-content-structure-and-it-sounds-good https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-explains-2025s-new-content-structure-and-it-sounds-good/#respond Tue, 10 Sep 2024 13:07:57 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=594519

It was suggested from the very start that Destiny 2's Episodes - the content format for 2024 - would only be a temporary solution. Now, Bungie has doubled down on that notion with a comprehensive explanation of Codename: Frontiers, the next big chapter in Destiny 2's rich and storied history.

Following Bungie's recent integration with Sony, there was a big question mark above Destiny 2's proverbial head. Notably, The Final Shape was an amazing expansion pack, but it also served as an even better off-ramp for veteran players. With no information on what the heck Destiny 2: Frontiers may or may not be, and with the new Episodes just delivering more of the same, it was easy to lose personal investment in the game. Thankfully, Bungie's newly revealed plans for Frontiers sound genuinely interesting and could be used to revamp the game so that it stays relevant.

Image via Bungie

Bungie's plans for Destiny 2 in 2025 sound very, very interesting

First things first, let me deal with the elephant in the room: Destiny 3 isn't even on the docket yet. The topic of a potential sequel or even just a broad follow-up to Destiny 2 wasn't even broached in Bungie's new Frontiers blog. Instead, it delved deep into the gist of what this new approach to content is. The bottom line? Episodes are going to stay in 2024 for good.

The roadmap featured above "lays out the plan for Year 11 and beyond," Bungie says. Generally speaking, we'll now be getting:

  • Two paid expansion packs per year
  • Four "major" free content updates per year

The reasoning behind this change is perfectly sensible, for what that's worth: "The truth is that [DLCs such as The Final Shape] dominate almost all our development effort," Bungie says. "We need to free ourselves up to explore and innovate with how we deliver Destiny 2 content so we can invest in areas of the game that will feel more impactful to players."

Instead of attempting to pull off a single super-sized DLC every year, Bungie will now focus on delivering smaller, "medium-sized" expansion packs every six months or so. "Each of these will depart from the one-shot campaign structure we’ve been using essentially unchanged since Shadowkeep, and each will be an opportunity to explore exciting new formats instead," says the blog. Promising, I'd say. Each DLC will also come with a seasonal reset to keep progression more manageable in the long run (no sunsetting, thankfully).

At the same time, the free content updates are supposed to deliver on other fronts:

  • Strikes, Exotic missions, and new game modes (e.g. Onslaught)
  • Weapons, armor, Exotics, Artifact mods
  • Weekly events
  • Gameplay features
  • Balancing updates

Now, if I wanted to be particularly cynical about Frontiers, I could say that I, too, remember the state of Destiny 2 in its first year. I do remember what it was like when we were getting two DLCs per year, and just how poorly Curse of Osiris was received upon its release. In a way, Frontiers is simply attempting to do the same thing but in a different way, but will it pan out? I certainly hope so.

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Destiny 2’s next big thing, Codename: Apollo, is ‘nonlinear’ and it has no timegates https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2s-next-big-thing-codename-apollo-is-nonlinear-and-it-has-no-timegates/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2s-next-big-thing-codename-apollo-is-nonlinear-and-it-has-no-timegates https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2s-next-big-thing-codename-apollo-is-nonlinear-and-it-has-no-timegates/#respond Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:51:50 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=594532

Things are happening in Destinyland, folks. Bungie recently published a huge new blog discussing the future of Destiny 2 from 2025 onwards, and it's nothing if not promising. 2025's first paid DLC, Codename: Apollo, is particularly interesting as it's supposed to be a "nonlinear" experience, of all things.

Historically, Destiny 2's paid annual DLCs have always followed the same format. You get an extremely impressive first mission followed up with a series of bespoke one-off content interspersed with Patrol activities, Strikes, and other repeatable stuff. Then, after loading up your power level and/or grinding an appropriately high level of gear, you jump into the final mission that's sometimes equally as impressive as the intro. Cue the outro cutscene, and you're done. According to Bungie, Destiny 2: Apollo is going to be a nonlinear experience instead, taking place "over dozens of threads you’ll explore and discover." Interesting stuff.

Image via Bungie

Destiny 2: Apollo may be the game's biggest DLC shake-up yet

"Previously, in stories like The Final Shape, you experienced the story as A to B to C to D in a nice straight line," Bungie explains in its recent blog post. "[In Apollo], when you land on our brand new location, the story starts at A, and then you can choose if you want to explore C first, or try and get into B, or maybe investigate D."

