Bungie has released a massive 12 GB update for Destiny, just before the launch of its upcoming DLC- Rise of Iron (ROI), which drops on September 20. The full patch notes for Destiny 2.4.0 include all the weapon balance changes and other tweaks, and are available on the video game developer’s website.
Also, the new expansion patch is for the PS4 and Xbox One (sorry PS3 and Xbox 360 players- no ROI for you). Destiny’s raid Wrath of the Machine is scheduled for a September 23 release.
Bungie unlocks the Trespasser- a powerful ROI exotic weapon
One of the biggest news from the update is the addition of the Trespasser- a new exotic weapon that is dropping from exotic engrams, even from the ones that have been previously saved up by players. What is so unique about the Trespasser?
Well, it is a burst-first sidearm that allows for an even larger and longer burst after reloading, which proves to be a huge benefit in PvE, where you have to kill enemies all the time. Bungie has confirmed that they are dropping the Trespasser intentionally:
The Trespasser also shows off ROI’s new ornament system, which is basically the game’s version of weapon skins. Right now, only a preview of the ornaments is available, since they can only be equipped through a material that is not in the game right now. The Trespasser has a Fallen-based one, and another that is Crucible themed- both look pretty solid.
Some Exotic Gear is Dropping Higher Than 335 Light
In a bit of surprising news, the new update reportedly allows exotic gear to drop above the current light cap of 335. For instance, players have reported that a number of exotic boots are decrypting at 338 and 339 (but only exotic boots, right now).
There is no update from Bungie whether this is intentional or not, and the fact that it is happening only with exotic boots and not legendary boots or any other gear, may imply that this could be some bug. Raising the light cap before the launch of ROI doesn’t seem to be a smart idea anyway, as this would allow maxed players to go up even higher and ruin the leap forwards in the upcoming DLC.
The Destiny community, however, is all hyped up about the new exotics, and many players are in the hunt for the Trespasser and the 338 boots.
New Weapon Updates, More Generous Public Event Rewards
The game’s gun sandbox has undergone a major restructuring and aims to level out some of the most popular weapons and weapon families. For example, popular legendary guns such as the Trials auto rifle Doctrine of Passing and snipers like 1000-Yard Stare are now a less capable than before, while the sidearm weapon type (quite unpopular) has been made significantly powerful (around 20-30% more powerful in PvE activities). Other exotic weapons have also been affected- Thorn will have its base range slashed by 25% in ROI and you won’t be able to endlessly fire with the Touch of Malice.
In other updates, Earth’s map will now display new Plaguelands zone and Felwinter Peak social space. Public event rewards are more generous than before, and there is a new quest screen titled ‘Progress’, which is also the new home for the game’s Record Books.
Commenting on the update, Sandbox designer Greg Peng said: ‘With every new Destiny expansion, we find an opportunity to try to holistically address Sandbox balance. We learn from our success and mistakes, scrutinize player activity from our vast reserves of player data, and come up with a plan of execution. With an expansion, we can change the balance landscape not only by modifying old guns, but also by creating new ones to fill missing roles and satisfy player desires.’