Destiny 2 has already entered its fourth year, and Bungie has kept the game relevant with five different expansions. Bungie has plans for at least two more big updates for the game in the next two years. With every expansion, players were given the opportunity to achieve an even higher level with upgraded powerful armor. After the Season of The Chosen update, players can achieve a power level of 1310 if they have the correct armor and weapons.
In Destiny 2, power level is influenced solely by the level and type of armor players have equipped. When the game was initially released, players could achieve a max light (power) level of 300, or 305 with the right mods equipped. The max power level has steadily increased with each new season and each new expansion. Players that have not played Destiny 2 since Season 1 will have some catching up to do.
Updated on July 7, 2021 by Payton Lott: In Seasons 5-7, Pinnacle Gear was introduced to Destiny 2. These weapons and items were high-level exotics that helped gamers reach or surpass the level cap. The weapons also had an additional trait compared to the other exotic and legendary weapons. After Season of the Chosen, Pinnacle Gear is no longer a feature in the game. When Shadowkeep launched, Bungie included what were termed Ritual weapons. These unique weapons had fixed perks that could be selected by the player, but no additional buff like the original Pinnacles. In Season of the Chosen, Bungie added what it calls Pursuit weapons, which are essentially the same as Ritual weapons. Each of these new weapons are unlocked by completing various challenges in the game. Bungie has committed to introducing one new Pursuit weapon every season
Pinnacle, Ritual, and Pursuit Weapons
The highest-ranked engrams in the game are exotics. Engrams can be converted into exotic armor and weapons. Below are the engrams in the base game ranked from the lowest to highest power levels:
- Uncommon (Green)
- Rare (blue)
- Legendary (Purple)
- Exotic (Gold)
As mentioned, the Pinnacle weapons were even better than the base options because of the additional ability they provided. Ritual and Pursuit weapons are the new, less powerful versions of Pinnacle gear. They no longer grant a power level bonus and provide curated rolls when acquired. Instead of offering the additional bonuses of Pinnacles, these new Pursuit weapons have fixed perk options that give players more ways to customize a weapon's performance. It may be slightly confusing, as the term "Pinnacle Gear" is outdated.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the Pursuit weapons are desirable because they allow for more customization. All Pursuit weapons are legendary, and many of them are dominant in both PVP and PVE. Each season, a new Pursuit weapon is added to the game.
How To Acquire Pursuit Weapons
Pursuit weapons are awarded for completing different in-game challenges. This season, guardians can acquire Null Composure. While it may not be a meta PVP weapon, it is still a fun pulse rifle to use in PVE modes. Gamers can speak with Banshee-44 to initiate the quest titled "A Sacred Fusion". The challenge for the weapon requires that players defeat targets with Fusion Rifles, Solar damage, disintegrations, or defeating Guardians using Stasis.
In general, all of the Pursuit weapons have similar requirements. Gamers will need to get a set amount of kills/wins or complete in game events. Pursuit weapons are also a lot easier to get because the challenges are more reasonable than the Pinnacle objectives from a couple of years ago. Many of the Pursuit weapons also have additional ornament quests once the initial quest is completed. Bungie will probably be announcing the next Pursuit weapon in August of 2021, as Season 14 ends on August 24. Below are a couple other examples of Pursuit weapons from the past few months:
- Salvenger's Salvo (Grenade Launcher): Season of the Hunt
- Adored (Sniper Rifle): Season 11
Salvenger's Salvo is a decent grenade launcher, and a lot of people used the weapon around when it was introduced. Adored, on the other hand, is a meta sniper that mirrors the stats of the Beloved.
Bungie has responded to the community's disdain for sunsetting, indicating that players may see some of the old Pinnacle/Ritual weapons make a return in Season 15. Guardians had to put in a lot of time and effort into unlocking those weapons in the past few years, and it would be great for the community to make those available once again.
Considering that Bungie has done its best to phase back in old weapons, there is a good possibility the studio could add the sunsetted weapons back into Destiny 2. Similar to prior seasons, these guns may receive a simple re-skin, but something is better than nothing.