Destiny 2's Season of Dawn is in full swing, with players still uncovering its many secrets, but one recent revelation is somewhat surprising. Players all across the cosmos have begun relying heavily on sidearms as their primary energy weapon, and recent testing has shown them to be incredibly potent weapons. Fans are wondering what could have caused this change, but there are a number of possibilities. This gravitation towards these armaments could be a result of changes brought about by the Season of Dawn or new exotic sidearms. Regardless of the cause, Destiny 2's Season of Dawn is taking players quickly into a new year, a new decade, and perhaps a new meta. So what details from patch notes and new exotic weapons could be the cause of this mass migration to the usage of sidearms again?

For those unaware, Destiny 2 keeps its player base busy with seasons, packs of content that contain new challenges to face, new rewards to seek, new stories to unravel, and often times changes to the balancing if certain mechanics in game. The latest season is called Season of Dawn, and it brings all of this and more. One weapon type in particular, though, has seen a great increase in use as of this season, the sidearm. This new, rising meta has some players questioning why sidearms are suddenly being viewed so favorably, and indeed, whether it be strikes, the crucible, or even raids, chances are high most players will use these weapons. Sidearms are primary energy weapons which deal high solar, arc, or void damage, making them especially useful at taking down enemy shields. That said, it seems players have discovered they are much more useful than most initially thought.

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destiny 2 forge - sidearm

Destiny 2's various balance changes can sometimes be the cause of a new meta, and this usually results in builds that were once considered excellent to lose their potency due to over nerfing or weak unused options becoming the new meta because drastic buffs make them the best options. Oddly enough, though, this doesn't seem to be the case here. Looking at the patch notes from the Season of Dawn, there actually was only one change made to sidearms as a whole: "Increased Target Acquisition." In other words, it's easier to aim with them now. This doesn't account for their increase in use though, at least not entirely. Skilled players could use them to great effect before this change, although perhaps they are now more accessible to other, less talented marksmen.

What about exotics? Exotic weapons in Destiny 2 are highly coveted, and for good reason. They come with much higher power than legendary variants of the same weapon, and more often than not have unique abilities impossible to acquire on standard weaponry. Regarding exotic sidearms, there are actually only two, the Rat King and the Devil's Ruin. The Rat King is a sidearm which grows stronger if multiple members of a fireteam are using it. While this is a neat ability, it's nothing new, and certainly not enough to warrant so many players using this weapon type. The Devil's Ruin is new to the Season of Dawn, and has some unique abilities. For one, rather than firing individual energy blasts, this sidearm can be charged up to fire a high damage laser which staggers foes. In addition, using this ability reloads the weapon automatically, meaning if used properly, this weapon may never need to be manually reloaded.

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The Devil's Ruin is certainly impressive, and could play a large role in why so many players are using sidearms, but more so than that it seems it is the reason players are rediscovering this weapon type. Videos like the one above compare sidearm damage to other primary weapons. In this clip, the assault rifle is able to kill the creatures in about 23 seconds, but the firearm does it in around 19. In terms of damage per second, that's pretty significant, especially when one considers this weapon is also more effective at disposing of shielded enemies.

So what happened then? In the comments of the above video, many players are stunned at the damage output of these weapons, while others point out that the damage didn't change at all. It seems that this is a rare case in which the potency of these weapons simply went under the radar of most players. They have always been as powerful as they are and that truth is only now coming to light with the addition of a new exotic sidearm and the small balance change they received. The trade-off is its short range and the skill required to fire it accurately, although the latter problem has been lessened slightly recently.

The resurgence of sidearms is nice to see, as it should add some variety which was somewhat lacking in the current meta. It also acts as a reminder to players that they should never blindly follow the meta and should always feel free to experiment with new weapons or tactics. The introduction of the Devil's Ruin exotic sidearm should spur many more to try out sidearms again and the recent balanced changes to its target acquisition should make the weapon somewhat easier to use. All of this combines to make an extremely accessible, desirable, and viable weapon option for an energy based primary.

The sidearm is sure to be a staple in players' loadouts for some time after this realization. The best players can do is hope that sidearms do not receive a nerf due to the increased usage they are currently displaying. The Season of Dawn is the ninth season of Destiny 2 and there will surely be many more to come, so keep an eye out for more news regarding future seasons, balance changes, and new exotic weaponry.

Destiny 2: Season of Dawn is live for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.

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