Bungie has rolled out a fresh update for Destiny 2, launching its seasonal winter event, The Dawning, while also tackling some persistent bugs in the game. As players await the next step in Episode Revenant, Bungie’s new updates aim to smooth out the experience and ensure everything’s running smoothly.
The current episode has been plagued by several pesky bugs, marring the gaming experience for many. Though some, like a damage boost to Sentinel Shield Titans, weren’t too disruptive, others have been notably frustrating. Among the problematic issues were weapon tonics meant to aid the drop rates for certain Tomb of Elders loot, which didn’t function as intended, prompting players to report the glitch to Bungie.
After some community-driven investigations, Bungie recognized the glitch with the Tomb of Elders tonics, which was incorrectly affecting drop rates. Luckily, Bungie addressed this swiftly with Update 8.1.5.1, part of the Destiny 2 weekly reset, which introduced many adjustments to the tonics. Besides fixing the problem with the Legendary Tomb of Elders Weapon Tonics, the update also addressed a quest barrier and clarified descriptions for the Tonic of Worldly Arms Armor and Tonic of Worldly Chest Armor.
Further improvements in the update include refinements to activities such as Onslaught Salvation, Vesper’s Host, and Salvation’s Edge. Notably, it revamps the Hunter’s exotic chest armor, Raiju’s Harness. According to the patch notes, there’s now a boost to super energy gains when defeating Arc-debuffed enemies, except in Miniboss or Boss fights. However, players using Gathering Storm will notice a reduction in energy gain, down by 80% from before.
A highlight of the update is the commencement of The Dawning event. This established winter festival encourages players to gather ingredients and bake virtual treats for in-game NPCs. While the event retains familiar elements, new additions this year include the Void linear fusion rifle, Mistral Lift, the Astral Stasis Drake armor set, and a community challenge that awards rare emblems.
Destiny 2 Update 8.1.5.1 Patch Notes
Seasonal
The Dawning
The Dawning is now live, bringing snowballs for use in various combat situations. Players can find three new emblems inside A Gift in Return packages. Details on how to enhance your chances are in the December 5 TWID. They include the Confectionary Commander emblem, Epicurean Extraordinaire emblem, and Handcrafter Hunter emblem. A new weapon, Mistral Lift, an Adaptive Void Linear Fusion Rifle, has been added, along with the Astral Stasis Drake armor, now in the Eververse store.
Tomb of Elders
A problematic issue where players waiting for revival after the last Tomb of Elders boss was defeated ended up in the Warden’s Office unable to claim rewards has been fixed.
Onslaught Salvation
Addressed the occurrence frequency of bonus Heatwave rounds and corrected an invisible ledge issue near Kell’s Grave third defense location.
Crucible
Matchmaking has seen improvements with adjusted backend thresholds to enhance match times and quality. Fireteam MMR weightings in 6v6 playlists have been updated to avoid redundancy, and score thresholds dictating team breaks have been increased to optimize matchmaking times.
Dungeons & Raids
Vesper’s Host
This update resolves issues including the first secret chest rewarding only the opener, the inconsistent awarding of the Icebreaker Catalyst, and potential player crashes during boss death. In the second encounter, a glitch causing the boss to reform improperly, leading to an endless damage phase, has been corrected.
Garden of Salvation
A flaw allowing the Consecrated Mind boss to be pushed off its platform has been fixed, allowing engagement continuation.
Salvation’s Edge
Corrected wipe text errors during the Witness encounter.
Exotic Mission Rotator
The Featured Exotic Mission now appropriately provides Pinnacle rewards.
UI/UX
Fireteam Finder
The Vow of the Disciple raid now has the missing Master option.
Gameplay and Investment
Exotic Armor
For Hunters, Raiju’s Harness has been recalibrated for better energy rewards from defeating Arc-debuffed combatants. Notable adjustments include increased energy returns from minor and major foes, and slight adjustments for mini-bosses and bosses.
Revenant
Tonics
Addressed several issues blocking Tonic quest progress and inaccuracies in the Tonic of Worldly Arms and Chest Armor descriptions. A problem with Legendary Tomb of Elders Weapon Tonics targeting wonky weapon drops was addressed previously in a hotfix.
General
Updates were made to Gjallarheart armor ornament sets, sound effect issues across different gameplay experiences were fixed, and there were adjustments to the Fight to the End Triumph requirements to lower thresholds and eliminate unintended orbit sound effects.
Destiny 2 continues to offer a dynamic and immersive gaming adventure, with flexible Guardian classes and a variety of missions and challenges. Whether enjoyed solo or with friends, the game lets players unlock elemental powers, fight legendary battles, and etch their legacy among the stars.
