This Week In Destiny – 05/02/2024

This week in Destiny we’re fine tuning our PvP loadouts. We’ve got three new beautiful Crucible maps coming next week, and we want to make sure we’re ready. So, grab that Rose you’ve been dominating with, and let’s get into it. 

This week topics:

• PVP map pack launch.
• The Pantheon boss profiles.
• The Pantheon Bungie Rewards.
• New Rahool reputation and Exotic system.
• The Final Shape shader icon revamp.
• PvP Strike Team update.
• Superblack shader now available.
• Windows 7 and 8 deprecation.

PvP Map Pack Launch

With Update 7.3.6.4 this Tuesday, May 7, three new maps will be coming to Crucible: Cirrus Plaza, Eventide Labs, and Dissonance. We gave our first look at these maps last month during our Destiny 2: Into the Light Dev Livestream #3. In that stream, we provided a walkthrough of each map with discussion around our design goals, creation process, and artistic considerations with developing these maps. If you haven’t checked it out yet, head over and watch it now.

With only a few days until their release, we wanted to take a final look at these maps from a slightly different angle. That's why we partnered with our favorite community cartographer, Relikt, to develop callout map overviews. We've been fans of his callout maps for years, and we are thrilled to work with him on this new set of Crucible maps. Let’s jump in and take a look!

Eventide Labs

Eventide Labs is set in a long-forgotten human colony research outpost on Europa that Eramis chose to use as a refueling station.

With initial spawns near point A at the Warehouse and near point C at the Ice Caves, players will make their way to contest the Servitor area that holds point B and a valuable Heavy ammo crate. But be careful! While the interior of the map by the Promenade and Upper Glacial is more closer-quarters battle focused, a handful of longer sight lines in the space between Air Dock and Loading Bay means you’ll have to ensure that you approach carefully, or you may be on the wrong side of a Sniper Rifle. 

Cirrus Plaza

Our next map takes us to Neptune. Cirrus Plaza is set in a shopping and entertainment center on Neomuna.

 There are four distinct areas on Cirrus Plaza with the Arcade, Restaurant, Aquarium, and Atrium. Players will spawn in the Arcade near point A and the Restaurant near point C. The Atrium will be an area of interest, as players will seek the Heavy ammo crate that spawns in the middle and battle to earn the valuable high ground. However, with sight lines spanning multiple floors and players battling for point B nearby, Guardians will need to get in and out quickly or ensure they have teammates watching their back.

Dissonance

If you’ve always wanted to PvP on a terraformed Pyramid ship , then we’ve got you covered. Equal parts beautiful and haunting, Dissonance is set on the Witness’s former ship, Essence, which was terraformed by the Traveler.

With initial spawn points near the Fossils at point A and the Sigil at point C, the map offers somewhat direct paths through the middle, where players will be drawn to Orbits to engage in heated brawls over the Heavy ammo and across the bottom of the map towards point B.

New Territory

When these maps arrive on May 7, they’ll be on a separate 3v3 playlist called "New Territory," so you can enjoy the new experience these maps offer on demand. The playlist will replace the 3v3 Quickplay node and feature the three new maps with the following game modes: Survival, Elimination, Clash, and Collision. Be sure to pick up the introductory quest from Shaxx for more details on the maps and playlist.

Additionally, while New Territory is the designated playlist for the new maps, the maps will be available in other playlists and the private lobby as usual.

Lastly, New Territory will be available until the end of the Season, at which point any player who engaged in the playlist will be awarded with the new Slaycation emblem!

Slaycation

The Pantheon Boss Deep Dive

The Pantheon is upon us. The new PvE raid gauntlet opened this week featuring four bosses as part of the first wave. With more bosses on the way each week, we wanted to take a moment to highlight the targets you’ve been tasked with taking down. We’ve got the details to ensure you know thy enemies well.

