Dev Insights: The Final Shape Abilities Tuning Preview
Hey folks, Combat Gameplay team here for a rundown of ability changes coming with the launch of The Final Shape in just a few short weeks!
Well of Radiance
Well of Radiance has been a staple in Destiny 2’s endgame content for years, providing a safe haven for Guardians to unleash their full potential. However, in The Final Shape, we’re making significant changes to Well of Radiance to reduce its overall power and encourage a wider variety of strategies in high-level activities.
Reduced Survivability
One of the key changes we’re making is reducing the survivability of Guardians while standing inside Well of Radiance. The healing per second has been decreased from 100 to 50 health points, and the damage resistance against non-boss combatants has been reduced from 40% to 20%. This means that Guardians will need to be more cautious when using Well of Radiance and cannot rely on it to keep them alive indefinitely.
Increased Offensive Potential
To compensate for the reduced survivability, we’re also making some changes to Well of Radiance’s offensive potential. The duration of the Radiant buff has been increased from 5 to 8 seconds, and Guardians now gain Radiant for 8 seconds when they exit the Well of Radiance area. Additionally, the damage resistance against boss combatants has been reduced from 40% to 10%, making Well of Radiance less effective at protecting Guardians from high-damage attacks.
Ward of Dawn
Ward of Dawn is another popular super ability that has seen limited use in high-level content due to the dominance of Well of Radiance. In The Final Shape, we’re making several changes to Ward of Dawn to make it a more viable option, particularly in defensive situations.
Increased Defensive Power
Ward of Dawn now immediately applies a full Void Overshield to the caster and allies that enter its dome, providing instant protection from enemy fire. Additionally, allies near the Ward of Dawn dome now have Void Overshield trickled on over time, similar to the volume behind a Bastion barricade. This makes Ward of Dawn a much more reliable option for protecting Guardians from incoming damage.
Reduced Offensive Power
To balance the increased defensive power, we’re also removing the Weapons of Light buff from Ward of Dawn. This means that Guardians will no longer receive a significant damage increase when passing through Ward of Dawn. Instead, this buff has been moved to the benefits of the Helm of Saint-14 Exotic helmet, which can be used in conjunction with Ward of Dawn to provide both protection and offensive capabilities.
Conclusion
These changes to Well of Radiance and Ward of Dawn are intended to create a more balanced and diverse Destiny 2 experience. We believe that these changes will encourage Guardians to use a wider variety of abilities and strategies in high-level content. We’re excited to see how these changes impact the game and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Thanks for reading!
The Combat Gameplay Team
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