Next Destiny Balance Patch Won't Just Nerf Shotguns
By Derek Nichols 13 December 2016
Destiny co-community manager, Chris “Cosmo” Shannon reveals new developer insight into how the team is approaching weapon balancing issues such as shotguns.
After launching two years ago and proving to be a divisive experience, Destiny has managed to find its footing thanks to numerous expansion packs such as the latest one with Rise of Iron. While new content is always welcome, keeping the experience balanced for the large player base continues to be a constantly evolving process. Unfortunately for many, shotgun class weapons like the Matador 64 or Party Crasher continue to be a major discussion point for fans of the Crucible, with new game modes such as Supremacy only highlighting the problem. Help for the shotgun dominance issue may be coming sooner than people think.
In a new forum post, Destiny co-community manager, Chris “Cosmo” Shannon revealed new developer insight into the current weapon balancing issues within the game. The team continues to listen to feedback and while developers are well aware of how dominant shotguns are currently. Instead of a quick fix by completely nerfing them, the studio is taking a more nuanced approach by considering multiple solutions which would instead bring those weapons back in line alongside the other weapon types as well.
While a new patch or update isn’t planned within the few weeks left in 2016, Bungie continues to evaluate the situation through player feedback, experiences, and data. The ultimate goal is to keep shotguns effective and fun to use through positive changes, rather than breaking them so no player wants to continue using them like some guns have gotten over the years.
We’ve heard the conversation about, and felt for ourselves, shotgun dominance (Yes, we see you Matador 64), but we feel strongly that our goal shouldn’t be to nerf them into the ground. Instead, we’re looking at solutions that could bring shotguns into a better state of balance with the rest of the guns in the game.
While balance patches typically release with major updates, The Dawning proved to be an exception this time around. The event kicked off yesterday bringing the popular Sparrow Racing League back into the fold along with the new Strike Scoring system which visually awards points for performing most actions like getting a head shot, earning a kill streak, and a variety of other actions.
Along with new weapons, gear, and items to collect, players can also partake in three newly remastered strikes like The Shadow Thief. The Dawning ends on January 3, 2017 though Strike Scoring will remain in place, and private matches will continue to support SRL races.
What are your thoughts on shotguns in the Crucible? Do they need a buff, or is a slight reworking enough to get the job done? Let us know what you’re thinking below in the comments.
Destiny: Rise of Iron is available now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
