Summary
Destiny 2’s Lightfall may have been designed as a “bridge” expansion, in the sense that it wasn’t meant to be the end of the Light and Darkness saga just yet, but it also came with a new subclass and interesting seasons. On the other hand, The Final Shape has a lot riding on its shoulders precisely because it is supposed to be the epic conclusion of a 10-year saga, but also the start of a new chapter that has enough juice to keep players engaged for another year before a new saga begins. WithDestiny 2’s seasons being replaced with episodes, it’s apparent that The Final Shape will be a huge change - and if this is the case, then one seasonal artifact feature has to go.
One of the fun parts of new releases inDestiny 2has become buildcrafting, as players get plenty of new options to get creative with builds and tackle more and more content with their favorite ones. This often takes the form of Bungie introducing new Exotics for each class with new seasons, but also just regular Exotic overhauls in Season of the Wish and other releases where new armor pieces were not included. However, a big part of the meta shake-up inDestiny 2seasons is often the seasonal artifact, which features several mods for players to choose from.
Destiny 2’s Final Shape Episodes Need New Seasonal Mods
The Problem With Destiny 2’s Seasonal Artifact
The current approach to designingseasonal artifact mods inDestiny 2is to pick a few elements and focus on those to get strong, game-shaping mods that influence buildcrafting heavily, but feature nothing impactful for the remaining ones. This has been the trend for a while now, whereas in the past seasonal mods were more attached to specific gun families rather than subclasses - and this is something that should change with The Final Shape.
Why Destiny 2’s Seasonal Mods Need a Big Change
There are a few reasons whyDestiny 2’s The Final Shapeshould move away from the current design of the seasonal artifact, assuming it stays as a gimmick with the new upcoming episodes. One of the biggest reasons is that episodes will now last for four months instead of three like for most seasons, which means the meta will either change more slowly or Bungie will have to introduce middle-episode patches every two months, which seems very unlikely. As a result, having four-month releases will make the meta more stale in the long run if players have to focus on two or three elements at a time instead of all five.
This approach also comes with another big issue, which is that the seasonal artifact mods typically dictate what’s good in a given season and what isn’t. The fact that, for example,Season of the Wish has mods for Solar, Strand, and Stasisbut nothing for Arc and Void doesn’t mean that players can’t or shouldn’t use builds for the neglected elements, but it does make them inherently less powerful and desirable for at least three months. Those who would like to run Arc or Void builds now should instead hope that the first episode for The Final Shape features mods for those elements, and in this very specific case, mods won’t change for over six months.
Destiny 2’s seasonal artifact should either be removed entirely, with a new gimmick taking its place, or Bungie should start placing mods in it for every subclass. Another option would be to go back to weapon-based perks, instead.
This approach would help a great deal withbuildcrafting inDestiny 2. The seasonal artifact would no longer hamper some builds and enhance a select few, but it could be accessible and interesting to use for all builds and all subclasses, which would in turn help with the game’s replayability in longer releases as well as player retention, as they would have more options to try before the episode ends.
Destiny 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian’s look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.An Immersive StoryYou are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.Guardian ClassesChoose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.
