Destiny 2 finally nerfing Prismatic Hunter in September patch

Bungie’s preview for Update 8.0.5.4 details the upcoming Destiny 2 nerfs that will impact Prismatic Hunter builds.

The Prismatic subclass took Destiny 2 by storm upon arriving alongside The Final Shape in June 2024. Hunter mains significantly benefited in PvP matches, where Prismatic Hunter builds began dominating because of abilities like Threaded Specter and Shroud’s Edge.

In particular, Thread Specter became the target of a nerf that reduced its aim-assist strength and detonation damage against other players.

Bungie introduced said changes in Patch 8.0.5 on August 6, yet Destiny 2’s Prismatic Hunter continues to prove itself a menace in PvP.

As a result, a September patch will further fine-tune the subclass, meaning a few more nerfs are on the way in 8.0.5.4.

Prismatic Hunter changes (September 2024)

Bungie

Bungie has shared a patch notes preview for Update 8.0.5.4, which will go live on an unspecified date in early September.

The planned changes target the Hunter class’s Smoke, Swarm, and Threaded Specter abilities across both PvE and PvP.

Early release notes read as follows:

Threaded Specter Aspect

• Increased cooldown duration of Marksman Dodge and Gambler’s Dodge when Threaded Specter is equipped
• Removed dodge cooldown penalty after creating clone
• If the clone is destroyed by attacks, it no longer spawns Threadlings
• Increased the amount of time the clone will distract nearby combatants before exploding

Swarm Grenade

• Increased Swarm Grenade base cooldown duration by 15%
• Moved Swarm Grenade to a slower recharge tier for non-passive grenade-energy gains

Smoke Bomb melee

• Reduced the time the smoke bomb projectile lingers in the world from 10s to 3.5s
• Reduced the player movement-speed penalty imparted by the smoke by 25%

Additionally, we have a few more changes planned for Episode 2. While we wanted the following to ship alongside the above changes, they needed just a bit more time in the oven.

Threaded Specter

• Increasing detonation damage vs. combatants by 33%

Swarm Grenade

• Swarm Grenade submunitions will be easier to shoot
• Swarm Grenade submunitions will chain-detonate nearby submunitions

These adjustments are subject to change if any issues arise between now and their planned September 2024 rollout.