Bungie pulled back the curtain on Destiny 2's upcoming Black Armory expansion earlier today, introducing players to an exo gun dealer named ADA-1, who will set players off on quests to discover four fabled Lost Forges. In a less glamorous but more granular update, it also released the Update 2.1.0 patch notes, a lengthy and varied list of changes to the sandbox, Crucible and Gambit modes, PC-exclusive options, and more which have all gone live today.
One notable change is a nerf to Trench Barrel, an IKELOS shotgun-exclusive perk that grants increased handling, reload speed, and damage immediately after a successful melee strike. Instead of lasting for three seconds as it originally did, the buff will now deactivate after three shots. It's a very specifically-targeted nerf that might sound like a fairly minor change, but the video below very clearly demonstrates why Bungie is tamping it down.
(In case it's not clear, let's just say that Brakion, Genesis Mind is not supposed to eat it in two seconds.)
The other headline news is that Ursa Furiosa, the Titan exotic gauntlets the recharge your super ability when you block damage with a banner shield, is having the amount of energy returned adjusted. These were bust as hell in PvP but underwhelming in PvE, so presumably the two will be moved closer together in terms of performance to achive perfect balance.
Speaking of PvP, the Mayhem mode will return to the Crucible as a 6v6 rotating playlist with support for the new Forsaken supers, and Lockdown and Showdown are also coming back and will be available for private matches. Elsewhere, Gambit rank rewards have been adjusted, Last Wish raid bounties are now available to anyone who can access the raid (previously, Clan Rank 4 was required), SMGs have had their range increased slightly and Machine Guns have slightly better range. Oh, and the infamous Prometheus Lens, the broken-as-hell gun we all had so much fun with last year, is getting a 10 percent damage buff. Laser tag is back on!
In PC-specific changes, there's a new screenshot keybind, and new /invite, /join, /addfriend, and /removefriend commands available via text chat. The /invite and /join commands can be used on any player as long as you have their full Battletag, so you don't have to send and/or accept friend requests when putting together a fireteam—you can just hook up with fellow Guardians, kick some ass, and then go your separate ways. (Why this wasn't a feature when Destiny 2 launched more than a year ago, I will never know.)
The full list of changes covers a lot of ground, so if Destiny 2 is your thing you'll want to check out the full patch notes at bungie.net.
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