The mid-season patch of Season of Defiance forDestiny 2has been a mixed bag in terms of reception, though its efforts to bring weapon archetypes back into a balanced state have been commendable. With a score of weapons across years ofDestiny 2content returning to relevance, one glaring omission remains in the form of hand cannons.
Nearly two months after therelease ofDestiny 2’s Lightfallexpansion, Bungie has kept a diligent upkeep of its game through patches and a drip feed of fresh content. On April 18,Destiny 2received its biggest update of the season, with a laundry list of bug fixes, UI additions, balance changes, and a new connection-based matchmaking for Crucible. Perhaps the biggest change to come with the mid-season patch was a sizable damage buff to red and orange-barred enemies while using auto rifles, pulse rifles, hand cannons, and scout rifles. Trace rifles and rapid-fire sniper rifles also got buffed, vastly increasing the pool of usable weapons inDestiny 2’s PvE modes.
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Destiny 2’s Mid-Season Patch May Have Been a Misstep
There have been myriadissues withDestiny 2’s mid-season patchfor Season of Defiance, with a fresh batch of bugs cropping up to replace those that were fixed. Orb of Power generation has been finicky with certain Armor Mods, Barrier Champions are not working properly, and some Guardians are reporting being erroneously banned from PvP activities. Certain PvE resource-farming activities have also faced controversial nerfs with the new update. While the weapon buffs have been a long-requested feature, and the implementation is being celebrated by the fan base, hand cannons have not been given enough attention to revert their absence in the meta.
It has been years since hand cannons had a high-usage percentage inDestinyPvE activities, with many long-time fans still fondly recalling the days when Fatebringer reigned supreme. High reload times coupled with a punishing damage falloff at range have hampered the archetype through much ofDestiny 2’s run, and players were optimistic with the mid-season patches damage buff that hand cannons would mount a comeback. Unfortunately, their performance remains abysmal in comparison to other weapon types, with many Guardians wondering if the half-measure buff will be brought to full beforeDestiny 2’s upcoming Season of the Deep.
Hand Cannons Need Some Love in Destiny 2
There are multiple ways that Bungie could bring hand cannons back into the forefront of Guardians' loadouts. Their two limiting factors, reload speed and range, could both use some attention, though focusing on one or the other seems more likely. The idealbalance inDestiny 2is choosing a loadout based on the pros and cons of each weapon, with no individual gun representing an end-all solution for each encounter.
Keeping a high reload speed while giving hand cannons more range would keep the archetype in Bungie’s desired mold of a high-damage but high-downtime weapon. Alternatively, going even further on the damage buff while keeping their range the same could shift the hand cannons' role while still making them relevant again, perfect at close-to-medium range, somewhere between Sidearms and Auto Rifles.
Despite missing the mark on buffing hand cannons with the Season of Defiance mid-season patch outside ofDestiny 2’s Lucky Pants Exotic armorbuilds, there is hope that Bungie will keep at the issue until it and the other weapon archetypes all have representation in the current meta. With Season of the Deep due at the end of May, there will likely be one or two more passes at balance.Destiny 2has faced its peaks and valleys, but Bungie has remained diligent, and now at the tail-end of its 10-year plan forDestiny, the studio is full-steam ahead on delivering a fitting third act to its Light and Darkness saga. 2023 has so far been a revelatory year forDestiny 2,and Bungie is just getting started.
Destiny 2is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
