Destiny 2’s most problematic weapon is getting a double whammy nerf in Heresy Act 2

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In Heresy Act 2, the uncontested ruler of Destiny 2’s Crucible battlefield is set to receive a significant reduction in power to balance its dominance across all aspects of the Player versus Player (PvP) arena.

Presented for the first time in Act 1 of Heresy, the competitive reward, Redrix’s Estoc, swiftly climbed to the pinnacle of the meta charts owing to its exceptional archetype and boosted statistics, making it highly sought after.

In 2021’s 30th Anniversary update, a weapon was introduced called the Estoc, which resembles the Battle Rifle from Halo. This weapon belongs to the Legacy PR-55 Frame family, a subcategory within the Lightweight archetype. The Act 2 balance pass has had a significant impact on this category, and the Estoc also boasts one powerful perk.

Heresy Act 2 Pulse Rifle balance changes

To begin, we’ll tackle Sword Logic first. This ability was introduced in Season 22 and provides a cumulative damage boost following any finishing blows. In the Crucible, each kill awards two stacks; after a single kill, Estoc’s time-to-kill rapidly decreases, making it extremely difficult for opponents to counteract.

Following the information shared in Bungie’s March 6 Twitch announcement, I eagerly anticipate the modifications to Sword Logic that will take place as we move into Act 2. Here’s a look at what’s in store!

  • Tuning Sword Logic Damage against players in PvP. This will not affect PvE efficacy.
    • Reduced base damage bonus for kills against players from 20% to 15%.
    • Increased damage bonus for kills against players in super from 35% to 50%.

Beyond what’s already been mentioned, Estoc, along with other widely used Lightweight Pulse Rifles like Chattering Bone, Outbreak Perfected, and Stay Frosty, will experience a decrease in their damaging capabilities with these modifications:

1. Base damage reduction
2. Reduced precision damage
3. Increased recoil
4. Slightly lower reload speed
5. Adjustments to the handling characteristics

This should help balance the game and make for more exciting gameplay!

  • Walking back some of the buff that Lightweight Pulse Rifles received in Destiny 2 Update 8.1.5.3.
    • Body shot damage against players reduced from 20.4 to 19.7.
    • Critical hit damage against players reduced from 31.8 to 31.5.
    • Note: This is still a damage increase over their values pre-8.1.5.3, but it does shift some of the forgiveness and optimal kill thresholds downward.

It’s yet unclear how all these updates will influence Destiny 2’s Player versus Player (PvP) gameplay, but it’s possible that Pulse Rifles might become less prevalent in favor of Hand Cannons and Auto Rifles when the modifications are implemented on March 11.

To delve deeper into Heresy Act 2, explore the fresh arsenal you can acquire via Court of Blades and the revival of the Guardian Games.

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2025-03-09 14:49