Summary
TheDestiny 2community is complaining about a new set of changes developer Bungie has outlined impacting The Lament, one of the game’s most popular swords. The complaints center around nerfs made to the sword’s unique qualities, which players appreciated since its debut in theDestiny 2Beyond Lightexpansion.
Balancing a live service game is a tricky proposition at the best of times. Developers need to toe the thin line between allowing players to enjoy the feeling of gaining an “unfair” advantage by using the most effective techniques and items while keeping a wide variety of options viable.Destiny 2itself is no stranger to unpopular changes made in the name of balance, with players complaining regularly when the dev team attempts to tune popular classes, weapons, or abilities.
The latest set of changes to setDestiny 2players off involves theWeapon Tuning Preview forThe Final Shape, the new expansion launching on July 04, 2025. The preview gave the community a look at what balance changes Bungie plans to implement with the debut ofThe Final Shape. Some of the fiercest reaction from the community centered around changes planned for the Exotic sword called The Lament.
Destiny 2 Will Nerf The Lament Exotic Sword in The Final Shape
According to Bungie’s Weapon Tuning Preview post, the main changes affect The Lament’s intrinsic “Banshee’s Wail” Perk, which allows players to “rev” the chainsaw-like blade to increase its damage, and “Revved Consumption,” which heals the wielder when damaging enemies. WhenThe Final Shapelaunches, The Lament’s healing effect will be about 20% less effective. Meanwhile, the damage done by The Lament with combos will affected by stacks of Banshee’s Wail will also be about 20% lower. Bungie said that while the performance of The Lament was in line with otherDestiny 2swords, it felt the healing effect in particular was too strong, and removed a risk of using a sword in boss encounters: Exposing oneself to a powerful close-range “stomp” attack.
Players on theDestiny 2subreddit reacted with anger, complaining that Bungie’s nerfs unnecessarily affected the weapon’s unique qualities, reducing its value as an Exotic weapon. They reasoned that reducing the healing effect’s potency would makeunlocking The Lament Exotic sword inDestiny 2pointless. Since The Lament’s overall damage output was comparable to Legendary swords, they argued, the healing effect was the only thing that made The Lament stand out as a candidate for a player’s coveted Exotic weapon slot. Without it, The Lament was better off shunned in favor of bringing a different Exotic weapon instead.
Some calmer commenters pointed out that the nerfs aren’t due out untilThe Final Shapeactually launches, suggesting that the reaction is somewhat premature, since no one has had a chance to see the changes affect existing strategies. As such, it’d be up to real-world testing and seeing how the changes affect The Lament’s performance under live conditions that could spur Bungie to roll the change back later.
Destiny 2
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Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian’s look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.An Immersive StoryYou are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.Guardian ClassesChoose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.