The bits that you don't explore on your first go through the campaign are, supposedly, going to stick around for exploration later on. It's a curious take on the Destiny formula, for sure, and I am genuinely excited at the prospect of giving this a shot: "The order in which you explore will be something you choose, but we have built Codename: Apollo in a way the story always makes sense and flows from beginning to middle to end. There’s no time gating, no waiting for the next drop, Codename: Apollo’s story unfolds based on player progression," says the blog post.

Now, while Bungie seemingly eager to try out this brave new approach to the core Destiny fantasy, it's not something that's going to be set in stone for the next yearly DLC, Behemoth. Specifically, Bungie says that "this shift to nonlinear stories isn’t something we’re locking ourselves into, but it is the structure that fits Codename: Apollo best." In other words, this may well end up being a one-off that doesn't pan out in the long run.

As it stands, it's way, way too early to tell whether Bungie is onto something with this approach. Personally, I'm all for it, but the specifics are going to be what makes or breaks Apollo's nonlinear take on Destiny gameplay. Story-wise, it is some promising stuff though: "Apollo ends with the narrative gasoline that will propel us into the next few years with a clear theme, goal, and a destination that won’t come at you as a straight line but will be well-worth the trip," Bungie promises. "It’ll reward you, it’ll surprise you, and it’ll take us places Destiny has never seen before."

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Destiny 2’s new Portal UI could help new players make sense of the game https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2s-new-portal-ui-could-help-new-players-make-sense-of-the-game/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2s-new-portal-ui-could-help-new-players-make-sense-of-the-game https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2s-new-portal-ui-could-help-new-players-make-sense-of-the-game/#respond Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:39:54 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=594536 Destiny 2 Deep Stone Crypt Raid Key Art

It's finally happening, folks: the Director interface that's served as the basic staging ground for all of Destiny 2's core activities is going away. We've already seen some official mockups for the Portal UI, and it both looks and sounds pretty darn solid so far, though I do have concerns.

Destiny 2's new Portal UI is going to be "an easier, modernized way to browse and launch Core Game activities," Bungie promises. "It will offer a varied selection of new and updated activities across a wide range of activity types." Broadly speaking, the goal for the Portal is to give all players a universal jump-off point for activities both new and old. Functionally, that's an excellent goal, but as interesting as the mockup seems, the execution is what it's all going to boil down to.

Image via Bungie

Destiny 2's Director is going away, with Portal as its replacement

To celebrate the first decade of Destiny, Bungie has gone out of its way to deliver a frankly astonishing number of blog posts about the future of the game. It's very promising stuff, too, covering a broad spectrum of topics ranging from open-world content all the way to activity and gear balancing. The discussion of the Portal UI in Destiny 2 is thus being a tad overshadowed, but it's a hugely important topic because it essentially concerns new player onboarding more so than anything else.

Playing a game needs to be a frictionless experience, and while Bungie does understand this in a sense, Destiny 2 is an infamously complex experience to be breaking into. Portal is supposed to alleviate this in a very specific way, by giving everyone ready access to a simple, sensible list of activities from the game's roster of PvE and PvP content.

According to Bungie, Portal is going to:

  • Offer a curated activity list that will be refreshed every three months, with every major content update
  • Provide bonus rewards for engaging in Portal activities
  • Relegate the Destination portion of the Director to "world navigation and accessing older activities"

"The emphasis of this redesign is quick and clean access to a wider offering of activities with updated rewards, as well as quick access to the current Expansion or Event content," Bungie explains. "Our intent is for most activity launching in a season to occur from the Portal, and any choice you make will be a path to worthwhile rewards."

Most content categories are fairly self-explanatory, with Fireteam Ops featuring Strikes, Onslaught, and the like, while Pinnacle Ops focus on Dungeons and Exotic missions, for example. Rewards are the really interesting bit in my book, though, as Portal will give players daily access to

  • Specific weapons
  • Specific armor slot items
  • Targeted currencies (Strange Coins, enhancement materials, etc.)

It's interesting stuff, honestly, and there's potential for this to be the ultimate source of daily activity engagement in Destiny 2. The bit that sort of worries me, though, is that a huge chunk of the game's activities will still be relegated to Destinations, and so this might not end up being the ultimate streamlining that Destiny actually needs. Time will tell, however.

