Destiny 2 December Update Addresses Significant Episode Revenant Bug Issues

Key Highlights from the Latest Destiny 2 Update

Bungie introduces a new update ushering in The Dawning winter event alongside critical bug fixes, including adjustments to the drop rates for Tomb of Elders weapon tonics.
Update 8.1.5.1 includes notable changes to the Hunter’s Raiju’s Harness, specifically enhancing its super energy gain rate.
The winter celebration introduces a Void linear fusion rifle, new armor sets, and a community challenge for players.

Bungie has released a fresh update for Destiny 2, marking the start of the beloved winter event known as The Dawning. This update not only heralds festive activities but also addresses various gameplay issues, including fixes for weapon tonics. While players are keenly anticipating the concluding chapter of the Episode Revenant storyline, Bungie is diligently working to enhance the overall gaming experience.

Throughout Episode Revenant, players have encountered numerous bugs that detracted from their gameplay experience. Some issues, such as the damage buff affecting Sentinel Shield Titans, have been relatively minor. However, more substantial bugs have arisen, including concerns over weapon tonics that were supposed to improve drop rates for specific Tomb of Elders loot but failed to work as intended. This led to widespread complaints from the community, drawing Bungie’s attention.

After further investigation by the community, Bungie acknowledged that the Tomb of Elders tonics were malfunctioning, mistakenly increasing drop rates for the incorrect weapons. Fortunately, the development team quickly addressed this issue in Update 8.1.5.1, which was launched during the Destiny 2 weekly reset. This update included broad changes to the tonics system, successfully rectifying the Legendary Tomb of Elders Weapon Tonics buff, along with fixing a quest progress blocker and correcting several tonic descriptions.

Patch notes for Destiny 2 Update 8.1.5.1 are now available:https://t.co/v1v8r0xevQ Stay tuned for updates on server maintenance status. — Bungie Help (@BungieHelp) December 10, 2024

In addition to addressing ongoing issues with activities such as Onslaught Salvation and Vesper’s Host, this update has notably revamped the Hunter’s exotic armor, Raiju’s Harness. According to the update notes, the energy gain rate for defeating most Arc-debuffed enemies has been increased, although the energy gain for minibosses and bosses has seen a slight reduction. Consequently, players utilizing Gathering Storm will experience a significant 80% decrease in super energy returns from this ability.

A key feature of this update is the introduction of The Dawning event in Destiny 2, where players engage in festive activities such as collecting ingredients to bake cookies for various NPCs. While most aspects of the event remain consistent with previous years, this iteration brings exciting new content, including a Void linear fusion rifle named Mistral Lift, the Astral Stasis Drake armor sets, and a community challenge that can unlock three rare emblems.

Detailed Patch Notes for Destiny 2 Update 8.1.5.1

Seasonal Changes

The Dawning

The Dawning event is officially launched.
- Players can throw snowballs at enemies in various activities.
- Three new emblems are obtainable through A Gift in Return packages. For details on increasing chances, refer to the December 5 TWID.
  - Confectionary Commander emblem
  - Epicurean Extraordinaire emblem
  - Handcrafter Hunter emblem
- Introduction of a New Weapon:
  - Mistral Lift – An Adaptive Void Linear Fusion Rifle.
- New Astral Stasis Drake armor is now available:
  - Access these items through the Eververse store.

Tomb of Elders

Fixed an issue that caused players waiting for a revival after defeating the final Tomb of Elders boss to spawn in the Warden’s Office, preventing them from claiming rewards.

Onslaught Salvation

Addressed an issue where the bonus Heatwave round was occurring less frequently than intended.
Fixed a problem with an invisible ledge near the third defense location on Kell’s Grave.

Crucible Updates

Matchmaking Enhancements

Backend thresholds have been updated to improve matchmaking times and overall match quality.
Fireteam MMR weighting adjustments in 6v6 playlists aim to reduce redundancy with Fireteam Matchmaking.
The score threshold for breaking up teams has been increased, allowing more matches to recycle and improve matchmaking efficacy.

Dungeons & Raids Fixes

Vesper’s Host

General fixes include:
- Ensured the first secret chest rewards all players rather than just the first one opening it.
- Resolved an issue where the Icebreaker Catalyst was not consistently awarded to players who died during their run.
- Fixed a problem that could cause players to crash at the moment of boss defeat.
Second Encounter improvements include:
- Fixed an issue where the boss wouldn’t reform correctly after DPS, leading to an infinite damage phase.

Garden of Salvation

Fixed an issue that allowed the Consecrated Mind boss to be pushed off its starting platform, prematurely ending the encounter.
- Feel free to continue using Stasis if desired…

Salvation’s Edge

Corrected an error where the wrong wipe text was displayed during the Witness encounter.

Exotic Mission Rotator Fixes

Resolved an issue where the Featured Exotic Mission was not awarding Pinnacle rewards.

User Interface and User Experience Enhancements

Fireteam Finder

Fixed a missing Master option for the Vow of the Disciple raid in the Fireteam Finder.

Gameplay and Investment Modifications

Exotic Armor Updates

Hunter
- Raiju’s Harness
  - Recalibrated Super energy gains from defeating Arc-debuffed foes:
    - Minors: Increased from 0.3% to 1%.
    - Majors: Increased from 1.7% to 2.5%.
    - Players: Increased from 3.1% to 4%.
    - Minibosses and bosses: Decreased from 4.5% to 4%.
  - Reduced the Super energy granted for defeating Arc-debuffed enemies while casting Gathering Storm to about 80% of the previous value, with the maximum total energy remaining at 50%.
    - Note: The lightning summoned by Raiju’s Harness will apply status effects before dealing damage.

Revenues Updates

Tonics Adjustments

Fixed a bug that could block Tonic quest progress for certain characters.
Corrected errors in descriptions for Tonic of Worldly Arms Armor and Tonic of Worldly Chest Armor.
Resolved issues where Legendary Tomb of Elders Weapon Tonics were improperly targeting the wrong weapons.
- This fix was implemented last week via a hotfix.

General Adjustments

Updated the Gjallarheart armor ornament sets to reflect their proper names.
Reduced requirements for the Fight to the End Triumph from 5/15/30/50 to 5/10/20/40.
Fixed issues with spawn sound effects being heard before ships transition to the warp animation.
Addressed problems with unintended sound effects in Orbit while joining a Gambit match in progress on Cathedral of Scars.

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