Destiny 2: Preview of Abilities Tuning Coming in Season 21

Super Tuning

The damage resistance for PvE has been raised by approximately 20% for All Supers starting in Season 21.

Hunter

Golden Gun and Arc Staff are being buffed with a 20% increase in PvE damage to improve their effectiveness in combat roles. This adjustment aims to make both Marksman and Deadshot Golden Gun variants more viable, while also addressing the underperformance of Arc Staff.

Spectral Blades

To address Spectral Blades’ historical underperformance, Bungie is making some significant changes.

Those changes include the following:

• PvE damage for Spectral Blades increased by 35%.
• Heavy attack will now weaken targets upon impact.
• Fixed a bug that caused some right-hand Spectral Blades attacks to miss at maximum attack speed.

Gathering Storm

Bungie is making specific adjustments to increase the payoff for landing the staff directly or timing the lightning strike correctly. Additionally, Gathering Storm’s damage against stationary defensive Supers, such as Well of Radiance and Ward of Dawn is being increased.

The changes are as follows:

• Direct impact damage vs. players increased from 200 to 300.
• Delayed lightning strike damage vs. players increased from 300 to 500.
• Lingering lightning tick damage vs. players increased from 40 to 60.
• Increased damage vs. Well of Radiance and Ward of Dawn.

Titan

Fist of Havoc

Although Bungie previously increased Fists of Havoc’s PvE damage in Lightfall, it hasn’t had a significant impact on its performance in high-difficulty content. Therefore, Bungie is taking a more comprehensive approach to re-evaluate its attacks’ energy costs. Additionally, the heavy attack to blind targets near the center of the slam area has been enabled.

Here are the specific changes:

• The energy cost for Fists of Havoc’s light attack is now reduced from 8.5% to 6%.
• The energy cost for Fists of Havoc’s heavy attack is now reduced from 18% to 12%.
• Fists of Havoc’s heavy attack PvE damage is now increased by 33%.
• Fists of Havoc’s heavy attack now blinds targets near the center of the slam area.

Glacial Quake

In summary, the changes to Glacial Quake are:

• The light attack’s damage is increased by 20% against all target types.
• The light attack’s speed is increased by 10%.
• Shiver Strike thrust speed is increased by 10% while in Super.

Sentinel Shield, Hammer of Sol, and Burning Maul

• PvE damage increased for Sentinel Shield, Hammer of Sol, and Burning Maul by 20%, 10%, and 10%, respectively.
• Burning Maul’s heavy attack cyclone now applies scorch over time.
• A Sunspot is now created on cast when using Sol Invictus Aspect for Burning Maul, matching the behavior of Hammer of Sol.

Warlock

Voidwalker

• Nova Warp: 15% increase in PvE damage output
• Fully charged attack with Nova Warp now makes enemies Volatile on hit
• Both Nova Bomb variants: 20% increase in PvE damage output.

Stormcaller

• Increased PvE damage output of Stormtrance by 25%
• Reduced the ramp-up time for damage while attacking to 3 seconds (from 5)
• Landfall detonation and seekers now jolt targets

Chaos Reach

• Increased PvE damage output of Chaos Reach by 25%
• Sustained damage on a single target now creates a jolting lightning strike at the target’s location
• Increased damage resistance vs. players from 40% to 50%
• Increased maximum strafe speed from 3.5m/s to 4.5m/s
• Adjusted Super camera to avoid body blocking view of targets when strafing.

Winter’s Wrath

Winter’s Wrath’s PvE damage has been increased by 10% to make it more effective in situations such as boss damage phases while still being a crowd-control tool.

Daybreak

Bungie has improved the Super’s camera to provide better visibility of targets when moving quickly by allowing the player to look down further and avoid visual effects blocking the view.

Source: Season 21 Abilities Tuning Preview – May 3, 2023

Images and Information via Bungie

Strand Tuning

Hunter:

• Threaded Spike: Increased projectile travel range by 30%, damage vs. PvE combatants by ~55%, and energy gain for catching the dart based on the number of enemies hit. Now pierces Cabal Phalanx shields and no longer prioritizes catch action over grapple melee if enemy target is within grapple melee range. Dart’s speed when returning to player is slightly reduced to make catching it easier.

Titan:

• Frenzied Blade: Decreased cooldown based on the number of melee charges stored. At 0 charges, cooldown reduced by 15%. At 2 charges, cooldown reduced by 30%.

