Destiny 2’s 3.1.0 update brings major weapon changes, loot returns, and crucial fixes
Weapon Balance Changes
Destiny 2’s 3.1.0 update introduces sweeping changes to weapon balance that will significantly impact combat effectiveness across all activities. The most notable adjustments affect eight weapon archetypes, with Rocket Launchers receiving the most substantial buff – now dealing 30% increased damage against Miniboss-tier enemies and above.
Strategic Tip: The Rocket Launcher buff makes them particularly effective in Nightfalls and Raid encounters against Champions and bosses. Consider pairing with damage-boosting mods for maximum effectiveness.
Conversely, Swords have been scaled back with a 15% damage reduction against the same enemy tiers. This change aims to balance their dominance in close-quarters combat scenarios. Other weapons receiving adjustments include:
- Fusion Rifles: Increased damage falloff distance (6-16% based on range stat)
- Submachine Guns: 24% reduced camera movement during firing
- Pulse Rifles: 7% reduced camera movement
- Machine Guns: 9.5% reduced camera movement
- Sniper Rifles: Increased flinch from enemy fire (1.6x multiplier)
These changes create new opportunities for weapon diversity in both PvE and PvP activities. Players should experiment with different loadouts to adapt to the new balance.
Returning Loot and Gear
The 3.1.0 update brings back several fan-favorite gear sets that were previously vaulted. Most notably, the Dreaming City’s Reverie Dawn armor set returns with:
- New max power cap
- Combat Style mod socket
- Higher stat rolls in Shattered Throne dungeon
Accompanying weapons like Waking Vigil, Vouchsafe, Retold Tale, and Sleepless also return with:
- Updated perk pools
- New max power caps
- Exclusive perks in Shattered Throne
Pro Tip: The Moon’s Dreambane armor now features a dedicated Nightmare mod socket, making it particularly valuable for Nightmare Hunts and Altars of Sorrow activities.
Moon weapons including Apostate, Blasphemer, Heretic, and Premonition have similarly been updated with new perk possibilities. These returning items provide fresh opportunities for build crafting and loadout optimization.
Activity and Raid Improvements
Dungeons and raids receive significant quality-of-life improvements in this update. The Shattered Throne and Pit of Heresy dungeons now offer:
- Higher stat armor drops comparable to raid gear
- Weapons with exclusive perk combinations
- Removed deprecated low-power drops
Raids now provide enhanced rewards including:
- Weekly Enhancement Core and Prism drops from hidden chests
- Ascendant Shards from featured raid challenges
- Improved XP gains matching current raid standards
Common Pitfall: Many players overlook the weekly lockout on hidden chest rewards. Plan your raid runs to maximize these valuable material drops.
Numerous progression blockers and bugs have been fixed across all endgame activities, creating smoother experiences for fireteams.
Sandbox and Ability Updates
Stasis abilities receive significant tuning to improve PvP balance while maintaining PvE effectiveness. Key changes include:
- Increased damage threshold before shattering (100hp → 200hp)
- 50% reduced Primary weapon damage against frozen players
- 50% increased Special/Heavy damage against frozen players
- Withering Blade no longer scores precision hits
Exotic armor pieces see important adjustments:
- Aeon Cult gear redesigned with role-based perks
- Icefall Mantle overshield timer no longer refreshes from ally damage
- Wormhusk Crown and Vesper of Radius no longer trigger on Stasis break
Advanced Tip: The Stasis changes reward coordinated team fire – focus frozen targets with Special weapons for quick eliminations.
Quality of Life Improvements
The update includes numerous quality-of-life enhancements across all game systems:
- Collection tracking improvements with mark-as-seen functionality
- Vault access information for companion apps
- Fixed weapon ornament entitlement issues
- Improved widescreen support for menu interfaces
Over 100 bug fixes address issues including:
- Activity progression blockers
- Environment and physics glitches
- Audio and visual effect problems
- Combatant AI behavior
Note: Some voice actors were temporarily replaced due to pandemic challenges, with plans to return to original cast when possible.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Destiny 2 update 3.1.0 patch notes: Rocket Launcher buff, Sword nerf, more Destiny 2's 3.1.0 update brings major weapon changes, loot returns, and crucial fixes