Amidst the new Armor 3.0 loot system overhauls and a variety of balancing changes likely arriving throughout the next few weeks, the meta for Destiny 2’s Edge of Fate expansion is naturally in quite a state of uncertainty. However, one of the most recent changes may have just led Destiny 2 down a path to a point of no return, severely limiting the variety of viable endgame meta builds.
As per the latest Destiny 2 TWID (formerly known as the TWAB), it was announced that major changes are coming to the ammo economy in The Edge of Fate expansion. More specifically, it was said that it will be easier than ever before for players to run a double-energy weapons build without running out of ammo in PvE content. Consequently, with ammo efficiency seemingly no longer being an issue for double-energy weapon builds, this has troubling implications for where primary weapons will fit into The Edge of Fate meta in Destiny 2.
With Destiny 2’s Edge of Fate Raid Race starting yesterday, the popular builds players are using speak volumes about the current Armor 3.0 meta.
Destiny 2 Making Double-Energy Weapon Builds More Accessible Than Ever Is a Double-Edged Sword
In Destiny 2, energy weapons are generally much stronger than primary weapons, but this balances out with energy weapons having limited ammo, while primary weapons’ ammo is unlimited. Naturally, running double-energy weapons can significantly boost players’ DPS in Destiny 2, but it comes with the risk of running out of ammo and needing to either scour the battlefield to replenish ammo or swap builds in the middle of a dangerous fight. Neither of these potential downsides is ideal, so it’s typically much safer for players to always keep a primary weapon readily available. However, this is all about to change.
Destiny 2’s July 24 TWID Reveals Balancing Changes for Update 9.0.0.3
Alongside addressing the recent shadow nerf controversy in Destiny 2 and announcing a community events calendar, the recent July 24 TWID blog notably outlines several of the balancing changes that have arrived in the recent 9.0.0.3 update. Some of the most notable of these changes are the major changes coming to the ammo economy for double-energy weapons. More specifically, regardless of whether players invest in the new Armor 3.0 weapons stat, it will now be easier than ever before to consistently generate ammo while using a double-energy weapon build in PvE content.
Double-energy weapon builds in Destiny 2 aren’t new, but up until this point, these high-risk, high-reward builds have seemingly been used by only a small portion of the game’s community. However, after Destiny 2’s 9.0.0.3 update, a lot more players are likely going to be converting to these niche meta builds now, if they haven’t already.
Destiny 2’s Update 9.0.0.3 is Good News for Energy Weapons, Bad News for Primaries
At an extreme, the anticipated rise in popularity for double-energy weapon builds could heavily shift the meta and raise the power floor for players’ builds. Except, while players are admittedly justified in wanting to take this easy route to upgrading their endgame builds, this could have negative consequences for the game’s balancing. Not only could the rising popularity of double-energy weapon builds potentially cause the difficulty of Destiny 2’s endgame activities to inflate, but it also puts primary weapons in an awkward position that might take time and significant balancing changes to recover from.
If ammo is no longer going to be a scarce resource for energy weapons, this arguably risks power-creeping nearly every primary weapon in Destiny 2, which is naturally a massive red flag for the game’s balancing. Hence, Destiny 2 doubling down on double-energy weapon builds seems like a point of no return for dooming primary weapons in The Edge of Fate’s meta.