VANGUARD – GUARDIAN DISPATCH – ALL POINTS BULLETIN

DEFENDERS OF THE CITY,

You are tasked with the elimination of the following targets:

-GOLGOROTH-

CLASSIFICATION

• Hive
• Blood of Oryx
• Ogre
• Worm

HAZARDS

• Void eye beam
• Venomous gaze
• Unstable Light
• Monstrous strength and durability

INTEL

• Ogres are forged -- through tortuous trials and dark rituals -- from corrupted and deformed Thralls known as Unborn. They know only pain and are conditioned to hate and despise the Light.
• Golgoroth is a Hive Ogre, infested with burrowing parasites related to the Worm gods and committed to Oryx’s service. One of the most powerful ogres ever known, Golgoroth was felled aboard the Dreadnaught by the same brave fireteam that delivered the Taken King his final death.
• Vanguard operatives uncovered that Golgoroth was enlisted as a vessel to both tithe violence directly to Oryx and corrupt hordes of stolen Light from Oryx’s conquests. The ogre’s flesh also served as containment for a Tablet of Ruin.

OF NOTE

• Recovered from Golgoroth’s remains, Tablet of Ruin x1.
• The item has been vaulted for proper containment.
• Deciphered Hive apocrypha suggests Golgoroth was fond of flower petals. Daughters of Savathûn would send warriors with petals stuffed beneath their chitin as deathly delights for the Ogre.

-CARETAKER-

CLASSIFICATION

• Scorn, Abomination, altered
• Resonant
• Eliksni, former, House unknown
• Worm, altered

HAZARDS

• Scale drone swarm
• Overcharged ether blast
• Sacred dematerialization
• Resonant empowerment

INTEL

• Slain by the intrepid fireteam that stormed the Sunken Pyramid in the fetid Court of Savathûn, the Caretaker is a being of which we know little. It resembles a Scorn Abomination but has been the subject of several experiments and is believed to have been host to a Worm.
• The Caretaker was entrusted with a collection of Wormspawn as well as other entities the Witness and Rhulk had obtained to be analyzed and stored within the Pyramid.
• Reports from fireteams raiding the Sunken Pyramid mention that the Caretaker appears to have been both victim to and overseer of experiments seeking to fuse Worms and Scorn together.

OF NOTE

• Multiple fireteams have commented on what appear to be “pet” mutations that are believed to have belonged to the Caretaker. Whether these were rejected experiments or unsanctioned creations isn’t known.
• There is a discrepancy in the number of Wormspawn marked as collected from the Pyramid and those delivered to the Tower’s vault containment. Guardians who have information regarding their whereabouts should submit a report to Vanguard Leadership.

-ATRAKS-1, FALLEN EXO-
“The Wildcard”

CLASSIFICATION

• Eliksni
• Exo(s)*
• House Salvation, Baroness
• Ex-House of Devils, Council

HAZARDS

• Modified Shock Rifle
• Extinction protocol
• Self-replication
• Teleportation
• Stasis empowerment

INTEL

• *Exos are humanoid machines that house a living mind. Atraks-1 obtained this technology from a BrayTech station orbiting Europa. Atraks’s mind commands multiples copies of her Exo frame.
• Before converting herr form, Atraks acted as Council to Eramis, Kell of House Salvation for many years. Atraks was entrusted with command of the Deepstone Crypt. She was destroyed by the Guardian fireteam that brought the Morning Star down from orbit.
• Atraks-1 created multiple copies of herself to deceive foes. Fireteams encountering this tactic in the future are advised to locate the original target and focus a simultaneous strike.
• Atraks was at one time seen as a voice of reason, an orator, able to speak to the hearts of the Eliksni youth in House Salvation.

OF NOTE

• The Hidden have relayed rumors that a copy of Atraks-1’s mind exists, stored somewhere on Europa. This has yet to be verified.
• At least two of the initial six fireteam members that destroyed Atraks-1 believe they destroyed a clone and that the real Atraks-1 still lives. This is under investigation.
• Atraks-1 was known to prefer synthetic lubricant when undergoing maintenance.

-ZO’AURC, EXPLICATOR OF PLANETS-

CLASSIFICATION

• Manufactured
• Cabal Shadow
• Legion Incendior
• Clone

HAZARDS

• Cabal magma launcher
• Searing beam (column of flame)
• Magma launcher compression blast
• Paracausal shielding
• Resonant empowerment

INTEL

• Zo’Aurc is a Cabal clone created by the deposed Emperor Calus and is assigned to a detachment of the Shadow Legion forces aboard the Witness’s personal Pyramid ship.
• According to Vanguard decryption teams, Zo'Aurc, who was granted the title Explicator of Planets, has surveyed a collection of worlds conquered by the Black Fleet for an unknown purpose. Preliminary theories span weighing the worlds for Discipleship to searching for the Veil or a method of contributing to the Final Shape.

