This week at Bungie, we showed off a heck of a lot, including
more Void 3.0 goodness. We’re also setting some Legendary Campaign expectations alongside a special tribute to our heroes.
What a week so far, and we still have just a little more time to go before The Witch Queen finally arrives later this month. A lot of new info has dropped this week with an enticing new ViDoc and the breakdown many have been asking for regarding Void 3.0.
Destiny 2 ViDoc: Light in the Darkness
Feeling like the rest of us and can’t wait to jump right into the next chapter of the Destiny 2 story? We get it. While we can’t (would love to, but can’t) gift the community with an early drop, there is an interactive experience available now that centers around Savathûn herself and getting to know the enemy up close and personal.
Curious? As you should be! Feel free to mosey on over to that
special experience right here (After reading this TWAB, of course; we’re bonding).
ALL ABOUT THAT VOID 3.0
Another juicy tidbit that you may have missed is the hefty new blog post that offers a closer look at the revamped Void class, a change that is free for all players and one that just honestly feels really good for showing enemies who is boss. To read the full breakdown, check out our Destiny Developer Team blog post here, with a few key points broken down in a simpler format below:
THE INTRODUCTION OF ASPECTS AND FRAGMENTS
First introduced in Stasis with the Beyond Light
expansion, this offers players more options to choose from with how they take to battle. Aspects are class-specific items that players can choose when using their revamped Void abilities. Fragments are non-class specific perks that are there as additional enhancements to how gameplay feels.
TITANS
Ward of Dawn can now be almost completely instantly
activated while also becoming the fastest Super cooldown tier for ease of access. This change makes Ward of Dawn even more of a powerful defensive tools. Sentinel Shield will still let Titans harness their inner Captain America with thrown shields providing ranged damage as a Shield Bash grants a full overshield. Titan Aspects include Controlled Demolition, Bastion, and Offensive Bulwark; all of which can be found in the full blog post here.
HUNTERS
Hunters will still be the epitome of stealth, now with
even more control over what their enemies see (or don't see). Moebius Quiver changes will fire off a volley of three arrows that can track targets and make them volatile when tethered. Deadfall will see the Void anchors pull in enemies to a desired location from surface and target impact. Snare Bomb melee will also do more to weaken opponents, particularly in PvP when it removes an enemy player's HUD and obstructs their in-game view. Hunter Aspects include Trapper's Ambush, Vanishing Step, and Stylish Executioner.
WARLOCKS
Float like a Warlock, sting like a bee, because Void 3.0
fine-tunes what makes Warlocks so valuable and makes them truly a force to be reckoned with. The Nova Warp Super with the Vortex Super enhancements allows players to teleport efficiently to unleash the ultimate Void attack while drawing enemies in and trapping them within a web of damage. Nova Bomb with the Cataclysm enhancement allows for more control when Warlocks are on the hunt for enemies to take out, particularly in PvP instances, and detonations will disperse into smaller tracking-tracking projectiles. Shoot the Nova Bomb, and it'll also detonate early. Void 3.0 melee with Pocket Singularity unleashes Void that detonates when near foes, making them volatile while controlling their position in relation to the blast zone. Warlock Aspects include Chaos Accelerant, Feed the Void, and Child of the Old Gods.
What about New Lights? That’s a good question, glad you
asked. New Lights, or new players as we refer to them in the Destiny community, will be able to earn their first Aspects and Fragments during the New Light campaign. During the Schism mission players will acquire a new quest called Learning Light that teaches them more about their subclass abilities. More Aspects and Fragments can be unlocked by visiting Ikora Rey in the Tower.
In addition, new characters have also had their starting
subclass experience changed. Not only will new Hunters and Titans be starting with the Void subclass instead of Solar or Arc, all classes will now start with Void subclass abilities intended to be more friendly and appealing to new players.
HUNTER:
Super Ability: Moebius Quiver
Class Ability: Marksman's Dodge Movement Ability: Triple Jump Charged Melee: Snare Bomb Void Grenade: Scatter Grenade
TITAN
Super Ability: Sentinel Shield
Class Ability: Towering Barricade Movement Ability: Catapult Lift Charged Melee: Shield Throw Void Grenade: Magnetic Grenade
WARLOCK
Super Ability: Nova Bomb - Vortex
Class Ability: Healing Rift Movement Ability: Burst Glide Charged Melee: Pocket Singularity Void Grenade: Vortex Grenade
There is a lot to look forward to in Void 3.0 and we can't wait to
see what you think once you're front and center in the action yourself. To learn more, including more about Fragments, the full blog post can be found right here to be Devoured (see what we did there?)
LEGENDARY CAMPAIGN, IT REALLY DO BE LIKE THAT
SOMETIMES
Some Guardians have been asking for more of a challenge, so
the team here at Bungie has created the new Legendary Campaign mode that will arrive when The Witch Queen drops later this month. From reward drops to how it will differ on a base level, we wanted to dive just a little bit deeper into what this new challenging experience has to offer. To do just that, ! we’ve got Design Lead Matt McConnell offering some insight into some of the most frequently asked questions about the challenge ahead:
WHAT ARE THE MAIN REWARDS OF COMPLETING
MISSIONS AT LEGENDARY DIFFICULTY?
