Destiny Getting Big Weapon Rebalance Update With The Taken King Expansion

Anyone who has recently participated in the competitive multiplayer component of Bungie's shooter, Destiny, has noticed that a lot of players are using the hand cannon Thorn. And almost everyone has coveted the Exotic rocket launcher, Gjallarhorn, at one time or another. Now, Bungie is addressing these weapons in a new balance update, reducing the effectiveness of Thorn in player vs. player matches and the damage of Gjallarhorn's cluster bombs.

In its Weekly Update, Bungie detailed the changes to the weapons coming in the next big update to Destiny. Auto rifles are specifically being addressed; the last update decreased their effectiveness in competitive multiplayer, and this patch is designed to make them more capable again.

In addition, Bungie is focusing on several specific Exotic weapons, such as Thorn and Gjallarhorn. The rocket launcher's cluster bombs will have decreased damage following the update. The change is due to Bungie's desire to prevent players from excluding others if they do not own Gjallarhorn. The developer explained, "What we did not intend, and what we unfortunately saw, was pick up Raid and Nightfall groups gating participation based on whether or not players had this weapon. Gjallarhorn was so strong that for many people it had become the only answer to getting through tough encounters, and therefore they were less willing to spend time with other players that didn't have it."

You can see the full list of changes below:

• Auto Rifles: Base damage increased, damage falloff starts closer to the player, base stability slightly decreased, and damage against AI enemies increased by ten percent.
• Pulse Rifles: Base damage of medium rate-of-fire pulse rifles reduced by 2.5 percent, slight reduction in base stability, and an increase in magazine size.
• Scout Rifles: Base damage increased for medium to high rate-of-fire scout rifles, increase in magazine size, a reduction in hip fire accuracy, and a damage boost of five percent against AI combatants.
• Hand Cannons: Damage falloff starts closer to the player, slight reduction in aim-down-sights accuracy, a reduction in hip-fire accuracy, a reduction in magazine size, and a reduction in zoom.
• Shotguns: Reduction in effectiveness of shotgun perks enhancing lethality, reduction in precision damage multiplier, and a reduction in damage against AI enemies by ten percent.
• Fusion Rifles: Reduction in range for slow-charging, high-impact fusion rifles, reduction in projectile speed, increase in accuracy for short-range fusion rifles, and a reduction in accuracy for long-range fusion rifles.
• Sniper Rifles: Final Round improves precision damage only.
• Rocket Launchers: Slight increase in blast radius, reduction in range of detonation of Grenades and Horseshoes perks.
• Hard Light: Increase in base stability, increase in bounce count for bullets, bullets are not affected by damage falloff.
• Necrochasm: Increase in base stability, increase in magazine size, Cursebringer perk will always trigger on precision kill, and an increase in radius and damage for Cursebringer explosion.
• The Last Word: Reduction in range and stability, reduction in aim-down-sites range, increase in accuracy.
• Thorn: Reduction in damage of Thorn's Mark of the Devourer perk to 1/3 of previous value, buff to that perk to stack up to 5 times.
• Hawkmoon: Addition of stack limit to Luck in the Chamber and Holding Aces perks, increase of two round to magazine size when Holding Aces is unlocked, and Luck in the Chamber damage bonus reduction by three percent.
• Ice Breaker: Increase in recharge time for round to eight seconds from five seconds.
• No Land Beyond: Increase in weapon handling speed, increase in time decay of The Master perk to eight seconds, and an addition of 20 percent precision damage while The Master perk is active.
• Black Hammer: Tripled recovery boost bonus for allies granted by Lord of the Wolves.
• Gjallarhorn: Reduction in damage of Wolfpack Rounds

This update will be released with The Taken King, Destiny's next expansion which will launch on September 15. In addition, the update will dramatically change the quest system in the game. You can read more about the changes to bounties and quests here.

Keep an eye on GameSpot for more news about Destiny as it becomes available.