Bungie Explains Exotic Masterwork Weapons For ‘Destiny 2: Warmind’
Bungie did not really touch on the addition of Exotic Masterwork weapons during the Destiny 2: Warmind reveal stream Tuesday. The studio rectified that Thursday with a deep dive explanation of the new mechanic that will send PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC Guardians on a hunt to make their favorite Exotic Weapons even more unique and powerful.
Exotic Masterwork weapons add a new level of acquisition and progression to Destiny 2, which should prove especially beneficial to players who have already collected all existing Exotics pre-Warmind release. Players will have to earn an Exotic Masterwork Catalyst to get this process started. Each weapon will have its own node on the weapon inspection screen that explains how the Catalyst can be obtained.
Obtaining a Catalyst from “challenging opponents” in Strikes has been shown on two different Exotic weapons so far. Bungie explained not all Exotic Masterworks will have the same drop rates as some can be earned at random and others will require “a certain amount of engagement.”
Additionally, not all Exotic Masterworks will be available when Destiny 2: Warmind and the 1.2.0 update are released. The studio isn’t saying which yet, but players will be able to tell by those weapons missing the Catalyst node on the weapon inspection screen.
Applying the Catalyst to an Exotic weapon will immediately enable orb generation on double kills just like the Legendary Masterworks enjoy. Players will also receive bounty-like objectives to chase to fully earn Masterwork status and unlock additional state and perk bonuses.
Bungie confirmed that these objectives to fully level a weapon up to Masterwork status will differ for each weapon. Some will have only a single step while others will have multiple steps. While difficulty will vary from weapon to weapon, players will not achieve Masterwork status for their Exotic weapon randomly.
The studio is keeping further details like which Exotic weapons can be upgraded to Masterworks, perks, and how to obtain them close to the vest. Bungie has correctly come to realize the Destiny 2 community thrives on discovering this kind of information themselves to share guides and other information to help generate interest and excitement.
The Destiny 2: Warmind expansion and update 1.2.0 are scheduled to be released on May 8 to PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Bungie has confirmed that all Crucible maps in the expansion will be available to all players in matchmaking activities whether they have purchased the DLC or not. Additionally, changes to how enemy difficulty scales will be included along with a new PVE end-game challenge called Escalation Protocol plus Competitive Ranks in Crucible and revamps of some Exotic weapons.
