Destiny Patch 6.2.5 Revamps Almost Every Weapon Archetype

This week sees some big changes in Destiny 2, just in time for the annual Festival of the Lost event. Though most of the attention is focused on slaying pumpkin-headed fiends and collecting candy in exchange for some great loot, the mid-season update has introduced plenty of fine-tuning to the sandbox.

Almost every weapon archetype in Destiny 2 has gone under the microscope, with the tweaks from Bungie being focused on creating balance throughout the arsenal. This has resulted in a number of small but important changes, ranging from altering handling by micro-seconds to changing the range at which these weapons are effective in PvP action. While you probably won’t notice these tweaks right away, you will feel some big changes with several Exotic weapons.

Arc-energy SMG Riskrunner won’t be as dominating in PvP, as Bungie has decreased the Arc Superconductor perk from 50% to 15%, reducing its defensive shield drastically. Popular shotgun Lord of Wolves has seen more changes, and its primary Release the Wolves perk now has reduced ADS accuracy penalties, 40% additional damage in PvE, and a full-auto firing mode.

An issue where the Queen’s Wrath perk was not properly applying Truesight in certain activities for the bow Wish-Ender has been addressed, and Jade Rabbit has lost a big chunk of aim assist.

Elsewhere in the patch notes, you can read up on how Ruffians will spawn slightly more in Expeditions, a few changes coming to the next round of Eruption in Iron Banner, and Dares of Eternity now rewarding players with Treasure Coordinates after completing that activity.

Destiny 2 Patch 6.2.5 Notes

Crucible

• Fixed an issue where Crucible and Iron Banner Seasonal kills and deaths were only being updated at match complete, rather than continually during the match.
• Fixed an issue where Guardian eliminations did not progress the Seasonal Greetings Triumph. Fixed an issue in Rumble where some incorrect voiceover lines were playing.
• Shaxx apologizes profusely.

Iron Banner: Eruption

• Fixed an issue where Crucible medals were awarded rather than Iron Banner ones.
• Fixed issue where shutdown bonus points were awarded multiple times if more than one player contributed to the shutdown.
• It will now only award points to the team once.
• Fixed an issue where the game-type icon did not display on the activity intro screen.

Expedition Plunder

• Ruffians will no longer despawn when drill phases end. Additionally, their spawn rate has increased by 7%.

Dares of Eternity

• Treasure Coordinates will now drop after activity completion.

Raids and Dungeons

• Added mitigations for issues where players could inadvertently die after ringing the Bell of Conquest in the Duality dungeon.
• Fixed an issue in Duality dungeon where rapidly interacting with Calus statues could block progression.
• Fixed an issue in King’s Fall where players received confirmation on completion of the Deepsight puzzle but didn’t have the chest spawn.
• Fixed an issue in King’s Fall where players would join in progress at the wrong location before starting the Golgoroth encounter.

Gameplay and investment

Armor

• Fixed an issue where Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk Overshield allowed players to gain infinite Juggernaut melees, Loreley Splendor Helm Sunspots, and Promethium Spur Rifts.
• Fixed an issue where Ionic Traces Generated from Fallen Star granted Glaive shield energy.
• Fixed an issue where Dawn Chorus was not showing in player’s Collections.
• Second Chance Anti-barrier shield throw will now fully deplete a Barrier Champions barrier at the Grandmaster level.

Weapons

• Version of Horrors Least no longer in the game has been removed as a requirement for the Dreaming City badge for all three classes.
• Blood Feud Submachine Gun will no longer appear tiny on the inspection screen.
• Fixed Wish-Ender’s Queens Wrath perk not working in Crucible.
• Fixed Iron Banner Sidearm and Rocket Launcher from the rewards track not having Masterwork slots.
• Fixed King’s Falls Sundered Flesh shader that was applying inconsistently.
• Fixed the glow on the Peacebringer weapon ornament.

Weapon balance

Auto Rifles

• Increased the effects of the stability stat on recoil reduction by around 20% at the high end.
• Precisions
• Increased critical damage multiplier from 1.5 to 1.55 which raises the critical damage from 30 to 31.

Bows

• Increased Bows stow duration. Duration varies by subfamily and handling stat.
• Before with 0 to 100 handling.
• Lightweight: 0.4 to 0.2s.
• Precision: 0.433 to 0.2s.
• After with 0 to 100 handling:
• Lightweight: 0.45 to 0.3s.
• Precision: 0.48 to 0.33s.