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Destiny 2 Uzume RR4 god roll – Best perks and attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-uzume-rr4-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-uzume-rr4-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-uzume-rr4-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/#respond Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:36:54 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=594133 Destiny 2 Uzume RR4 Adept Sniper Rifle

With each week of content in Destiny 2, a new Nightfall Strike rolls around. This is a more difficult version of a particular strike, bringing with it a specific weapon reward for you to farm. While it can only drop as a potential reward from lower difficulties, Grandmaster Nightfalls give a guaranteed Adept version of the weapon.

On occasion, the weapon of the week is a particularly good sniper. Here's the god roll for the Uzume RR4 sniper rifle in Destiny 2, including perks and attachments.

The best perks and attachments for the Uzume RR4 in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Uzume RR4 Example Build
Image via Destructoid.

The Uzume RR4 sports the Adaptive Frame archetype, giving the sniper better stats all around within any notable downsides. While this can be seen as boring since it doesn't do anything particularly exciting, it does open us up to picking perks that make the gun better in general, instead of improving a specific aspect of it. With that freedom in mind, the following setup should work quite nicely:

  • Barrel: Arrowhead Brake
  • Magazine: Tactical Mag
  • Perk 1: Fourth Time's the Charm
  • Perk 2: Vorpal Weapon

Arrowhead Brake is always a great barrel for snipers, granting better handling speed and reduced recoil. Tactical Mag is also just a great Magazine, since it gives reload speed, magazine size, and stability. Who doesn't want that on a sniper?

Fourth Time's the Charm is like a budget version of the Whisper of the Worm, granting two shots to your magazine when hitting four precision shots in quick succession. Extra free ammo is just free damage. Finally, we have Vorpal Weapon, which helps make the Uzume do better damage against bosses. It won't beat your heavy weapon, but it'll give it a run for its money.

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Destiny 2 Martyr’s Retribution god roll – Best perks and attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-martyrs-retribution-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-martyrs-retribution-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-martyrs-retribution-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/#respond Thu, 05 Sep 2024 17:00:37 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=592026 Destiny 2 Martyr's Retribution Grenade Launcher

While the new weapons of Destiny 2's Echoes Episode have been the main highlight, some of the returning weapons are also intriguing. The Perfect Paradox, for example, has quickly returned to its place as a mainstay in most arsenals and a capable shotgun for both PvE and PvP content.

One such returning weapon takes on a rather new form of grenade launcher, but one that is surprisingly great for ad clear. Here's the god roll for the Martyr's Retribution grenade launcher in Destiny 2.

The best perks and attachments for the Martyr's Retribution god roll in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Martyr's Retribution Intrinsic Trait and Description
Image via Destructoid.

Martyr's Retribution sports the Wave Frame archetype, meaning it has one round in its clip and sends an energy wave out upon impact. This wave does quite a bit of damage but does cause the impact itself to be considerably weaker. Compared to some grenade launchers, this makes it far less suited for boss damage and more so for ad clear. The following perks and attachments help play into that role:

  • Launcher Barrel: Quick Launch
  • Magazine: High-Velocity Rounds
  • Perk 1: Heal Clip
  • Perk 2: Incandescent

Quick Launch causes any shots from the Martyr's Retribution to come out fast while increasing handling speed. Easier use of the weapon is nothing to scoff at. High-Velocity Rounds further increases that projectile speed while also bringing in reload speed. Given we aren't running Auto-Loading Holster, that's quite helpful.

Heal Clip is great for supporting yourself and your allies, especially since you'll be focusing on many lower-health enemies, reloading frequently, and getting plenty of kills to trigger it. Incandescent aids that goal, causing scorch to nearby targets and improving the area of effect damage.

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A NetEase-made Destiny mobile game is allegedly in development https://www.destructoid.com/a-netease-made-destiny-mobile-game-is-allegedly-in-development/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-netease-made-destiny-mobile-game-is-allegedly-in-development https://www.destructoid.com/a-netease-made-destiny-mobile-game-is-allegedly-in-development/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:09:17 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=591269 Destiny 2 Intro the Light ket art

Some recent Destiny rumors have been corroborated by reputable industry sources that allege a mobile entry for the franchise, reportedly called Destiny Rising, is currently being worked on by Chinese developer NetEase. While details on the project remain scarce, prominent insiders like Jeff Grubb have commented on its existence and seemingly confirmed that it's still being worked on.

