'Destiny' April Update Fixes Infusion, Adds New Gear And New Microtransactions

Destiny is finally getting a major update in April, an update that will include new quests, a new strike, a raised light level cap and of course, new gear to acquire.

It was the gear that was the focus of the developer's most recent live stream. Bungie gave fans a tease of some of the new weapons and armor pieces players can expect to acquire from participating in Destiny's revamped end-game content, including some returning favorites.

First up is the Desolate armor set, which is modeled off of the game's ethereal Taken enemies. There will be a new Taken-style sword, Ghost shell and ship for players to collect as well. This set of gear is interesting because it's mostly cosmetic, as it only has a light level of three. However, players can infuse the Desolate armor to make it more powerful.

Whereas infusing used to be a bit of a grind, in the April update, Bungie is overhauling it. Now, an infused weapon or armor piece will get the full power of the item being consumed, rather than just a portion. That means if you use a light level 335 (the new light level cap) armor and infuse it into a low-level piece of Desolate armor, the Desolate gear will instantly become light level 335, no further grinding required.

Upcoming microtransactions being added to the game also revolve around the Desolate gear. Players earn the gear by opening Sterling Treasure chests. Players will earn one Sterling Treasure for free every week, while participating in the weekly crucible playlists, and completing one level 41 Prison of Elders activity will also reward one Sterling Treasure apiece. The catch is that these chests can also be acquired with real money via the game's microtransaction store, and if you're spending real money, there is no limit to the number of Sterling Treasures you can buy.

That might rub some players the wrong way, but in order for the Desolate gear to actually be useful, players will still need to earn high-level gear through playing and then use it for infusion. Several new emotes and dances have been added to the microtransaction store as well, including Shia Labeouf's now infamous "just do it" gesture.

(Photo : Bungie)

New light level 335 gear can be obtained from nearly every end-game activity, with the exception of the normal version of the King's Fall raid, which drops items with light level 320. A new cosmetic feature is also being added to the game in the form of "Chromas." These allow players to recolor portions of their items as well as add a unique glow effect to certain pieces of gear. Chromas will also be obtained through Sterling Treasure chests.

Last but not least, a number of previously-existing exotic items are getting an upgrade in the new update. Bungie is currently updating the Destiny Instagram account and showing off some of the older exotics that will be making the jump. You can check out those below. The free items containing all of the above arrive on April 12.