OF NOTE

• Reports conclude that even the Shadow Legion was not immune to Nezarec’s torment. Zo’Aurc details his own nightmares and more reports of nightmares and violent incidents among his forces.
• Zo’Aurc’s personal logs have been decoded. It seems that, whatever their official goal was, they were personally cataloging worlds that had once been part of the Cabal empire but were no more.

The Pantheon Bungie Rewards

And if the thrill of the hunt wasn’t enough, your success in The Pantheon will nab you not only some loot in-game, but also the opportunity to add some heroic Bungie Rewards to forever mark your accomplishments, including the Godslayer Title Pin and The Pantheon Raid Ring.

The Pantheon Raid Ring features a legendary re-envisioning of our iconic first Raid Ring, launched in 2020. Beyond the striking raid symbol as the focus of the ring, owners will also have a private reminder of the importance of loyalty in the face of adversity. Etched on the inside is a message that reads, “Glory comes easy when you have allies you can trust.” The epitome of strength and camaraderie, The Pantheon Raid Ring stands as a testament to the valor and unity found in the heat of battle. This special Bungie Rewards offer is available for purchase only to players who complete all encounters from any tier of The Pantheon in Destiny 2 by June 3, 2024.

The Godslayer Title Pin will also be available for purchase via Bungie Rewards for players who complete the Godslayer Title by June 3, 2024.

Rahool’s Frequent Decryptor Program

The experience of grinding out new Exotic armor can be a time-consuming process. It can take quite a few runs to get the drop you’re looking for, and many more to get one that has stats that support your build. Besides that, with Exotic armor pieces often forming the backbone of a powerful build, new players are regularly asked to spend a long time tackling challenging content solo before being able to run builds that support the most effective tactics.

Luckily, the Econ Team has established a good working relationship with the Tower’s Number One Cryptarch over the last year as we added Exotic armor focusing, and we have managed to help Rahool set up a new promotional program of sorts that makes farming the armor you want more deterministic and less dependent on rotators.

Starting in The Final Shape, Rahool is going to be the source for any new Exotic armor that we release. When you first talk to Rahool after The Final Shape launch, he will introduce you to a new rewards program tied to his brand-new Reputation Track. The idea is simple: the more you decode engrams with him, the more you increase your reputation with him. Once you completely fill the reputation track once and reset your rank, Rahool will allow you into an elite club, giving you access to a new tier of focusing.

Once you become one of Rahool’s “Engram Ensiders” (he was very proud of the name, so be nice to him), you’ll be able to purchase any piece of Exotic armor for any character on your account for one Exotic engram and one Exotic cipher, in addition to the previous focusing options. Because this is tied to Rahool’s new reputation track, there is no weekly limit to using this tier of focusing; as long as you still have Exotic ciphers and engrams, you can keep rolling armor.

With this change, we are also altering the way that old sources of Exotic armor work. First, Lost Sectors will keep the same drop rates for Exotics but will instead drop engrams whenever they would have previously dropped gear. Neomuna will also still drop new Exotic armor when you complete a Vex Strike Force encounter, but we won’t be adding any more new armor to the drop list after Season of the Wish.

With these changes, we know you’re wondering, “How long will it take to get this newfangled tier of focusing? I’ve got the World’s First Race to prepare for, wot wot!” Without going into the exact numbers, the actions that will give the most reputation will be precision decryption (aka Tier 2 focusing), followed by advanced decryption, then opening an Exotic engram , and last but also least, opening a prime engram. So, if you want to be ready for the Witness’s forces as soon as possible, make sure to stock up on Exotic engrams and Ascendant Shards before June 4, as with a little more than a full stock of Exotic engrams you’ll be able to start focusing new armor.

Shader Icon Revamp

With The Final Shape, we're upgrading the look and design of the shader icon layout.  Shaders are a core way a player can provide a unique look and feel to their Guardian, and we wanted to help continue to make that a better experience. Our goal with this update is to help make the shader icons more accurately reflect the colors and textures they will apply.