Pulse Rifles

• Rebalanced the effect of the handling across Pulse Rifles.
• Increased effects of handling by 5% at the high end (mostly affects Lightweights and Adaptives).
• Reduced effects of handling by 2% at the low end (mostly affects High-Impacts and Rapid-Fires).
• Adjusted damage falloff scale based on the range stat.
• 0 range: reduced from 16 to 15m.
• 100 range: unchanged.
• Adaptives: Increased the precision multiplier from 1.6x to 1.65x (crit damage goes from 30.4 to 31.4).
• Rapid-Fires: Piece of Mind base zoom reduced from 19 to 18.

Scout Rifles

• High-Impacts: Reduced body damage from 42 to 40, and crit damage from 73.5 to 70.

Sidearms

• Increased auto aim fall-off distance by 30% across the board. Previously Sidearms were the only primary weapon where auto aim fell off significantly before damage, this brings them up to parity with other primary weapons.

SMGs

• Reduced damage fall-off end (the distance at which the damage dealt by the weapon in hip-fire reaches its lowest point, going ADS extends this distance) from 24m to 23m across the board.
• This means damage fall off will begin at the same point, but damage will decrease a bit faster.
• Precisions: Increased critical damage from 22.4 to 23.8 and base damage from 16 to 17.Reduced the zoom of Shayura’s Wrath, Shayura’s Wrath (Adept), and Friction Fire from 16 to 15.
• Lightweights: Reduced critical damage from 18.2 to 17.9 and base damage from 11 to 10.85.

Fusion Rifles

• Precisions: Reduced the effect the intrinsic Precision Frame perk has on recoil direction by 50% for Fusion Rifles only.

Glaives

• Reduced Glaive shield damage resistance vs players from 75% to 50%.

• Damage from player supers unchanged at 50%.

• Damage from non-players unchanged at 97.5%.

Sniper Rifles

• Increased the settle time after receiving flinch by 60%.
• Reduced received flinch in PvE.

Trace Rifles

• Increased effect of the stability on recoil reduction at the low end of the stat by around 10%, at the high end of the stat by around 25%.

Rocket Launchers

• Increased blast radius by 0.4m across the board.

Perks

• Gutshot Straight: Removed audio cue from activation.
• Rangefinder: Removed the 30% scalar on aim assist fall off.

Exotics

Wish-Ender

• Fixed an issue where the Queen’s Wrath perk was not properly applying Truesight in certain PvP maps, Lost Sectors, and other activities.

Jade Rabbit

• Reduced aim assist by 20.

Lord of Wolves

(When Release the Wolves is active)

• Reduced ADS accuracy penalty 10x to 3x.
• Removed the previously existing 25% universal base damage buff.
• Added 40% additional PvE damage buff.
• Removed the 50% critical hit multiplier penalty.
• Fires full auto.

No Time to Explain

• Reduced recoil direction stat from 90 to 73.
• Reduced aim assist stat from 45 to 40.

Riskrunner

• Reduced damage resistance versus players when Arc Superconductor is active from 50% to 15%.

Abilities

• Fixed an issue where some icons were displaying with the wrong background at Ikora.
• Fixed an issue with Burning Mail where the camera sometimes could detach while spinning at specific sensitivities.
• Fixed an issue where both Lightning Surge and Thunderclap abilities were not doing damage to Stasis crystals or Bleak Watchers.
• Fixed an issue where Gathering Storm, Lightning Surge, Thunderclap, and Jolt icons were not showing up in the kill feed.
• Fixed an issue where Combination Blow wouldn’t deactivate when swapping subclasses.
• Fixed an issue where Void Overshield keyword flyout was shown when inspecting Whisper of Rime.

Platforms and systems

• Fixed an issue where players on PlayStation Network continued seeing the Lightfall pre-order upsell dialog after they had purchased the pre-order. Interacting with the dialog sent them to the store product page, which correctly showed Lightfall as already owned.
• Fixed an issue where the purchase confirmation toast did not appear on Xbox, Microsoft, or Sony platforms after purchasing the Season 18 Season Pass.

General

• Fixed a photosensitivity issue where the Ketch turrets were flashing in the player’s camera when targeted.
• Fixed an issue where new Hunter characters made on veteran accounts may have incorrect subclass access.
• Fixed an issue where the Deepsight platforms would block a portal in the Throneworld mission, The Ritual.