This news comes in the wake of some turmoil at Bungie. At the end of July, the company had its second round of layoffs within a year, with additional employees getting integrated into Sony. Since then, conversations about the studio's mismanagement have coalesced alongside high-ranking departures and scandals.

Previous reporting from Bloomberg and Forbes indicated that a Destiny mobile game may have been among the projects canceled alongside project Payback. However, more recently, The Game Post reported that notable insider Kurakasis posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying, "Destiny Rising is the title of an unannounced Destiny mobile game being developed by NetEase and Bungie[.] It has not been canceled."

The info was seemingly backed up by another insider, Jeff Grubb, who made a comment about the post on Threads. Grubb wrote, "Yeah, this is real. Not a lot of people from Bungie working on it. It could get announced soon." When pressed for further details in the comments, Grubb talked about gameplay, saying, "It's going to be Destiny on mobile, but with a lot of changes. Hero characters instead of building your own character, for example."

While this new information comes from reputable sources in the industry, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Bungie has not announced Destiny Rising or any Destiny mobile project in any official capacity, and plans can always change.

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Destiny 2 Speleologist god roll – Best perks and attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-speleologist-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-speleologist-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-speleologist-god-roll-best-perks-and-attachments/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 17:10:36 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=591183 Destiny 2 Speleologist Machine Gun

Destiny 2's first Episode, Echoes, has brought with it a ton of different weapons over the past few acts.

The Aberrant Action, for example, one of the few Rocket-Assisted Frame sidearms in the game, has proven to be a powerhouse for most people only dethroned by the newest Exotic weapon the Choir of One. One such weapon that's just made its debut can be a great addition to the heavy slot. Here's the god roll for the Speleologist machine gun in Destiny 2.

The best perks and attachments for the Speleologist in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Speleologist Machine Gun
Image via Destructoid.

The Speleologist machine gun is part of the Rapid-Fire Frame archetype of machine guns. This not only tends to make the weapon dump ammo much faster than other machine guns, but also gives the weapon much deeper reserves and a faster reload speed when the magazine is fully emptied. This makes the weapon best for clearing out waves of enemies rather than larger targets, so we want perks and attachments that play into that. As such, we'll be taking the following:

  • Barrel: Arrowhead Brake
  • Magazine: Tactical Mag
  • Perk 1: Envious Assassin
  • Perk 2: Incandescent

Arrowhead Brake is a great utility barrel, giving us much better recoil and handling speed. With a machine gun like this, recoil control is immensely important. The Tactical Mag brings us stability, reload speed, and magazine size, all things that will greatly improve the Speleologist's potential. Envious Assassin causes the weapon to be overfilled from reserves when killing with other weapons, playing into how you'll be using your first and second weapon slots for other roles. Finally, we come to Incandescent, which helps scorch nearby targets and improves how quickly you clear groups of enemies. It's a great perk, no matter the weapon.

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Destiny 2 Episode Echoes Act III’s upcoming Sword event is the perfect way to grind to level 200 on the season pass https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-episode-echoes-act-iiis-upcoming-sword-event-is-the-perfect-way-to-grind-to-level-200-on-the-season-pass/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-episode-echoes-act-iiis-upcoming-sword-event-is-the-perfect-way-to-grind-to-level-200-on-the-season-pass https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-episode-echoes-act-iiis-upcoming-sword-event-is-the-perfect-way-to-grind-to-level-200-on-the-season-pass/#respond Fri, 30 Aug 2024 11:47:19 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=588335 guardian with sword in destiny 2

In the most recent This Week in Destiny article, Bungie revealed that Destiny 2 players will be treated to an interesting Sword event that grants regenerating ammo to help them endlessly swing away. The event will be live from September 3 to 10, 2024.

For the week, all Swords in the Heavy Ammo slot will regenerate ammo in Seasonal activities, Strikes, Nightfalls, Gambit, Legend and Master Lost Sectors, and Crucible's Relic game mode. This means you'll be able to equip a Sword in your Heavy slot and hop into any of the activities above with what equates to infinite ammo. Every time you run out of ammo, you can just hide out and wait for it to regenerate enough for you to get back out there and make an impact.

