These changes will impact all three character classes and are set to bring about a substantial transformation in the game’s Exotic armor landscape. With the arrival of the Season of the Deep, players can expect not only a revamp in the way Exotic armor is acquired but also modifications to intrinsic perks, aimed at enhancing the usage of often overlooked armor pieces.
Coinciding with the Season of the Deep, Bungie has announced the return of Sloane, a character who has been absent from the game since Titan was phased out with the release of Beyond Light. This has sparked speculation among fans that Titan may make a comeback as a destination, considering the name “Season of the Deep,” which alludes to Saturn’s moon being characterized by vast bodies of water. However, the Exotic armor pieces for Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans are also undergoing a substantial makeover, as detailed in the latest blog post by Bungie.
The blog post begins by explaining the reasoning behind these changes, highlighting Bungie’s objective to tone down armor pieces that are deemed “too powerful” and rework underutilized armor to increase their desirability. Another motivation behind these adjustments is to address instances of damage stacking that circumvented the expectations set forth in Lightfall. This move aims to bring damage within an expected range while alleviating the pressure on players to employ specific combinations of Exotics and mods to achieve optimal damage output. The swift completion of the Root of Nightmares raid in Destiny 2 on Day 1, where a team of six Warlocks equipped with Starfire Protocol could effortlessly overcome encounters, likely played a role in motivating these changes.
In Season 21, a total of 24 armor pieces will undergo tweaks, with 7 adjustments for Hunters, 8 for Titans, and 9 for Warlocks. While not all changes are extensive overhauls, some of them are expected to have a significant impact on the game’s meta. For example, the Starfire Protocol Warlock Exotic will likely lose its appeal as the damage dealt from Well of Radiance or empowering rift will now only grant 2.5% grenade energy compared to the previous 20%. On the other hand, certain exotics have received buffs, such as the Point-Contact Canon Brace Titan Exotic, which now inflicts increased damage in PvE and delivers jolting lightning strikes to enemies. Hunters will witness alterations to the St0mp-EE5 Exotic, removing penalties for airborne effectiveness while providing additional movement speed and slide distance when the dodge ability is fully charged.
In addition to these changes, Bungie is introducing Exotic armor focusing in the Season of the Deep, a decision that has been met with enthusiasm from fans. Furthermore, a recent leak has hinted at a possible rework of Destiny 2’s power level system, anticipated to be implemented later this year.
Destiny 2 is currently available on various platforms, including PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
