The day many Destiny 2 fans have been waiting for finally happened this week as Bungie's promised State of the Game blog post went live. Assistant game director Joe Blackburn outlined a huge list of things that Bungie is aiming to implement and change within the game. Arguably the biggest announcement is the delay to this year's Witch Queen expansion into early 2022. The studio views this expansion as a major piece of the game's evolution, so it needs more time to make sure everything is just right.

Other revelations from the blog included the projected return date of the Vault of Glass raid being next season as well as another expansion to arrive sometime after Lightfall. Bungie is also planning on completely overhauling Trials of Osiris and Iron Banner, while bringing a number of changes to the Crucible, something fans have been hoping to see for quite some time. In addition, the practice of sunsetting weapons is also coming to an end next season, just months after being implemented.

RELATED: Destiny 2 Season 15 Adding Crossplay, Legendary Stasis Energy and Power Weapons

While there are a ton of changes and improvements coming to Destiny 2 in the near and long term, one thing that doesn't change is the arrival of the merchant Xur and his new inventory of exotics. Follow this guide for his location, news on his exotic cypher quest, as well as a review of what he's currently selling for the weekend of February 26, 2021.

Where is Xur?

This weekend, players will need to climb the massive tree on Nessus.

destiny 2 xur nessus tree

From the Director, head to Nessus and load into Watcher's Grave. Once loaded in, run forward until the zone opens up. Continue to the back of the zone where a massive tree can be seen. Climb up and Xur will be standing on a large branch.

Class Armor and Exotic Cypher

While Xur's role is essentially the same as it was prior to the Beyond Light expansion, the exotic merchant also has weekly quests that players can acquire to unlock an exotic cypher. Not only are these required to purchase a second fated engram, but they're necessary to acquire legacy exotic gear from the new kiosk. Players can earn a new cypher by completing strikes and winning crucible or gambit matches. Gain bonus points for playing with clanmates or finishing more challenging activities.

Other than that, here are Xur's three gear pieces this weekend:

Vesper of Radius - Warlock chest armor

The currently troublesome Vesper of Radius is in stock this weekend. It is a subclass neutral exotic that enhances the Warlock's Rift ability. Planetary Torrent releases an arc shockwave when the rift is first cast and recharges it faster if the player is surrounded by enemies. Even after being buffed last year, the item still isn't quite top tier, though some players have managed to get the most out of it with a few tricks.

The roll is actually pretty good this weekend with a really high total of 63. Even if this gear isn't a top tier Warlock exotic, it may still be worth checking out. There was a bug associated with this exotic gear with Bungie disabling it until a hot fix arrived to fix a number of issues with the game. It's worth a look, especially after a few buffs it received last year. For new players, buy everything as it will remove it from the loot pool, making exotic engrams target other things that are not unlocked yet.

Arc Enhanced. Stat Values:

  • Mobility +8
  • Resilience +15
  • Recovery +10
  • Discipline +9
  • Intellect +15
  • Strength +6
Using a Rift - Destiny 2 Healer Warlock Mistakes

Fr0st-EE5 - Hunter leg armor

Not seen in quite a long while, these Hunter boots are affectionately known as Frosties. They come with the Rapid Cooldown perk which increases the regeneration rate when the player sprints and sprint speed after dodging. For missions that require lots of movement, these boots pair well with particular subclasses that rely on melee abilities such as the Gunslingers Way of a Thousand Cuts.

Being able to recharge the throwing knives by killing burning enemies as well as sprinting makes it so the Hunter has a nearly unlimited supply as long as they hit and kill the target. For those looking for a solid mobility build, this exotic may be worth a look with a higher than normal mobility value this week. Better yet, the stat roll on these boots is extremely good, so Hunters may want to grab a pair to see if this roll is better.

Arc Enhanced. Stat Values:

  • Mobility +9
  • Resilience +8
  • Recovery +15
  • Discipline +9
  • Intellect +19
  • Strength +2

Antaeus Wards - Titan leg armor

The Antaeus Wards are all about mobility that pairs with an interesting, albeit somewhat tricky mechanic. The intrinsic perk Reflective Vents improves the player’s slide while also reflects incoming projectiles during the slide, though it was nerfed last year to remove the super energy gain on reflection.

The ability may require a slight adjustment period to get the timing down, but once the mechanic is figured out, these boots become extremely valuable. Not only can players reflect bullets, but they are also capable of reflecting supers like Blade Barrage and Nova Bomb. While these used to be a must have item prior to the nerf, they're no longer in that category. However, these boots can be worn with any Titan subclass which makes them extremely versatile as well. Oddly enough, the stat rolls this week are fairly low on them, not even hitting the typically 60 points or above.

Void Enhanced. Stat Values:

  • Mobility +8
  • Resilience +15
  • Recovery +10
  • Discipline +9
  • Intellect +15
  • Strength +6

Exotic Weapon

Originally a Destiny 1 exotic, this assault rifle made it's triumphant return in the Shadowkeep expansion. The Monte Carlo Method is its intrinsic perk which reduces the player's melee cooldown when dealing damage with the gun. In addition, it gives a chance to fully charge the player's melee ability following each kill. Markov Chain pairs with this ability which gives the gun increased damage following melee kills and kills with the weapon. Melee kills also generate weapon ammo.

destiny 2 shadowkeep how to get monte carlo

Auto Rifles are always a solid choice in Destiny 2 and Monte Carlo is more than a viable option for many players especially considering its ability to help regenerate melee abilities. For those who don't yet have this weapon, it's worth picking up this week.

Additional perks:

  • Fluted Barrel
  • High Calibur Rounds
  • Composite Stock

Here's the complete rundown of Xur's entire stock in Destiny 2 for February 26, 2021:

  • Vesper of Radius (Warlock chest armor) – 23 Legendary Shards
  • Fr0st-EE5 (Hunter leg armor) – 23 Legendary Shards
  • Antaeus Wards (Titan leg armor) – 23 Legendary Shards
  • Monte Carlo (Auto Rifle) - 29 Legendary Shards
  • Exotic Engram - 97 Legendary Shards/1 Exotic Cypher
  • A Question - Exotic Cypher Quest

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is now available PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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