Sword ammo for everyone

happy characters destiny 2 episode echoes
Screenshot by Destructoid

This Sword event in Destiny 2 will come with a new set of seasonal challenges all centered around using Swords in the game's various activities. With regenerating Sword ammo, it's also a great time to push through those new challenges and finally get around to the ones that have been hanging around for the last 12 weeks or so.

At this point in the season, I've managed to pass level 100 on the season pass by playing story content and Specimen quests alone. Even at over halfway through the season pass, I have plenty of seasonal challenges for activities like Gambit and Crucible left to complete, and Sword week is the perfect excuse to do so. Each one awards a massive chunk of seasonal experience, all of which will help you earn everything available. There are some quite frankly gorgeous armor Ornaments on offer in this season pass which are the main reason I'll be grinding.

However, the break between Echoes Act II and Act III saw a wave of layoffs at Bungie, which killed much of my enthusiasm for playing Destiny 2 and caused many players to move over to Warframe.

This Sword event could be the game's saving grace for the finale of its first Episode. Bungie has two more Episodes planned for the rest of this year, with content beyond that uncertain. Provided that the story in Act III, coupled with events like this one, can reignite the fire many of us had for Destiny 2 earlier this year, we could all finish at least this Episode on a high.

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Destiny 2’s new Exotic Quest is a bug bonanza, it seems https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2s-new-exotic-quest-is-a-bug-bonanza-it-seems/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2s-new-exotic-quest-is-a-bug-bonanza-it-seems https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2s-new-exotic-quest-is-a-bug-bonanza-it-seems/#respond Wed, 28 Aug 2024 15:09:04 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=586882

Are you on an Exotic-earning spree in Destiny 2? If so, you're probably pretty thrilled about the release of an exciting new Exotic mission, Encore, which lets you earn the awesome-looking Choir of One special ammo auto rifle. The bit that might dampen the excitement, though, are all the bugs.

While some of Destiny 2's bugs have historically even been welcomed by the community and turned into full-blooded features due to their usefulness, the problems with Encore are markedly more annoying. According to those who've been hard at work trying to unlock Choir of One, the new Encore mission is absolutely choc-full of problems that are virtually impossible to avoid. Examples include excessive soft-locking, random insta-death occurrences, and broken progression mechanics, which all combine to make for a particularly annoying Exotic mission.

https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/1f2ugoq/this_is_by_far_the_buggiest_exotic_mission_ever/

Getting the Choir of One is a real chore in Destiny 2, due to bugs

On top of confusing and outright broken gameplay mechanics that pop up throughout Encore, players have also highlighted the presence of more invisible walls than there usually are in such missions. New Independent Variable Minotaurs are egregiously annoying to fight, too, due to their longer-range teleportation abilities.

The roster of problems with Encore is too long to list here, which illustrates just how big of a fumble this release has been so far. This puts Bungie's previous comments in an interview with GamesRadar about it being "the biggest Exotic mission we've ever built" into starkly negative light, one might feel: "The ability for us to build this massive Exotic mission – literally one of the biggest – it wouldn't have been possible in the past."

The fact that Encore is currently such a pain to interact with a particularly notable disappointment to those who've stayed on top of this year's seasonal offerings. It's simple: Bungie may be going through a particularly problematic period of time, but the content of this year's first Episode has been genuinely solid. Starting with a strong kick-off and wrapping up each new story beat with satisfying Act finales, fans of the game have had an opportunity to continue enjoying Destiny 2 even after its Light and Dark saga wrapped up in full with The Final Shape.

Heck, even the new Battleground missions have been a marked improvement compared to those that came before it, to the point where I'm no longer particularly worried about them potentially diluting the Vanguard Ops playlist further still.

Exotic missions are just a single step down from the heights of Raids and Dungeons, and having one of the biggest and most promising pieces of this type of content fumble due to bugs is a real shame. Bungie is yet to chime in on the matter, though the team is almost certainly already working out fixes to Encore's many, many problems.

The silver lining, granted, is that some players claim they haven't encountered bugs of any sort playing Encore. So, there's a chance - however slim it may be - that you, too, will be able to play this mission the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

The post Destiny 2’s new Exotic Quest is a bug bonanza, it seems appeared first on Destructoid.

