Destiny 2’s Season 21 brings a slew of updates aimed at enhancing the Hunter class. Although Hunter Supers generally excel in high-level PvE gameplay, some underperform in their intended combat roles. To address this, Bungie has increased the PvE damage of Golden Gun (Marksman and Deadshot) and Arc Staff by 20%. Spectral Blades, a historical underperformer, has received a 35% PvE damage increase, a heavy attack weakening effect, and a bug fix addressing attacks failing to connect at maximum attack speed.
Gathering Storm has been adjusted to better reward player precision in the Crucible, particularly in Super vs. Super interactions. The update includes increased direct impact damage from 200 to 300, delayed lightning strike damage from 300 to 500, lingering lightning tick damage from 40 to 60, and enhanced damage against Well of Radiance and Ward of Dawn.
Strand, the latest damage type, is undergoing evaluation in the live game. Season 21 introduces adjustments to base cooldown times and improvements to observed pain points since Lightfall’s launch. Hunter’s Threaded Spike ability has been modified, including a 30% increase in projectile range, a 55% increase in PvE combatant damage, and energy gain for catching the dart based on the number of enemies hit. Additionally, the dart’s speed has been slightly reduced to make catching it easier, it now pierces Cabal Phalanx shields, and prioritizes the catch action over the grapple melee when an enemy target is within grapple melee range.
Stasis subclasses underwent a series of tuning changes across Seasons 14 and 15. Season 21 revisits these changes, updating specific Stasis abilities and Aspects to better align with the current landscape. Hunter’s Withering Blade has seen a 20% increase in projectile tracking search range on bounce versus players and a 12.5% increase in maximum tracking strength.
Season 21 also focuses on general tuning for Light subclasses, specifically targeting Nightstalker and Gunslinger melee abilities. Snare Bomb’s PvE weaken duration has been doubled to eight seconds to support offensive playstyles and ally assistance. Proximity Explosive Knife, Weighted Throwing Knife, and Lightweight Knife have been adjusted to bring them into the expected power band. Proximity Explosive Knife’s detonation damage has been reduced from 105 to 90, and impact damage has increased from 14 to 20. Weighted Throwing Knife’s tracking shape size has been reduced for mouse and keyboard inputs, with a 25% reduction in minimum tracking shape size and a 10% reduction in maximum tracking shape size. Lightweight Knife’s projectile speed has increased from 30 meters per second to 40 meters per second, and its tracking shape size has been increased by 20%.
Lastly, Gunpowder Gamble’s cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 6 seconds, granting Hunters an extra Fragment slot and broadening its usage potential. With these comprehensive changes, Season 21 promises to elevate the Hunter class in Destiny 2.
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