Destiny 2 devs respond to anger over Shadebinder nerfs in Beyond Light

The balancing of Destiny 2’s new Stasis subclasses has been a point of contention since the release of Beyond Light. Developer Bungie pushed out a hotfix on November 19 that addressed many concerns surrounding Stasis, but changes made to the new Warlock Shadebinder have left some players feeling slighted.

The introduction of new content into any game kicks the door wide open for bugs and balancing issues to make themselves known. The latest Destiny 2 expansion, Beyond Light, is no exception.

Bungie’s introduction of the game’s first Darkness-based subclasses resulted in some hilarious bugs. However, other players are not amused with the balancing of Stasis in the Crucible and have called for the developer to make adjustments in PVP.

Bungie quickly responded by pushing out Hotfix 3.0.0.3 just 9 days after the launch of Beyond Light. This update included numerous tweaks to the power of Stasis, and while some praised Bungie’s quick reaction, others are saying the nerfs went too far.

Players criticize Shadebinder nerfs

With the release of patch 3.0.0.3, Bungie provided a detailed list of all updates being made. While some high-level Stasis changes were implemented, the Warlock Shadebinder subclass was targeted with several specific nerfs.

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After experiencing the updated Shadebinder’s performance first-hand, Redditor u/Cranberry_Jealous questioned Bungie’s nerfs to the Warlock, saying “this doesn’t affect me but I do think they went overboard here.” At the time of writing, this post has received more than 7k upvotes.

The post includes a video, credited to u/a_persian, showing off the nerfs firsthand. In the clip, a Guardian jumps into the air and activates their Warlock’s melee ability, sending a Stasis projectile flying at a Fallen Dreg.

It coasts through the air for a second, then explodes before reaching the intended target. The player moves closer to the enemy and uses their regular melee to put them down.

This functionality appears to be in-line with the nerfs implemented by Bungie. In the recent hotfix, the developer made changes to the Warlock’s Stasis melee ability, including a reduction in projectile speed of 20% and a nerf to the ability’s range from 28m to 16m.

Destiny community calls for additional feedback

While many appear to be frustrated with the recent changes made by Bungie, other players and Bungie team members have both called for patience and more feedback to help the developer fine-tune Stasis balancing.

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Destiny 2 Community Manager dmg04 tweeted out reassurance that Bungie was taking player concerns into consideration with the recent nerfs.

Destiny 2 content creator Ms5000Watts also called for patience, and asked players using the new Warlock subclass to provide feedback to Bungie “after you’ve been able to play with them [the new changes] for a while.”

Bungie certainly seems aware of the concerns surrounding the recent changes to Stasis, and will be monitoring the community’s feedback closely. Players should look out for any updates from the official Bungie social media accounts regarding future Stasis balancing.