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Destiny 2’s Echoes Act 3 adds new Artifact Perks and weapons https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2s-echoes-act-3-adds-new-artifact-perks-and-weapons/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2s-echoes-act-3-adds-new-artifact-perks-and-weapons https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2s-echoes-act-3-adds-new-artifact-perks-and-weapons/#respond Wed, 28 Aug 2024 15:07:37 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=586541 Destiny 2 Chronophage trace rifle

Destiny 2's Episode: Echoes starts its final Act today, introducing a slew of new Artifact Perks and weapons. After Act 2 buffed snipers in PvE, Act 3 shows some love to auto rifles, with a new Exotic auto rifle also dropping in the Act. And even if auto rifles aren't your thing, the new machine gun, trace rifle, or returning grenade launcher might serve as the highlight of Act 3.

Destiny 2 switched from a seasonal model to an episodic one with the launch of The Final Shape expansion. There are three Acts per Episode, with the first, Echoes, now entering its final Act. Each Act of an Episode adds some story missions alongside episodic activities or events. Episode: Echoes set a pace for new weapons in each Act, with one returning weapon from Destiny's past. Time will tell whether that delivery structure continues through the next two planned Episodes.

New Artifact Perks highlight auto rifles

Destiny 2 Echoes Act 3 Artifact
Screenshot by Destructoid

Five new Artifact Perks are arriving for Act 3 of Episode: Echoes, most of which increase the effectiveness of auto rifles. The five Perks are spread across the different tiers of the Artifact, offering one new option per column.

In the first column, Overload Auto Rifle makes its return. This Perk allows continuous auto rifle fire stun Overload Champions while adding other benefits. Auto rifles benefiting from the Perk will always be considered as overcharged, reduce enemy ability regen, and limit enemy potential damage. The new second column Artifact Perk is Authorized Mod: Charged Up, lowering the cost of the Charged Up armor mod to 1. Charged Up increases a Guardian's maximum possible stacks of Armor Charge by 1.

Things heat up with the new Artifact Perk in the third column, Sustained Fire, which grants damage resistance after a few uninterrupted seconds of laying into foes with auto rifles. This is made all the better by the fourth column Artifact Perk, Targeting Adjuster. Targeting Adjuster has a chance to reward bonus weapon damage and automatically reload whenever an enemy is eliminated with an auto rifle. Players can increase their chances by defeating foes while surrounded.

Finally, the fifth column bolsters the new Shock and Awe Artifact Perk. When using an Arc or Prismatic Subclass, Shock and Awe generates a lightning strike that damages and Jolts nearby enemies whenever players get an Arc final blow while Amplified. While Shock and Awe sounds pretty good on its own for Arc-leaning Prismatic Guardians, the Perk has some monstrous synergy alongside the other new auto rifle Artifact Perks. All it takes is an Arc auto rifle like Shadow Price or the Exotic Centrifuse to get the best of both worlds.

New and returning weapons

Destiny 2 Choir of One
Screenshot by Destructoid

Echoes Act 3 has a group of weapons awaiting Guardians, including one new Exotic auto rifle. The first new weapon for Episode: Echoes is the Speleologist machine gun. This 900 RPM Solar beast uses a Rapid-Fire Frame and can roll with favorite Perks like Heal Clip, Stats for All, Envious Assassin, Incandescent, and Killing Tally. A new Adaptive Frame Void trace rifle called Chronophage is also inbound, adding a second Void trace rifle option for weapon crafting. Notable Perks for Chronophage include Shoot to Loot, Repulsor Brace, Target Lock, and Destabilizing Rounds.

Tagging along with the two new Echoes weapons is the returning special ammo grenade launcher, Martyr's Retribution. The Solar Wave Frame was an old favorite that's made even better by its updated Perk pool and Intrinsic Trait. While it's not craftable like the new weapons joining this Episode, it does sport some spicy new Perks like Heal Clip, Envious Assassin, Strategist, and Incandescent.

Destiny 2 Speleologist machine gun
Screenshot by Destructoid

Rounding out the updates to Guardians' arsenal is the addition of a new Exotic auto rifle, Choir of One. The weapon is earned after completing the new Exotic mission, Encore: Overture. The Void auto rifle lets players live out their Vex Wyvern fantasies, shooting out slow-moving, splitting, explosive projectiles. Choir of One is also craftable, so it'll only get better over time as it's empowered by completing additional objectives within Encore: Overture.

Between Act 2's solar sniper-buffing Artifact Perks, the new auto rifle-based Perks from Act 3, and some new tools to rip enemies apart, Episode: Echoes means to go out with a bang.

