Bungie Drops a Bombshell: Crafting and Major Glitch Disabled in Destiny 2
Destiny players were thrown into chaos this week after Bungie disabled a major glitch that allowed users to easily farm overpowered craftable weapon rolls. This controversial move has sparked heated debate within the community and could indicate significant changes on the horizon for the franchise.
The Power of Crafting
Introduced early last year, Destiny 2’s weapon crafting system was hailed as a game-changer, allowing players to create customized god roll weapons unique to their playstyle. By leveling up guns through use, Guardians can unlock enhanced traits and perks to build their perfect Fatebringer or Ammit AR2.
This new crafting mechanic breathed fresh air into stale gameplay loops. No longer were players solely at the mercy of random rolls and fickle RNGesus. Now your favorite weapons could be incrementally molded to their maximum potential through dedication.
Crafting reignited the grind in Destiny, sending dedicated players on long quests to shape these uber-powerful arms. But a major exploit discovered recently pushed this system too far.
The Glitch Heard ‘Round the World
Earlier this month, crafty Guardians uncovered a glitch exploit within the reshape menu of crafted weapons. By rapidly previewing and backing out of weapon previews, players could circumvent restrictions on perk combinations.
This allowed banned pairings like Firing Line and Bait and Switch to be selected together. Additionally, by repeatedly reshaping weapons, unintended duplicate perks could be stacked for insane buffs.
A well-coordinated fireteam could thus produce weapons with upwards of 4 damage boosting perks simultaneously. One example below:
Fatebringer (Adept)
- Explosive Payload
- Firefly
- Frenzy
- Kill Clip
These glitched god roll weapons surpassed even the best legitimate rolls. A glitched Taipan could out damage Gjallarhorn, while an Ammit with repeated Overflow perks had nearly limitless chains of rampages. Destiny‘s weapon hierarchy was shattered overnight.
This sent waves through the community, as average players suddenly gained access to elite damage potential once locked behind hardcore grind. LFG raid requests filled with "Must have glitched Taipan-70k+ damage," as gamers strapped on their overtuned arsenals.
For mostly solo players especially, myself included, this glitch was a golden opportunity. The playing field felt equal for once against the hardcore clans and streamers dominating PVE activities and leaderboards. But Bungie could not let this runaway train continue…
Bungie Drops the Hammer
Mere hours after its outbreak on PC, Bungie pulled the plug. A swift hotfix disabled all weapon crafting and associated exploits across Destiny 2, effective immediately. No more easy god rolls or reshaping trickery.
"Crafting will remain unavailable for weeks, not days" Bungie announced over Twitter. The team is still investigating the full extent of the exploit. In the meantime, any Guardian still clinging to a glitched Fatebringer or Ammit should not grow too attached either. Bungie has openly warned that removal/rollbacks of unauthorized weapons may be imminent.
This decisive albeit heavy-handed move snuffed out the glitch but also generated intense fallout across the restless community.
Community Upheaval
Expectedly, public opinion across forums and platforms remains mixed regarding Bungie‘s unilateral actions. Critical subreddits argue Bungie overplayed their hand in completely disabling crafting due to what they consider a minor exploit.
Top threads also highlight Bungie‘s long history of oversights causing unintentional player buffs. Perks like Warmind‘s Decree, Spontaneous Mission Generation, and the infamous Telesto bolt glitch all benefited gamers for months before eventual patching. So why the sudden iron fist now?
However, supporters counter that open exploits like this do threaten Destiny‘s competitive integrity in new ways. Users casually making broken god roll Fatebringers deeply undermines months of work by legitimate players. Their trophy cases are essentially meaningless if anyone can now glitch god rolls without effort.
Interestingly, consensus seems to exist that weapon crafting still needs significant revisions regardless. Most players agree the system remains confusingly complex and overly grindy.
"I‘ve reset my Austringer craft rank 5 times and still don‘t have the exact roll I want" one gamer complained on the Destiny Reddit.