Currently, there are some issues that can make the experience of applying a shader inconsistent. The first being that, while each shader applies six colors, only four are currently shown on the shader icon. This can sometimes result in the shader appearing differently than players may expect from the icon preview.

Adding to this is the fact that all four color sections of the current shader icon are equal in shape and size, making it difficult to distinguish what the main colors will be when applied. There are also many shaders that have unique glows that players strive for, and with the current design, they are not represented. Gambit Jadestone is a great example of this.

Gambit Jadestone Shader Icon - Current

To help address these issues, we've made updates to the shader icon design that includes all six colors for that shader. We are also changing the design in a way that makes the primary colors appear to take more space than the secondary colors for a more accurate representation with most gear items. Glows are also reflected in the updated design so it will be easier to distinguish those shaders within your shader selection screens.

Gambit Jadestone Shader Icon - Updated In The Final Shape

We tested many different design solutions for this goal, and eventually settled on adding a diamond to the center of the current icon design and changing the layout of the color slots on the icon.

We’re hoping these new improvements will offer a better experience for Guardians looking to show off their best looks.

PvP Strike Team Update

Hello everyone, PvP Strike Team here to talk about Special ammo in the Crucible. Since Update 7.3.5, we’ve been doing a substantial amount of iteration on our Special ammo distribution systems. We’ve tried the meter system in multiple playlists as well as two different versions of the ammo crates system in Competitive, Hardware, and for a limited time in Trials. Some people asked why we are bothering to do this level of experimentation, and we’d like to explain it.

The Respawn System

The original Special ammo distribution system was brought into the game with Forsaken and, combined with allowing players to pick up ammo from defeated opponents, it eventually peaked in a short period of time where Special weapons eclipsed Primary weapons for final blows in Crucible. We walked it back several times, mostly focused on how much ammo you could pick up from bricks on the ground, but we were still left in a position of one-shot kill Special weapons making up a substantial percentage of Crucible final blows and contributing to many of the issues with sandbox readability we have discussed before.

While the respawn system had its issues and we felt there was some room for improvement, it did do a decent job of balancing ammo distribution between high- and low-performing players, with high-performing players on average utilizing Special ammo 1.5-2 times more than low performing players. Similarly, with years of the system in place, the Special weapon meta had solidified nicely. Shotguns were at the top, with around 47% of Special weapon kills. Snipers and Fusions combined to make up 43%, and all the other Special weapons were the remaining 10%.

When investigating changes to the respawn system, it became apparent that we were very limited in terms of how we could tune the system to get the desired effects, and that led us to investigate two additional systems. While we wanted to be able to solve the problem of too many one-hit kills in PvP, it was important to us that the new systems did not introduce new and potentially worse problems.

The Meter System

To understand the meter system, we first need to take you through its development. This system was originally intended to be experimental, utilized only in the temporary Labs mode, Checkmate. It was built using a combination of other existing systems co-opted from various parts of the game that allowed us to do things we could not usually do in Crucible, like retaining the state of the meter between lives and between rounds (an invisible stat on the scoreboard the game reads back every time you respawn), dropping ammo directly onto the player in a transmat (an invisible ammo crate that opens directly above you and then deletes itself), carrying the full amount of ammo over between deaths (utilizing the logic system we use in PvE activities to re-grant you ammo on spawn), and displaying the current progress of the meter (the UI bar borrowed from Exotic weapon and activities buffs).

Reception to the system in Checkmate was mixed, but we saw there was a lot of potential in our first truly “earnable” Special ammo system. Since its introduction, we have iterated on it several times, including earlier this week, and have gotten it into a much more acceptable state. Unfortunately, as the meter system has been exposed to the wider game for an extended period, we have run into two core issues which have required us to continue to look for possible solutions.

Balance Issues – The overall balance of the meter system in the wider sandbox has been concerning. It primarily benefits one player type over all others, with players who routinely perform above average in their lobbies getting the double benefits of having more Special ammo than the respawn system allowed at certain points in the game, while their opponents often have much less. In the meter system, high-performing players are earning Special ammo at 3.5 times the rate of lower-performing players, a delta which has led to many non-high-performing players abandoning Special weapons entirely. In Competitive, for example, with the meter system in use low-performing players were more likely to get kills with Heavy ammo weapons than they were with Special ammo weapons.