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The fastest way to earn Alloy for Destiny 2’s Solstice event https://www.destructoid.com/the-fastest-way-to-earn-alloy-for-destiny-2s-solstice-event/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-fastest-way-to-earn-alloy-for-destiny-2s-solstice-event https://www.destructoid.com/the-fastest-way-to-earn-alloy-for-destiny-2s-solstice-event/#respond Thu, 22 Aug 2024 16:42:29 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=581763 Destiny 2 Solstice 2024 Character Armors

It's the last week of Destiny 2's Solstice event, but even if you haven't participated yet, it's not too late to earn a set of holiday armor. That said, you'll need to spend quite a bit of time farming Alloy. Thankfully, there are ways to speed up the process, allowing players to make the most of the time they dedicate to Solstice.

Solstice has been a returning Destiny 2 holiday event for a few years. Traditionally, the holiday's grand prize is a set of glowing cosmetic armor, often earned by participating in the Solstice activity Bonfire Bash. This year, the holiday is a bit different, requiring players to forge each piece of the Solstice set before repeating the process to make it glow. Alloy is the primary material used to forge and empower each piece, so players will need a heap of it before they're done.

How to earn Alloy

Solstice Forge Bounties
Screenshot by Destructoid

After players get started with Solstice by visiting Eva Levante in The Tower and completing her introductory quest, they'll have full access to the Solstice Forge from the Quest tab in the Director. While players can also access the Forge via Eva, a trip to The Tower isn't required every time the tool is needed. The Solstice Forge opens access to a series of Bounties that reward Alloy, and those Bounties serve as the only way to earn Alloy.

Though each Forge Bounty rewards Alloy, the Alloy earned is specific to an armor slot. The Forge Bounties are separated by the type of Alloy they reward, with a category for each armor slot present. Each category offers three random Bounties of varying difficulty and reward potential, with the option to spend Silver Leaves to reroll Bounty options. Players can only take one Bounty per armor slot at any given time, so a bit of planning can go a long way.

How to quickly earn Alloy

Bounty stack for Solstice
Screenshot by Destructoid

There are really two methods for farming Alloy fast, but it all depends on whether you have ready access to a Fireteam capable of quickly toppling Dungeons or Raids. For those with an active and reliable group of friends, the best bet is to fish for Gold Bounties across all armor slots, ideally all for the same activity. For this to work, players will need ample access to Silver Leaves to reroll Bounty options, and to make the time count; you should take the overall length and encounter difficulty into account for Raid or Dungeon choice.

If everything goes according to plan and you have a set of Gold Bounties for the same activity type, each Dungeon or a couple of Raid bosses will net 50 Alloy for each slot. With a bit of luck on your side and optimal execution, the process will only have to be done three times: twice for the initial Solstice set and then another time around for the glowing appearance.

Alternatively, if players are grinding for Solstice armor alone, the best bet is the Altars of Sorrow on the Moon. The wave-based public event has no shortage of enemies to count toward Green Bounty progress, and each full completion will net players 7-10 Silver Leaves. The strategy isn't unlike the one in place for Gold Bounties, where players want to stack as many of the same type of Bounties for each armor slot. That way, if all of your Bounties require Solar kills or to generate Orbs of Power, they'll all complete at roughly the same time.

Destiny 2 Altars of Sorrow activity
Screenshot by Destructoid

From there, because you don't need to return to The Tower to access the Forge and more Bounties, it's as simple as grabbing another set of Forge Bounties from the menus before resuming the Altars of Sorrow farm. Each Green Bounty rewards 15 Alloy, so it'll take 10 Bounties per slot or 50 total Bounties before you have enough Alloy to complete the glowing Solstice armor set. That said, each Green Bounty is relatively quick to complete in an area as enemy-dense as the Altars.

Of course, nothing stops players from combining these two strategies as other Fireteam members are on or offline. So, it's possible to make some substantial progress by subbing in a set of Gold Bounties when the opportunity arises. The most important part of the grind is consistency with which Bounties you're grabbing. After all, the last thing you want is to create more hurdles between you and that shiny new armor.

The post The fastest way to earn Alloy for Destiny 2’s Solstice event appeared first on Destructoid.

