Bungie is now quadruple-dipping with Season Passes, loot boxes (via Engrams), direct cosmetic purchases and a Battle Pass. The Battle Pass in particular is annoying by adding an additional layer of time-consuming grind to a game that already requires a lot of grind. The scummiest part of the whole system, though, is that Bungie has built the Eververse store straight into the Director menu. Previously, monetization could be ignored entirely because it was secluded to the Eververse Store at the Tower. Now, Bungie has made sure that it follows players everywhere they go. It’s sad to see such regression after Forsaken made Destiny 2’s monetization feel fairer to players.

The dreaded Eververse store is back and Bungie really wants you to know about it. Previously, the store was relegated to the Tower and completely skippable. That’s no longer the case as Bungie has slapped the storefront into the Director, a menu players need to frequently bring up.

Bungie’s history with Destiny has been something akin to whiplash. First they release a lackluster base game (Destiny, Destiny 2) and then they release two awful expansions. Finally, when players are at their lowest, Bungie releases an enormous expansion ( The Taken King , Forsaken ) that fundamentally changes the game. It’s a high Bungie achieved last year with Forsaken, which ushered in the best mission design, sandbox activities and post-launch content since The Taken King. But can that streak continue? Destiny 2: Shadowkeep aims to build on Forsaken’s success with a new campaign, a restructured Armor system and more ways to earn loot. Does Destiny 2: Shadowkeep scare up enough quality content, or gaming headset deal should it have remain buried on the Moon?

Updated on September 9th, 2024, by Nathan Halsey: It’s been a while since Hand Cannons have been this good in PvE, so this article has been thoroughly rewritten to reflect that. This list will encompass the best of both PvE and PvP, as this weapon type is an extremely useful pick in both modes. On the PvE end of the spectrum, Hand Cannons have gotten the new Heavy Burst archetype that gives the weapon type a new way to excel at close to mid-range. Many of the game’s Exotic Hand Cannons are fantastic as of this writing, with Legendaries that are incredibly competitive, allowing players many options to keep a Hand Cannon somewhere in their loadout no matter what the activity calls

Auto Rifles occupy the range between Pulse Rifles and Submachine Guns , bridging the gap between the longer-range and shorter-range options and giving players a safe middle ground to play within. This, paired with their characteristically low recoil, makes them arguably the most versatile primary ammo weapon t

Ace of Spades is a staple Hand Cannon in PvP all thanks to its main trait, Momento Mori, which grants the ability to see the radar while aiming, while giving a damage boost as well so long as players reload shortly after a kill. The weapon is a consistent three shot to the head within its optimal range, and the ability to constantly have the radar up allows for constant intel on enemy positi

Zaouli’s Bane is like Sunshot’s little cousin. In PvE, it serves the same purpose of add-clear, and comes with some good perks for the job. Like Fatebringer, it can roll with both Explosive Payload and Firefly , giving it both add-clear and reload, but it can also run with Incandescent, which gets rid of the reload benefit for more add-clear through spreading stacks of Sco

The cycle of Destiny whiplash continues with Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. Like during the Destiny 1 era, we started with a lackluster opening, then got two awful expansions, got our significant overhaul, and now we’re at the stopgap. Much like Rise of Iron , it’s hard to shake the feeling that Bungie is just buying time until the inevitable next entry in the franchise. In this case, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep feels like Bungie is slow-walking to Destiny 3. The campaign ends up going nowhere, ending in an unsatisfying cliffhanger we likely won’t see resolved for a while. Meanwhile, as great as the Moon is compared to its incarnation in the first game, there’s no getting around the fact that we’ve already seen and paid for this before. The core gameplay is still the star of the show, the Moon is a fun place to play around in, the Strikes are imaginative and the new Seasonal Activity is a standout. But you can access all that without owning Shadowkeep (though the Seasonal Activity does require you to own the Season Pass). Destiny 2: Shadowkeep isn’t bad, but it also feels wholly unnecessary when most of its selling points (Strikes, the Moon, Armor 2.0) can be played without owning it. This is one nightmare we didn’t need to have.

Good perks for this weapon include Enlightened Action , Frenzy, Perpetual Motion, and even Vorpal Weapon. Hunters, in particular, can use the exotic Lucky Pants with Vorpal Weapon to boost weapon damage so high that the gun can destroy Champions in one cylinder. This weapon is definitely a must-have for Hand Cannon lovers, and it even comes in Adept versions for those able to complete Grandmaster Nightfa