Destiny's latest expansion pack, Rise of Iron, is just around the corner, and developer Bungie is using the occasion to make sure all of the game's various sci-fi weaponry is where it needs to be.
That means changes, some big, some small, to almost all of the game's various weapon types.
"We learn from our success and mistakes, scrutinize player activity from our vast reserves of player data, and come up with a plan of execution," writes Bungie's Greg Peng. "With an expansion, we can change the balance landscape not only by modifying old guns, but also by creating new ones to fill missing roles and satisfy player desires."
The changes are all being done to pave the way for the new weapon ecosystem in Rise of Iron. So what changes can players expect? Nearly every weapon type is being touched on in some way. Middle rate of fire auto rifles are seeing a slight damage boost, while the highest rate of fire auto rifles are seeing a decrease in magazine size. Middle rate of fire pulse rifles are getting a slight damage boost, as are high and middle-low rate of fire shotguns. Highest rate of fire machine guns are getting a slight damage boost.
Mid-high impact sniper rifles are being brought down a tier. In the upcoming patch, these snipers will deal almost 7 percent less damage and will no longer be able to reliably kill high armor guardians using their super.
Sidearms, on the other hand, are getting some major improvements. Players can expect sidearms to deal increased damage in PVE by up to 30 percent, minor increases to weapon stability and a minor increase to weapon damage falloff. When it comes to Rocket Launchers, Bungie is improving the Cluster Bomb perk while slightly decreasing the effectiveness of Grenades and Horseshoes.
A number of the game's exotic weapons are also being touched upon. Thorn's base range is being reduced 25 percent, Fabian Strategy will receive increased range and stability, Dreg's Promise is getting increased damage and magazine size and Universal Remote is seeing its exotic perk range bonus reduced by 75 percent alongside an increase to rate of fire.
The only two weapon types that aren't undergoing significant changes are hand cannons and fusion rifles. Minor bug fixes are all players can expect for the two weapon types in Destiny's pre-Rise of Iron patch. You can read more about all of the changes over on Bungie's site.
Destiny: Rise of Iron arrives on Sept. 20 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
