Over the last few weeks, Destiny 2 developer Bungie has prepared players for some major changes coming to their favorite game. Chief among them is a set of balance tweaks that will change how PvE damage works in Destiny 2 and which weapons are more (or less) viable.

However, while most Destiny 2 players expected that one of the best weapons in the game, the Recluse SMG, was sure to be the target of upcoming nerfs in Season 8, those nerfs don’t appear to be that substantial. In fact, it doesn’t seem like Bungie has done much to sway Destiny 2 players away from using the Recluse for general add clear in Shadowkeep.

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In gameplay videos from a number of Destiny 2 content creators, fans can see how Recluse works in the upcoming Shadowkeep build. Specifically, a video from content creator Mesa Sean shows that the Recluse’s damage has been nerfed, but only slightly where it matters.

Because the SMG weapon type is getting a buff in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, Recluse is already getting better before any nerfs. Then, when its Master of Arms perk is active, body shot damage is only decreased by about 3%, while precision hits are decreased by 50% on minor targets and only 1% on major targets. This has more to do with the way Bungie is calculating precision damage on minors, though, and is therefore not as significant. Moreover, most Destiny 2 players use recluse to spam through enemies rather than worry too much about precision kills.

Looking at those numbers, it doesn’t seem as though Recluse’s utility has changed significantly. And compared to other strong weapons that are getting nerfed through changes to damage perks like Rampage and Breakneck’s Onslaught, Recluse should still be a top tier choice.

Recluse is made even more viable because it is a legendary weapon, which frees up players to use an exotic for single target DPS. Many believe that the Izanagi’s Burden exotic sniper rifle could become the new favorite when it comes to boss damage, but we will have to wait and see.

It’s worth mentioning that the content creators were playing an old build of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, so these numbers may not be accurate. Bungie typically doesn’t make a lot of significant changes between the preview phase and the live release phase, though, so it would be surprising to see Recluse’s damage change.

Some Destiny 2 players would prefer to see that change, though, if only to encourage them to try different loadouts. As it stands right now, Recluse is still a key piece of one of the best loadouts in Destiny 2.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep releases October 1, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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