Destiny 2’s 1.2.3 Update rolls out today, and it adds several new features and quality of life changes that fans have been waiting for. New exotic catalysts, a new bounty system, and crucible rank reworks are coming to Destiny 2 when players update their game.
Exotic catalysts are some of the most sought-after items in the game currently, and the grind is about to get a little easier. With Update 1.2.3, Bungie has “slightly” increased the drop rate for the catalysts when running heroic strikes. While there were no specific numbers, it will be a relief for some players who have invested a lot of time with little to show for it.
Three new catalysts will be available when running prestige raids. The Legend of Acrius catalyst will be available from the Prestige Leviathan raid, the Telesto catalyst will be available through the Prestige Eater of Worlds raid lair, and the Sleeper Simulant catalyst will be available through the Prestige Spire of Stars raid lair. The Skyburner’s Oath exotic catalyst will also drop more frequently during the Leviathan raid. Lastly, Sturm’s exotic catalyst will now be available by defeating enemies on Nessus.
Heroic Strikes as a whole will be a bit easier, as Bungie also toned down a handful of negative modifiers in the playlist. The Blackout modifier no longer makes enemy melee attacks a one-shot kill, but they will still deal a hefty punch. The Glass modifier debuff is being reduced, so player health and shields will be a little higher than they were before. Grounded is being reworked a bit to account for the game’s odd geometry; players will still take increased damage while airborne, but not nearly as much as before.
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Bounties will now be available on a daily basis, five Vanguard bounties from Zavala and five Crucible bounties from Shaxx. These bounties do expire, so make sure to check each bounty’s tooltip to see how long the bounty lasts for.
Crucible playlists are getting some changes with the update as well:
- Quickplay will now be 6v6 full-time.
- Supremacy has been removed from the quickplay playlist.
- Control Zones now all start as neutral.
- Players will now also be able to earn Valor through Crucible Labs, Iron Banner, and Competitive matches.
- Loss streaks will be more forgiving and joining a match in-progress will no longer counts against players.
There are also several smaller changes that come with Update 1.2.3. Escalation Protocol weapons will drop more frequently for players who invest a lot of time into the grind. The drop rate will now be determined by how many bosses have been killed without any reward. So the more times the weapon doesn’t drop, the more likely it will drop when the player defeats the boss again. Armor will also now be available for purchase from vendors, which will help players tremendously in the last Faction Rally of the season.
This update addresses a lot of different issues throughout the game, ranging from Crucible rank complaints to exotic catalyst drop rates. It seems that Bungie is listening to a lot of the community feedback regarding certain issues in the game and is making steps toward adding more investment for players who want to play Destiny 2 as a hobby. Hopefully, Bungie will keep making steps in the right direction once Forsaken launches.
Destiny 2: Forsaken launches September 4 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Bungie