Destiny 2 Patch Nerfs Hard Light

Throughout Destiny 2's current content season, the Season of the Worthy, one gun has been a mainstay in the game's competitive mode: Hard Light. Thanks to tweaks to auto rifles at the start of the season and the gun's unique perks, it's been the go-to weapon in the Crucible for weeks. That's changing thanks to a new patch.

Developer Bungie released an update on April 29, Hotfix 2.8.1.1, which it detailed on its blog. The patch tweaks Hard Light to make it a little less deadly in PvP. Up to now, Hard Light has been a mainstay of competitive play for a couple of reasons: it was highly stable, making it very accurate at long ranges for PC players and its bullets can ricochet off walls--and when they do, those bullets do double damage.

Hard Light also lacked damage falloff, a major perk over other weapons. Falloff is the reduction in damage for Destiny's bullets the farther they travel; most auto rifles can have their damage reduced by half at longer ranges, but not Hard Light. That has resulted in lots of players using Hard Light in the Crucible and the Trials of Osiris, landing long-range kills and taking out opponents around corners. Up to now, Hard Light is so dominant that not using it put you at something of a disadvantage.

Hotfix 2.8.1.1 nerfs the gun somewhat. Bungie adjusted Hard Light's ricochet damage boost down from double to 1.35 times in PvP (ricochet will still do double damage in PvE scenarios). The gun also now has damage falloff, making it less effective at long range--although falloff will only reduce its damage to 70% of normal at most, unlike other auto rifles, which drop to 50%. Bungie also removed a "hidden recoil adjustment" that makes Hard Light more stable than the developer intends it to be.

All in all, that should work to make Hard Light an effective option in the Crucible, but not the foregone conclusion it has been all season. Patches, updates, and nerfs often have unintended consequences, though, and we'll have to wait and see if this update casts a shadow over Hard Light.