Warlock:

• Arcane Needle: Decreased cooldown based on the number of melee charges stored. At 0 charges, cooldown reduced by 15%. At 2 charges, cooldown reduced by 30%. Increased projectile speed and tracking strength.

Grapple:

• Reduced base cooldown from 105 seconds to 82 seconds.
• Minimum time between grapple activations reduced from 2.5s to 0.2s.

Thread of Generation:

• Reduced energy generation provided by some damage-over-time mechanics and Trace Rifles by 36%.

Source: Season 21 Abilities Tuning Preview – May 3, 2023

Images and Information via Bungie

Stasis Tuning

In Seasons 14 and 15, tuning changes were made to Stasis subclasses for balancing, especially in Crucible. With Subclass 3.0 and Strand, specific Stasis abilities or Aspects are being revisited and updated.

• Withering Blade (Hunter): Increased projectile tracking search range and maximum tracking strength.
• Shiver Strike (Titan): Increased maximum thrust while in flight and decreased maximum downward influence of gravity while in flight.
• Howl of the Storm (Titan): Increased width of freezing cone.
• Frostpulse (Warlock): Provides additional melee lunge range after activation.

Source: Season 21 Abilities Tuning Preview – May 3, 2023

Images and Information via Bungie

Light Subclass Tuning Updates

Titan

Shoulder Charge Abilities (Seismic Strike, Shield Bash, and Hammer Strike)

• Seismic Strike, Shield Bash, Hammer Strike now cost 15% melee energy on use.
• Base cooldowns for these abilities have been standardized at 91 seconds.
• Previously, cooldowns ranged from 101 seconds to 114 seconds.

Shoulder charge cooldown time decreases as strength increases, from 17 seconds at 0 strength to 7 seconds at 100 strength.

In Season 21, adjustments will be made to the following abilities:

• Knockout
  • Lunge range reduced from 6.5m to 5.5m
  • Uncharged melee PvE damage bonus increased from 60% to 100%
• Shield Throw
  • Increased base impact damage from 60 to 70
  • Increased consistency of finding and adjusting initial trajectory toward a new target after a bounce
• Throwing Hammer
  • Now adjusts its initial flight trajectory based on your aim assist target
• Sol Invictus (Sunspots)
  • Increased damage dealt by Sunspots to enemy players per tick from 17 to 22
  • Sunspots will be a safer haven for Sunbreakers and their allies and better at encouraging enemies to keep their distance

Hunter

Here are the targeted changes for Hunter’s Nightstalker and Gunslinger melee abilities in Season 21:

Nightstalker:

• Snare Bomb PvE weaken duration increased from 4 seconds to 8 seconds to enable offensive playstyles and support allies.

Gunslinger:

• Proximity Explosive Knife damage vs. players reduced from 105 to 90, but impact damage vs. players increased from 14 to 20.
• Weighted Throwing Knife on mouse and keyboard has reduced minimum and maximum tracking shape size, making it less easy to use at very close range.
• Lightweight Knife now has increased projectile speed and tracking shape size to make it easier to use for players with a broader range of skills.

Additionally, Gunpowder Gamble’s cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 6 seconds, and an extra Fragment slot has been granted.

Warlock

Warlock changes:

• Incinerator Snap:
  • Fixed bug preventing proximity detonation
  • Reduced total damage vs. players from 150 to 135, but increased consistency
• Ball Lightning:
  • Increased PvE damage by 30%
  • Reduced flinching of combatants during downward lightning strikes
• Chaos Accelerant:
  • Scatter Grenade:
    • Increased submunition arming duration and tracking consistency
    • Fixed bug causing early detonation
  • Magnetic Grenade (Handheld Supernova):
    • Increased charged hold time from 3.2 seconds to 4.5 seconds
• Lightning Surge:
  • Fixed bug allowing for one-shot kills in Crucible
  • Reduced maximum instances of secondary strike damage to two
  • Damage output is now more consistent and slightly higher, without the ability to one-shot a single enemy Guardian from full health.

Source: Season 21 Abilities Tuning Preview – May 3, 2023

Images and Information via Bungie

In Season 21, changes are being made to subclass keywords for the Arc and Solar subclasses.

• Scorch: duration increased for low stack amounts to have more value
• Jolt: reduced base PvE damage and damage bonus against major combatants to increase consistency across all target types
• Speed Booster: shorter activation time and increased linger time after stopping sprint for improved quality-of-life

Source: Season 21 Abilities Tuning Preview – May 3, 2023

Images and Information via Bungie