We've got double chest rewards offering 1-3 extra
chests per mission. Each chest will give you world pool gear, XP, upgrade modules, and Glimmer. Legendary players will be able to earn Throne World armor and unlocks at a faster rate. Basically: Higher the risk means higher the reward, especially when getting to the new Power Level soft cap in The Witch Queen.
ARE THERE ANY UNIQUE REWARDS FOR
COMPLETING THE STORY ON LEGENDARY DIFFICULTY?
Completing ALL missions on Legendary will award
players with the following: A new emblem exclusive to those who complete the campaign at Legendary difficulty. A Triumph required for the newest title for Throne World. A set of gear 20 above the soft cap at 1520 Power Level. Eight upgrade modules. New The Witch Queen Exotic armor that typically is reserved for PED Lost Sector drops. Exclusive Bungie Rewards, more on that in the future.
SOME PLAYERS HAVE BEEN ASKING IF THIS IS A
DIFFICULTY TO BE FEARED - HOW CHALLENGING IS IT?
To set difficulty expectations, the Legendary campaign
is designed to be harder than a Legend Nightfall, though it is easier than a solo dungeon or running a Grandmaster Nightfall. Enemies are more difficult and more aggressive. They also have higher damage resistance, are more of a challenge to stagger, and shield are stronger to unmatched damage types. The challenge of Legendary also comes from switching up enemy interactions and infiltration, like swapping out an Elite for a boss or having an influx of more red bar foes.
CAN I OVER-LEVEL THIS CONTENT?
Each mission caps your Power (similar to the Raid
Contest mode) so that all Guardians have an even playing field to avoid feeling like every step is a grind. The mission launch screen will have a skull displaying each mission's max effective Power. If you're under-level, be prepared for a bit of a tough fight.
THE MIGHTY ARE FORGED IN BATTLE, BUT IS IT THAT
WAY FOR SOLO PLAYERS TOO?
We've had a lot of aspirational content in the past, but
Legendary gives us a chance to give solo players more equal footing with those that opt into playing with a fireteam. Enemy damage and health scales to match your fireteam, though it won't be 1:1 - because triple the boss health isn't fun. Even still, it will be enough to keep even a veteran trio on their ornamented toes. We also didn't want to trivialize Darkness encounters compared to solo play, so you're limited to one revive per player for each Darkness zone, and a shared timer of 40 seconds before an automatic wipe happens. We've said it time and time again, but you have got to stay close to your friends and be ready and able to pick them up when they fall.
WILL PLAYERS BE ABLE TO TONE THINGS DOWN IF
LEGENDARY IS A BIT TOO MUCH FOR THEIR PLAYTHROUGH?
For those folks that find the difficulty of Legendary too
overwhelming at first, there is an option to leave a mission and relaunch it through the classic Destiny 2 settings. Some players will want to focus more on the story than on sweat for that first run, and that's totally fine! We want to support that. For those who want more of a challenge later, we've added nodes to replay any The Witch Queen campaign mission on Classic or Legendary any time - after you've beaten the mission once, of course.
Basically, prepare to go ham - or don't, the choice is yours!
HEROES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
The Destiny 2 community is one of the best in gaming and we
want to celebrate how incredible each and every Guardian is. Whether it be our revived Community Focus spotlights, the incredible charity initiatives like Guardians of the World, or player-driven initiatives like Operation Save New Lights to help guide newbies through new content; there is a lot to be thankful for when looking at the Destiny player base. One more way we are celebrating the majesty that is all of you gun-toting fashionistas out there is through a new series: Heroes Welcome, a new ongoing video adventure that will focus on the players themselves in a vibrantly explosive tribute as seen in the style of our kickoff video below.
The first video is just the beginning, in future features, we will
directly showcase real players within the community to bring your Destiny 2 legends to life while we aim to inspire New Lights around the world.
As an example, one of the Destiny heroes we are talking to is
none other than the incredible Uhmaayyze. If the name sounds familiar, you may have seen a few Bungie developers share his epic impromptu Destiny raps on his streams. He kills it every time, never failing to bring the feel-good vibes that he and his community have to offer.
Destiny 2: Heroes Welcome
Are you ready to join the future of Destiny 2? Good, because
heroes are always welcome.
Oh, you thought we were done? Oh nay nay, we have even
more community-driven videos to enjoy. We asked talented members of the Destiny 2 community (and beyond!) to answer one simple question: What is Destiny 2? What makes this game so special? How does one even begin to describe a game that has evolved so much to a newcomer? What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything in it?
While that last question could be a TWAB of its own, we’re
kicking things off with three game takes from Solar Flair, Carbot Animations, and MP Edits to see how this expansive world looks through their eyes.
So, sit back and enjoy the jokes, the tips, and the gaming lens of these three amazing humans:
What is Destiny 2? (Animated)
Destiny 2 Heroes Welcome
So What Exactly is Destiny 2? - F2P In A Nutshell
HEARD YOU LIKED NEW EXOTICS
These days, Destiny 2 literally has a fashion show, so I think
we're long past the days of pretending Destiny isn't a massive flex of gear and those sweet, sweet dance moves. With more Exotics on the way as we crush enemy (!?) Hive Ghosts with our bare hands, we wanted to give a little sneak peek at some of the new Exotic armor that Guardians will be able to don and what sort of perks that come with them.
It's all fun and games in the Destiny class war until somebody takes it seriously, so without further ado; let's dive into what goodies all three classes have in store with a little additional
