Destiny 2 December 2024: Major Update Released

Overview of Update 8.1.5.2 for Destiny 2

Update 8.1.5.2 introduces critical bug fixes and enhancements to tonics.
Legendary Tonics now guarantee their reward drops, with all rarity tonics seeing extended durations.
The previously reported bug concerning the Titan Sentinel Shield’s melee damage has been resolved.

Bungie has rolled out Update 8.1.5.2 for Destiny 2, which specifically aims to tackle lingering bugs and enhance the game’s overall quality of life. Players have expressed dissatisfaction with how Episode Revenant and the holiday event, The Dawning, have unfolded, largely due to various persisting issues that hinder gameplay experience.

The challenges surrounding Episode Revenant include critical problems, such as a weapon perk weighting glitch affecting Vesper’s Host drops. Additionally, the festive activities in The Dawning event have grappled with their own issues—exotic weapons not functioning properly, a brief period during which the Destiny 2 Event Card was free, and an inability to focus the new linear fusion rifle have all contributed to player frustration. Nonetheless, Bungie is methodically addressing these concerns through ongoing updates.

With Update 8.1.5.2 now live, several bugs impacting various activities have been rectified. Notably, the Titan Sentinel Shield bug, which previously caused melee damage to be erroneously amplified, has been fixed. However, in a balanced approach, Bungie has subsequently increased PvE damage capabilities: players can now enjoy a 44% boost against non-Champion targets, coupled with a 15% increase for encounters with Champions. Furthermore, the Spectral Blades have also received a significant buff, with enhancements of 66% for non-Champion damage and 30% for Champion damage.

In addition to the essential bug fixes, Bungie is also enhancing the tonics system in Episode Revenant. According to the release notes, Legendary Tonics now ensure a 100% drop rate for their designated rewards and improve the likelihood of acquiring specific gear corresponding to the activity for which they are intended. Additionally, the duration of all tonics has been extended significantly, with Uncommon tonics now lasting 40 minutes, Rares for 60 minutes, and Legendaries for 80 minutes.

While these updates are poised to enhance gameplay experience, Bungie is also teasing future content coming with Act 3. In their closing blog post of 2024, they announced adjustments to several Destiny 2 exotics slated for January, including nerfs to the Graviton Lance pulse rifle, which has been dominating lower and mid-skill matches.

Destiny 2 Update 8.1.5.2 Patch Notes

Seasonal Changes

Tomb of Elders

Resolved a bug that allowed players to join the Contest of Elders after the final encounter was completed.
Fixed an issue where one of the bonus chests awarded only Glimmer.
Corrected a situation whereby only five out of six explosive tanks would spawn during the Spider Tank encounter, leading to potential soft locks.

Onslaught: Salvation

Reduced the number of visual and audio effects in Cabal boss fight areas.

Vanguard Operations

Corrected an issue that had the Inverted Spire strike disabled in the playlist.

Lost Sectors

Fixed a bug preventing weapon drops on specific days.

Raids and Dungeons

Crota’s End

Addressed an issue where the Master version of Crota’s End was failing to save player checkpoints.

Salvation’s Edge

Corrected a checkpoint-saving issue in the Master version of Salvation’s Edge.

Vesper’s Host

Resolved a bug that caused the nuclear core to get trapped beneath the floor during the final encounter.
Fixed a problem where a player’s Ghost could become stuck when moving between the second and third encounters.

Gameplay and Investment Adjustments

Revenant Tonics Modifications

Legendary Tonics now ensure a 100% drop rate for their rewards.
Enhanced the chances of acquiring specified gear from the activity associated with the tonic.
- For instance, using Tonic of Vangate Point (Onslaught) will increase the likelihood of that weapon dropping from Onslaught: Salvation chests.
All tonics have had their base duration extended:
- Uncommon: 40 minutes
- Rare: 60 minutes
- Legendary: 80 minutes

Exotic Armor Adjustments

Hunter

Fixed an issue with Knucklehead Radar that caused instant player marks on hits.
- The radar should now only mark players upon breaking their shields, retaining the same functionality against combatants.

Weapon Adjustments

Weapon Perks

High Ground
- Damage bonuses against players have been corrected, and the perk has been reenabled.
- The height differential needed to trigger High Ground’s bonus has increased by 150% when using a Primary ammo weapon.

Weapon Crafting

Fixed a dialog issue encountered when attempting to craft a Garden of Salvation weapon without its pattern unlocked.

Ability Enhancements

Titan

Sentinel Shield
- Addressed a bug that was inadvertently increasing Sentinel Shield damage.
- PvE combatant damage for non-Champions has been increased by 44%.
- Champion damage in PvE has increased by 15%.

Hunter

Spectral Blades
- Non-Champion PvE combatant damage has increased by 66%.
- Champion PvE combatant damage has increased by 30%.

Power and Progression Fixes

Corrected the description requirements for Guardian Rank 6.

General Fixes

Fixed an issue that prevented Warlocks from purchasing the Lucent Night Bundle in Eververse.
Updated the Street Fighter finisher bundle inventory check to prevent items from mistakenly being sent to the Postmaster.

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