The weapon balance has become similarly one-sided, as it promotes Shotguns as the main solution, and all other Special weapons are perceived as no longer useful for most players when in an ammo-limited situation. Under the meter system, Shotguns have more than 76% of Special weapon kills, with Fusions and Snipers reduced to a combined 18%, and the rest of the Special weapons making up only 6%. This has led to a very “rich get richer” meta, where the best performing players and weapons are now even stronger by comparison without having to do anything differently.

Earlier this week we took steps to improve on these issues, but the difficulty we face in a system where Special ammo is almost entirely earned is that we have limited room to close the gap between high and low performers before it functionally becomes "everyone gets Special ammo on a timer," which is something we'd like to avoid.

Technical Issues – Balance problems aside, being built on tech that was not designed to be used in this way has exposed multiple issues that, upon investigation, we determined could not be easily fixed in the meter’s current state. Some things, like being unable to notify opponents that an ammo transmat has occurred or give starting ammo on join-in-progress, are already apparent to players. Other problems, which are far more significant, appear in the backend and affect how we handle several of the processes, impacting our ability to both balance and maintain the system in the long term.  Functionally, these combined issues require us to rebuild the meter from the ground up as a new, dedicated system. We feel the system has shown enough merit that this is something we are undertaking for a future release.

The Crates System

As a potential fallback for the meter system, the Special ammo crates system was resurfaced and iterated upon. The crates system has several benefits from a design perspective, including the ability to place crates in key zones around the map to help encourage player movement in non-objective or objective-optional modes and prevent coagulation around a single power position, as well as offering the ability to delay Special weapon pushes in round-based modes.

The crates system has also, based on its time in Competitive and Trials, done some positive things in terms of moving Special ammo distribution closer to healthy values. The delta between high- and low-performing players has moved back to 2.4 times, and it has led to less late-game snowballing, as players who do try to hoard Special ammo lose it upon death. Weapon balance is similarly improved, although not optimal, and there is significantly increased variety with Shotguns coming down to 59% of kills, Fusions and Snipers combining for 28% of kills, and all other Special weapons increasing to 13% of kills.

Ultimately, the crates system in isolation also has several major problems. It can present a frustrating amount of friction between playing the game how you want and playing the game how you need to if you want to run a Special ammo weapon. Additionally, in round-based modes, it is too frictionless to run double Special ammo weapons. It is also the first system we have introduced that allows players to directly influence the Special ammo economy of the opposing team, as controlling most crates can help starve the other team of Special ammo.

From a strategic perspective this is an interesting mechanic, but with no other way to earn Special ammo in gameplay it serves to be more frustrating than fun, and many players have struggled to adapt to the change, causing additional friction when playing in matchmade teams.

The “Blended” 1-1-1 System

Each of the above-listed systems has both positives and negatives. In isolation, each system helps and hurts a different part of the population, but none of them holistically solves the Special ammo problem.

• The respawn system offers a safe distribution of ammo amongst players, and the ease of availability promotes special weapon diversity, but giving two kill’s worth to every player every life also results in far too many one-hit kills for a healthy sandbox.
• The meter system allows players to earn Special ammo in a deterministic way and increases the rate of earning if you’re playing well, which feels rewarding for high-performing players. On the other hand, for low-performing players, it feels significantly worse, and it promotes a homogenous Special weapon meta.
• The crate system allows us to promote movement around the map, alter push timings, reward map control, and give players more direct control over the amount of Special ammo in play for their opponents. It also causes significant friction by forcing conflict with optimal player flows and between matchmade teams, and it allows too much Special ammo in round-based modes.

The solution we have settled on is a blended system we refer to as the “1-1-1," taking parts of each of the above systems and combining them to solve the problems introduced by each system individually.

