Fans of Destiny 2 are calling out for a shift in the PvE meta by demanding a long-neglected family of weapons gets a buff. Precision weapons in Destiny 2 took a hit after the release of the 2019 expansion Shadowkeep, in which most weapons received a general boost to their power, alongside a cut in precision damage.
The changes ultimately raised the bar on most of the game's weapons, but unfortunately punished accurate players who chose headshot-hungry weapon types like hand cannons or scout rifles. Cutting the reward for accurate play ultimately leveled the playing field across the weapons in most skill brackets. This has, however, lead to high-skill players flocking to the reliability and rapid DPS of automatic weapons, in contrast to the meta back in the original Destiny.Â
The precision nerf, in this regard, came from many precision weapons like hand cannons, pulse rifles, and scout rifles receiving increased damage drop-off at long range, on top of a blanket nerf to precision damage. This dilution of what makes a precision weapon strong in the first place has lead to the once-dominating Exotic Scout Rifle 'Hung Jury', recently re-added in Destiny 2's Season of the Splicer, to take a back seat to its contemporaries.
The PvE precision damage nerf all primaries got in Shadowkeep was the worst decision ever made for PvE weapon balance. Please revert it. from DestinyTheGame
With such a variety of weapons in the game, prior to accounting for the game-changing Exotic weapons, it is no doubt tricky keeping a balanced sandbox, and especially one that pleases all players. It's understandable where the player base is coming from with this critique. However, with all of the options available, it is a shame that an entire host of weapons are nixed from high-level content. While primary slot exotics aren't the current best loadout, especially for raids, many would argue that it's about time that Bungie addresses the gulf between its weapon classes for its most dedicated players.
As it stands, precision weapons in Destiny 2 simply fall behind their automatic brethren in terms of Time-to-Kill, as well as other balance factors like ammo efficiency and versatility. The broad winnowing of overall weapon ranges leaves up-close and personal weapons like the SMG and Assault Rifle on top for those players with the control to keep their guns on target consistently, leading to a narrow meta on primary weapons as the refreshed Vault of Glass content rolls out in Destiny 2.
At the end of the day, this is an issue that is affecting a small part of the game's population, in terms of its most dedicated PvE cohorts. However, it's these players who will stick with the game going forward through thick and thin. Now free from their deal with Activision, Bungie need players to stay around to experience the cutting-edge of Destiny 2's seasonal content. With recent player backlash to the Transmog system, now could be a good time for Bungie to show a little bit of fan appreciation, and, at the least, engage with the player base concerning the future of weapon balancing in their flagship title Destiny 2.
Destiny 2Â is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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