Perhaps this glitch controversy will spur Bungie to action on long-requested improvements…
The Road Ahead
While the exact timeline remains unclear, data miners suggest Weapon Crafting Phase 2 arrives soon. Leaks indicate a potential overhaul that reduces complexity and grind tedium plaguing the current system.
Most intriguingly, rumors hint at craftable Exotics on the horizon. Imagine directly reshoping your Hawkmoon or Dead Man‘s Tale without mercy of Xur RNG! Now that might make this crafting crisis worth it.
This seems the most elegant solution – transforming an exploit into an inflection point for positive change. Lessons learned may shape crafting‘s destiny long term.
Yet Bungie’s imposed silence keeps players speculating. Devs remain strictly embargoed regarding future plans. Still opportunity exists amidst uncertainty.
Perhaps this crafting crisis will renew focus on reducing Destiny’s infamous FOMO elements and tedious grinds. Data shows over 75% of player feedbackmentions frustrations with locked progression mechanics.
My vault overflows with world drops, desperate for That One God Roll before the gun sunsets…or my fingers go numb. This glitch offered escape but got axed too soon.
For now, the crafting dream faded abruptly back to reality. Destiny’s endless balancing act continues. The chase persists, grinding toward the unattainable God Roll high of euphoria and power.
Eyes up, Guardian. We march on.
Impact on Competitive Play
While PVE players enjoyed their sudden power, an ominous question looms…what about Competitive Crucible? Those fearing an impending glitchpocalypse can rest easy for now though.
Usage trackers showed minimal penetration of glitched weapons in Trials of Osiris or Survival playlists so far. Radar manipulation remains the exploit of choice.
But unchecked, these glitched fatebringers and Ammit ARs could have devastated the Crucible. Their extreme power far outstrips even Adept weapons. Hence Bungie‘s swift response before the next Trials weekend.
However the genie is out of the bottle regarding weapon buff stacking. This glitch exposed Destiny‘s fragile balance. What stops another oversight or exploit from randomly introducing a new unbeatable Crucible menace someday? It has happened before (DMT, Lorentz)…
Competitive players demand consistency to demonstrate true skill. Unfortunately with live service games, unpredictability reigns. And when things get weird in the Crucible, shots get desperate.
So far though, Crisis seems to have been averted. We shall see what other wrenches get thrown into the Crucbile machinery soon enough I‘m sure!
Concluding Thoughts
Love it or hate it, Bungie’s blunt shutdown demonstrated commitment to stability amidst controversy. They walk an impossible tightrope managing Destiny‘s complex ecosystem. While community frustration festers over lost Agency and slipped power, Bold actions had to be taken for the greater good.
If history Shows anything, vindictiveness exceeds not Bungie’s capacity. Should glitched fatebringers face The chopping block, outrage shall cascade until The next balance pass or content drop shifts attention. Such is the Destiny drama cycle eternal.
For all its faults, Bungie’s transparency and willingness to tackle design flaws Head-on deserves commendation. Rapid response In a live service game remains unprecedented. Other publishers (cough EA cough) seem to abandons games at first sign of trouble rather than adapt.
Perhaps The biggest lesson here is that no game, no matter how skillfully balanced, can ever prevent unexpected player innovation from emerging. Games remain organic, evolving beasts no matter The developer’s intent. Bungie’s adaptability Through crisis instills optimism going forward.
So as Lightfall’s hype cycle ramps Up, weapon crafting likely moves toward its next iteration thanks to an accidental breakthrough. This glitch migraine Also made community voices heard about grind and Agency pains. Silence broken, action can finally emerge.
Destiny’s grind eternal persists as both Curse and Blessing. We shall always chase new power through effort or exploits.Embedding this cycle into crafting itself seems Destiny’s best way forward.
Eyes up, Guardian. Six days left Until The witch queen beckons Us back into madness once again!