Bungie Is Reworking Destiny 2's Swords Entirely In Season 10 To Make Them Stand Out More

Bungie is starting to tease some of the big gameplay changes in store for the next season of Destiny 2, which is set to kick off in just a few weeks. Swords are the first item on the list, and Bungie is completely reworking what role they will play in combat.

Previously, swords occupied the same space as shotguns, slotting into the close-quarters, high-damage role making them almost interchangeable. Bungie wants to shake this up, primarily by giving players more flexibility when it comes to how swords consume ammunition, and how that ties into the new sword energy meter.

Sword energy will replace your melee meter when you have a sword quipped, slowly recharging over time in the same way. Although you will still consume ammunition when attacking, this energy will be used when initiating a heavy attack. The more energy you have, the stronger the attack, adding more nuance to previous strategies that just relied on getting up closing and mashing attack as fast as possible.

Energy will also be consumed when guarding. Although you'll still need at least one ammo to start a guard, each stance and damage resistance type will now only drain your energy in different ways without consuming any ammunition. The changes were influenced by how Stronghold, a Titan exotic from Season of the Drifter, influenced the otherwise unused guarding mechanic. Bungie have now applied its influence across the board, but promise that Stronghold will be adapted accordingly so that it still feels unique.

Light attacks won't consume energy at all, but have been reworked to allow for the standard three hit combos to loop indefinitely now too. Bungie hopes that this will leave players less open at the end of combos, while also adding to other changes to give all sword a "hack and slash" feel.

A detailed breakdown of all the changes to swords can be read in Bungie's weekly Destiny 2 update, which includes details about Crimson Days, a patch note preview for Season 10, and more. Additionally, Xur has arrived for his usual weekend visit.