Highlights
For quite some time now, Destiny 2 enthusiasts have expressed their discontent with the game, and despite Bungie's efforts to reconcile, certain choices concerning gameplay elements are still evoking dissatisfaction.
The Artifact mods in Destiny 2 for Season 22 restrict players to specific playstyles focused on Strand Tangles and Elemental Orbs, ignoring Stasis for the third consecutive season. This limited selection may have an impact on the meta and options for creating builds.
The fact that Bungie has chosen to exclude Stasis from the seasonal mods raises concerns about its potential inclusion in the future, particularly if a new subclass is introduced in The Final Shape. Having a wider range of mods in Season 23 could greatly benefit Destiny 2's endgame meta.
Destiny 2 players have expressed ongoing dissatisfaction with the game, particularly during the Lightfall era where Bungie has made several mistakes. Despite their efforts to make amends, some decisions surrounding gameplay aspects continue to leave players unsatisfied. A recent example is the introduction of Season 22 Artifact mods, which has created new problems.
Artifact mods in Destiny 2 have been a source of controversy for a while. The Artifact itself encourages passive play to boost Power Level, and certain mods have powerful effects that often dominate the seasonal meta. While these mods can provide fun and unique playstyles, they also restrict players who want to experiment with other options. This is especially evident in Season 22, which heavily revolves around Strand and the creation of new Elemental Orbs with Light subclasses.
Destiny 2's Seasonal Mods Neglecting Stasis is a Bad Precedent to Set
Both Season of Defiance and Season of the Deep heavily focused on Strand and various Light subclasses for their Artifact mods. This made sense as Strand was still introducing new Aspects each season until The Final Shape. However, there is a problem with the selection of Artifact mods in Season 22. Destiny 2 players are limited to a specific set of playstyles that mainly revolve around Strand Tangles and Elemental Orbs for Light subclasses. This is a new feature that Bungie has worked on after the positive reception surrounding Tangles.
There are three issues in this case. Firstly, the majority of mods revolve around creating and throwing Tangles and Elemental Orbs, which is more specific compared to previous mod selections that catered to specific weapon classes in Destiny 2. Secondly, Stasis has been excluded from seasonal mods for the third season in a row during the Lightfall era. This is especially strange considering the recent addition of the Wicked Implement Stasis Exotic scout rifle in Destiny 2, which is also receiving a buff in Season 22.
In three consecutive seasons since Strand was introduced, players have had dedicated Strand Artifact mods at their disposal. This lack of variety in the meta and buildcrafting options is concerning. Additionally, this pattern could set a precedent for Destiny 2's The Final Shape, potentially introducing a third Darkness subclass and continuing the trend of consecutive seasons with dedicated Artifact mods. The consistent presence of seasonal mods on Strand since its introduction makes it difficult to achieve balance in regular gameplay.
Furthermore, Bungie's exclusion of Stasis from the seasonal loop once again raises doubts about its inclusion in future seasons. However, Stasis has proven to be a valuable tool for buildcrafting due to the introduction of Stasis weapons and could potentially become even more powerful with the addition of Artifact mods that enhance its gameplay loop. Overall, Destiny 2's endgame meta could benefit from some refreshing changes, and Season 23 could benefit greatly from a more diverse range of mods.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
