Bungie rushes out Destiny 2 Exotics nerfs in early Season of the Splicer update

Just two weeks into Season of the Splicer and Bungie has already rushed out quick nerfs for brand new Hunter and Warlock Exotics in Destiny 2, reeling in the Star-Eater Scales and Boots of the Assembler.

With each new season comes all-new loot in Destiny 2. This has been the way of things for quite some time in Bungie’s popular shooter, but Season of the Splicer came bearing some more significant unlocks than usual.

Guardians around the world raced to get their hands on fresh armor pieces for their Hunter and Warlock builds. With Star-Eater Scales and Boots of the Assembler in the mix, the PVE meta was ready for a big shakeup.

Before everyone could settle in with the new kicks, however, Bungie rapidly sent out some considerable nerfs. A May 25 hotfix revealed just how both had been scaled back in the surprise update.

A number of ‘fixes’ were implemented in the week two update. While various weapons and abilities were targeted, brand new Exotics were also in Bungie’s crosshairs. For Hunters, the Star-Eater Scales no longer function quite as everyone enjoyed over the first few resets.

The items were barred from the Vault of Glass raid race last weekend, and now we know why. These boots were “erroneously applying its damage bonus to weapons and grenades.” While players quickly grew accustomed to the buffs, this was never the intended effect.

Moving forward, the Exotic only applies damage buffs to Supers.

Moreover, the increase will be harder to attain; the required stacks has been doubled. Now, Guardians will need to reach eight stacks to make the most of them.

On the Warlock side of the equation, Boots of the Assembler were also scaled back quite drastically. An issue that allowed players to spawn “too many noble seekers” has now been fixed. 

On top of that, your class ability will no longer continue regenerating when the Exotic effect is triggered. Therefore, extending the duration of your Warlock Rift will now pause a crucial ability recharge.

• Read More: All weapon buffs & nerfs in Season of the Splicer

This was done to “prevent crashes,” according to Bungie. Too many rifts being placed in an activity led to a surge in disconnects. However, the devs also wanted to make the Sanguine Alchemy boots ‘more advantageous’ in comparison.

While the season has only just begun, this sets a clear precedent that Bungie isn’t afraid to nerf our favorite new tools. 

• Read More: Vault of Glass shatters Destiny 2 record

These nerfs come just a few days after the Bungie devs also clarified a tweak to overall game experience gains in Destiny 2.