1. Players will respawn each life with one kill worth of Special ammo for their chosen weapon. This serves as a stopgap for players to make sure they are never going long amounts of time with an empty weapon and encourages more players to continue to utilize Special weapons, albeit in a limited fashion. Setting the ammo at one instead of two kill’s worth ensures that there is not a surplus of Special ammo that is available for minimum effort. Spawning with one also functions as a healthy mid-point between spawning with none in the crates system and retaining all ammo with the meter.
2. All Primary weapon final blows will drop a personal ammo brick that awards one kill’s worth of Special ammo. This is our deterministic, earnable method of distributing ammo in the blended system until our purpose-built version of the ammo meter is ready. What this means is that any of your final blows with a Primary weapon will drop an ammo brick that only you can pick up, regardless of whether the opponent you defeated had Special ammo on them. Likewise, if you defeat a player who has Special ammo using a Special ammo weapon, that will not drop a brick on the ground, so like the meter system, you cannot use Special to directly earn more Special. We will be initially introducing this specific portion of the system into the Competitive playlist starting next week, to help address player complaints about the economy in those modes.
3. Crates will continue to exist, but their icon visibility range on the HUD has been decreased, and they will only provide a single kill’s worth of Special ammo when opened. These crates will continue to serve as points of interest around a map, but it will no longer be a requirement for players to interact with them to partake in the Special ammo system. They will instead function as a small bonus for players who take the time to engage with them and an optional mid-point step for players to gain Special ammo that is more effort than simply respawning with it, but less effort than getting a Primary weapon final blow.

We’re very excited to introduce this system sometime after the launch of The Final Shape, and we greatly appreciate your patience and feedback as we have continued experimenting in our ongoing effort to improve the Crucible.

Superblack Shader Now Available

With the final two BRAVE weapons available this week, players will receive the final quests needed to unlock the much-anticipated Superblack shader. Players can unlock the shader by earning the Superblack Key Alpha from Shaxx, and Superblack Key Omega from Arcite 90-40. Using both will grant you access to the Superblack Containment and to the shader. If you’re a Hunter…er…a player of any class, you’ll want to grab this new Shader and look your finest.

Player Support Report

Reject modernity. Embrace tradition. Equip Anarchy.

Known Issues List  |  Help Forums  |  Bungie Help Twitter 

WINDOWS 7 AND 8 SUPPORT

Beginning on June 4, 2024, Destiny 2 is ending support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 operating systems. This decision is to align with Steam and Microsoft ending support for these systems.

Destiny 2 may continue running on these older operating systems after June 4, 2024, but we are unable to guarantee continued functionality after that date.

Players using these operating systems to play Destiny 2 are urged to upgrade to a more recent version of Windows or move to another platform so that their playtime won't be interrupted.

For more information, please view our Windows 7 and 8 Support article.

PANTHEON CHECKPOINTS

Due to an issue preventing players from progressing in The Pantheon when joining at a checkpoint, we have disabled checkpoints for The Caretaker and Zo'aurc, Explicator of Planets. We are attempting to resolve this issue as soon as possible and will provide an update when we have more information to share.

ARCHIE QUEST INFORMATION

We've seen confusion surrounding the weekly Archie Hunt quests and wanted to offer clarification. These quests are only intended to be available for one week each and were made with this time limit in mind. We understand that this is not ideal for all players, which is why we made the shader available for one completion for any of the weekly quests. The lore attached to these triumphs will become available to all players when The Final Shape launches on June 4.

KNOWN ISSUES

While we continue investigating various known issues, here is a list of the latest issues that were reported to us in our #Help Forum:

• In Onslaught, players may be teleported back to the incorrect ADU location after completing certain phases.
• The ADU in Onslaught can occasionally despawn.
• On rare occasions, the Spark in Onslaught can be lost.
• The portal to leave a boss phase in Onslaught will sometimes not open when killing a boss too quickly.
• BRAVE weapons The Recluse and Hammerhead don’t highlight enemies like their previous models.

For a full list of emergent issues in Destiny 2, review our Known Issues article. Players who observe other issues should report them to our #Help forum.

Titan Smash(ed)

To be a Titan is to live and die by the melee, even if that means a gruesome but spectacular death.

Movie of the Week:

Final God Of Pain

For a Final God of Pain, Nezarec is pretty stylish and colorful. Probably because we are not sharing that Superblack shader with him.  

Art of the Week: AliveWake via Twitter/X

That’s everything we have for this week. Hopefully you’re enjoying The Pantheon so far. Remember, this is only the first wave of bosses and more are on the way. It only gets more fun from here. And we swear that wasn’t an evil laugh we were stifling, it was just…a cough. *cough*

We’ll be back next week with another TWID. Until then, be good to each other, and thanks for hanging out with us.

Destiny 2 Community Team