Final Shape game goes deeper into The Traveler, launching June 4 – PlayStation.Blog
We’re just a week away from the launch of Destiny 2: The Final Shape on June 4. Bungie’s ambitious expansion marks a major step forward in the 10-year journey that players have been on. Guardians can finally enter the Traveler and face new threats evoked and enticed by the Witnesses. Luckily, players have access to powerful new Transcendence abilities and the extremely customizable Prismatic subclass.
To help prepare for The Final Shape, we have Ben Wommack, Bungie’s Head of Combat Zones, to discuss new enemies, abilities, what’s waiting inside The Traveler, etc.
PlayStation Blog: The Final Shape marks a pivotal moment for Destiny players. What is the player’s main goal in the campaign?
Ben Wommack: To join the Traveler, journey through its Pale Heart and confront the final villain of the last 10 years of the Fates, the Witness, who is carrying out his age-old plan to create out the Final Shape of the universe.
How do we see The Witness enhancing linked enemies, and how does that translate into combat?
By tearing a hole in the Traveler and entering its Pale Heart, the Witness can manipulate the Traveler’s Light and their own Darkness to further their plan to enact the Final Form. By combining these para-causal energies, The Witness can bestow upon his forces a crude Prismatic shield that cannot be broken by conventional attacks. They are called “Bound” enemies, as they are now invulnerable but also bound by the power the Witnesses hold.
Luckily, players can break these shields with their new Transcendence ability, accessible from Wellsprings found in the world or through equipping the new Prismatic subclass and charging Light bars Your Light and Your Darkness. Encountering bound enemies will force players to change their battle plans and bring Transcendence into their flow, creating new opportunities for exciting combat moments.
A new fearsome enemy enters the fight. What makes them unique compared to other factions in Destiny 2?
The Dread Warriors are built on years of lessons and experience from the Destiny 2 team. They are the private army of the Witnesses that they have assembled (even created) to stop anyone from interfering. their plans to release The Final Shape. We knew they had to feel different from other factions, so we tried a lot of new visual ideas and tried to subvert expectations with their mechanics.
One example is how Weaver and Harbinger have the Strand power, which is a first for Destiny warriors. Another is Husk, who will launch a Geist creature from its body if its weak point is not targeted. My personal favorite is Grim, “bat with gun” or “gun sticks!”. Its wings and ability to move across the battlefield are amazing to both look at and fight in!
Deadly lava rises during an attack in Destiny 2: The Final Shape, forcing players to avoid hitting the floor.
How will the new Transcendent abilities and the Prismatic subclass impact competitive play?
We’ve spent careful attention and a lot of time balancing how the Prismatic and Transcendence abilities work in PvP with Guardians of all build types. Our aim is not to usurp other subclasses and how players engage in PvP, but to add new elements to the PvP meta space, change the paradigm a bit, and subvert expectations in interesting ways . Players running Prismatic will sometimes feel a bit like an opponent’s wild card, which brings its own sense of excitement to the match.
One important detail is how the Light and Dark meters for activating Transcendence will retain their progress after you die in a match and between rounds. You can absolutely orient your build around a Transcendence build in PvP, which is a fun way to approach using the subclass!
What are your personal favorite examples of Prismatic subclass builds?
I like what we call the “Friends Build” for Prismatic Warlocks. You equip Phoenix Dive, Hellion, Weaver’s Call, Song of Flame, Storm Grenade and the Getaway Artist exotic armor. You Phoenix Rush into combat to spawn Threadlings and a Hellion buddy, then use your Arc grenade to spawn an Arc Soul. You then use the Song of the Flame to summon all your Sunbird friends!
Enter the Traveler and bring the fight to The Witness when Destiny 2: The Final Shape launches on June 4.