Destiny Hot Fix Nerfs Weapons

It's been over a week since Bungie promised new gameplay changes, specifically related to weapons, was on the way to Destiny, and tomorrow (October 14th) the hot fix will go live. However, while the hot fix does feature some significant tweaks to some of Destiny's more effective weapons, especially as they pertain to the Crucible, it also includes one very important change. More on that in a bit.

First up, the Destiny hot fix will tweak the damage ratings of Auto Rifles, Shotguns, and Scout Rifles, as promised. Auto Rifles (base damage down 2%) and Shotguns (decreased base damage at maximum range by 20%) will see slight changes in damage, whereas the Scout Rifle (base damage increased by 6%) will see a boost in its effectiveness.

As we mention, these hot fixes are meant to improve players experience with certain weapons in the game, since previously they were either under or overpowered. It didn't matter if it was The Crucible, Strikes, Story Missions, or the Raid, few saw any point in using anything but an Auto Rifle. That shouldn't have been the case, given that range is an important factor in Destiny, but it was.

Other gameplay tweaks in the hot fix include changes to specific Gun Upgrades like Metal Detector and Lightweight, as well as some Class specific perks like the Titan's Unbreakable and the Warlock's perk.

All that being said, perhaps the biggest change with the hot fix is a significant nerfing of the Vex Mythoclast primary weapon. As we have detailed before, the Vex Mythoclast is one of, if not the, most powerful weapons in the game, and has posed some serious problems for opponents in the Crucible.

Destiny Vex Mythoclast

However, Vex Mythoclast users will see a 34% decrease in base damage with this update. That's a pretty huge change for the weapon, which pre-patch could down a Guardian in the Crucible with about three shots. It's worth mentioning that precision damage is actually going up for the gun, but that's a small asterisk on what is an otherwise harsh nerfing.

Read the full hot fix details below:

General
  • Fixed a bug where the Valkyrie-O5X Ship was the same as the Aurora Lance
Classes
  • Titan
    • Unbreakable: Fixed an issue with the perk granting more agility than intended
  • Warlock
    • Brimstone: Perk can now activate if player is airborne
Weapons
  • General
    • Fixed some issues related to quick weapon swapping
  • Auto Rifles
    • Base Damage decreased by 2%
    • Reduced Precision Damage multiplier from 1.50 -> 1.25 (head shot bonus)
    • Stability decreased by 4% - 17% (driven by stat value)
  • Hand Cannons
    • In-air accuracy now increased
  • Scout Rifles
    • Base damage increased by 6%
    • Damage vs. Combatants increased by 6% - 25% (based on tier)
    • Improved target acquisition, plus additional recoil tuning.
  • Shotguns
    • Decreased base damage at maximum range (falloff) by 20%
    • Shot Package Perk now has a slightly wider cone of fire
    • The Rangefinder and Shot Package perks are now mutually exclusive
  • Exotic Weapons
    • Vex Mythoclast
      • Base Damage decreased by 34%
      • Increased Precision Damage multiplier from 1.25 -> 1.50 (headshot bonus)
    • Pocket Infinity
      • Enhanced Battery Perk has now been replaced with the Speed Reload Perk
  • Perks
    • Metal Detector: Fixed a bug that prevents this perk from actually providing additional ammo
    • Lightweight: Fixed a bug that allowed additional agility to apply even when a weapon was stowed
Activities
  • Strikes
    • Engram rewards from strikes now appear in the post-game Activity Summary
  • Raid - Vault of Glass
    • Templar Encounter
      • Kill volume added to sniper platforms to prevent players from sitting on top of them
      • Relic is now removed and respawned if the holder leaves the playable area
Destinations

The Fallen have also retreated from their hold over the Rocket Yard to discuss a new takeover plan

Whereas most of the changes for Destiny so far have been focused on tweaking the cooperative experience - improving the loot system or eliminating the loot cave - this latest update appears to be more about the competitive side. Changes to Auto Rifles and Shotguns are sure to be welcome by players, but for Vex Mythoclast users this is sure to be a source of frustration. Not necessarily an unexpected change, but still.

And as far as the rest of the patch is concerned it once again sounds like Bungie realizes that certain features or upgrades actually weren't working. Kind of like they just stumbled upon the fact Strikes are improperly balanced.

What do you think of this latest Destiny update? How do you feel about the Vex Mythoclast nerfing?

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Source: Bungie