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Destiny 2 Prophecy loot table: All weapon and armor drops https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-prophecy-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=destiny-2-prophecy-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops https://www.destructoid.com/destiny-2-prophecy-loot-table-all-weapon-and-armor-drops/#respond Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:58:25 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=580778 Destiny 2 Prophecy Hexahedron Encounter

While raids are the main source of great loot in Destiny 2, dungeons can give a ton of great stuff too. For example, the Warlord's Ruin dungeon has a ton of great loot, including the Buried Bloodline sidearm which is one of the best weapons in the game. Such loot can also come from the well-regarded Prophecy dungeon, though you might be wondering where you can get what pieces of gear. Here's the loot table for the Prophecy dungeon in Destiny 2.

Everything you can get from each Prophecy dungeon encounter in Destiny 2

In total, Prophecy sports four different places you can get loot. These house six separate weapons and many different armor pieces, though only from specific encounters. Said encounters are below:

  • First Encounter: Phalanx Echo

    • Relentless Pulse Rifle
    • Prosecutor Auto Rifle
    • Trials of the Nine/Moonfang X-7 Leg Armor
    • Trials of the Nine/Moonfang X-7 Class Item

  • Second Encounter: Hexahedron

    • A Sudden Death Shotgun
    • Adjudicator Submachine Gun
    • Trials of the Nine/Moonfang X-7 Arms

  • Third Encounter: Kell Echo kill

    • All Moonfang X-7 Armor Pieces

  • Emissary Chest (final chest)

    • Judgement Hand Cannon
    • Darkest Before Pulse Rifle
    • Trials of the Nine/Moonfang X-7 Helmet
    • Trials of the Nine/Moonfang X-7 Chest Armor
    • Trials of the Nine/Moonfang X-7 Class Item

Alongside these loot drops, two secret chests are located before the Hexahedron encounter and before the Kell Echo encounter (during the sparrow section). Grabbing one of these has a chance to give any piece of gear that you've gotten previously, so it's a great way to farm for god rolls.

What about old weapons?

Destiny 2 The Long Walk Sniper Rifle
Image via Destructoid.

Before March 2024, the A Swift Verdict sidearm, The Long Walk Sniper Rifle, and The Last Breath Auto Rifle were available as possible drops. However, with the loot update for the dungeon, these are now impossible to collect. If you have any copies of the weapons, be sure not to delete them. There's no telling if they'll ever come back, and they could be some of the last.

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How to get the Euphony linear fusion rifle in Destiny 2 https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-get-the-euphony-linear-fusion-rifle-in-destiny-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-get-the-euphony-linear-fusion-rifle-in-destiny-2 https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-get-the-euphony-linear-fusion-rifle-in-destiny-2/#respond Wed, 21 Aug 2024 21:37:20 +0000 https://www.destructoid.com/?p=582327 Destiny 2 Euphony Fusion Rifle

Many of the exotics in Destiny 2 are fairly easy to obtain. Provided you snag yourself a few exotic engrams and take a stroll over to Master Rahool, you'll get a good handful to get you started. Exotic engram focusing and the Monument to Lost Light are more difficult methods for obtaining exotic items but still aren't too bad.

However, some exotics come from the game's hardest pieces of content. Here's how to get the Euphony linear fusion rifle in Destiny 2.

Where to find the Euphony in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Salvation's Edge Key Art
Image via Bungie.

The Euphony is rewarded as a random drop from completing the final encounter of the Salvation's Edge raid, The Witness. Each successful completion will give you a legendary item and a 5% chance to receive the Euphony. With the way that raid loot works, that gives you three chances each week provided you have three separate characters at the right power level for it.

There are two ways to increase your chances of getting the Euphony. The first method is to simply complete that final encounter and not receive the Euphony. Each time you don't, you'll increase your chances to get the Euphony slightly more. This chance resets upon receiving the Euphony. The other method is through triumphs. If you can complete certain challenges during different encounters for the raid, you can claim them on your Triumphs page (found under Journey in your Inventory) to increase the drop chance.

Is the Euphony worth using?

The Euphony's main perk causes sustained damage with the weapon to spawn Threadlings. Alongside this, any Threadling damage from the Euphony or otherwise will add a stack of Spindle, increasing the weapon's damage by 2%. This stacks 25 times. This naturally makes the weapon great for a Threadling build, though on its own it's mediocre at best. It should also only be used on Warlock since it's the best class for it thanks to the new Swarmers exotic leg armor.

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