It’s been a while since we got news from Destiny 2. The last time we checked on them, they had a major chat issue. But, the Destiny universe is always evolving. And, it’s continuing to do so with Destiny 2’s Arc 3.0 revamp.
In a recent post by Bungie, they unveiled everything coming to the Arc subclasses. It seems that Sony’s investment has paid dividends. Fans have been getting spoiled with the Solar and Void revamps. And, Arc players will also get a power boost.
Speed and damage are the name of the game here. And, the developer team is zeroing on the subclasses’ essence. Thus, the main goal is to fulfill the player’s fantasy.
But, what does Arc 3.0 bring to the table?
The meaning of Destiny 2 Arc 3.0
In essence, Arc subclasses are about speed and damage. It’s the ideal class for players who prefer an aggressive playstyle. So, Crank 2: High Voltage was a crucial inspiration for Arc 3.0. The movie was all about keeping momentum in outrageous ways.
The non-stop action was a key element in Arc 3.0. The protagonist had to keep their heart ticking with action. And, Arc 3.0 will bring players the same feeling and nature. It centers on buffs that require constant engagement to run.
Living on the edge was the spirit of Destiny 2 Arc 3.0 at the beginning. Sure, they had to tone it down a bit during development. But, the notes reveal that the idea remains the foundation of the revamp.
Overall, Arc 3.0 looks to give players more flexibility. Players can customize their Guardians to match their desired gameplay. Plus, Aspects and Fragments give an extra oomph to your experience.
The new abilities coming with Destiny 2 Arc 3.0
Firstly, there’s the Amplified buff. It’s the center of the experience behind Arc 3.0. Amplified Guardians are faster in movement and gunslinging. They enjoy higher agility, longer slides, and damage buffs.
All Arc subclasses become amplified by defeating enemies with their elemental damage. Aspects and Fragments add extra benefits to the plate.
For instance, Amplified Guardians gain a speed boost when sprinting for a few seconds. It’ll also grant a considerable damage resistance buff in PvE. And, you can slide for longer distances.
It was a somewhat controversial addition. Players are already moving faster before revving up the speed booster. But, the damage resistance makes it a strong gap closer.
Of course, there are also debuffs. And, Destiny 2 Arc 3.0 brings two new ones for Arc subclasses.
First, we have the Blind debuff. In PvE, enemies can’t see you. Thus, they’ll be unable to attack. For PvP battles, the effect is a little different. It whites out opponents’ screens. It also distorts the audio.
The other debuff is Jolt. It’s fairly straightforward. Damaging Jolted enemies unleashes chain lightning on nearby opponents.
What’s new for the Hunter Arc subclass?
The first Arc subclass broken down is the Hunter. The main goal was to make dashing Hunters a force to be reckoned with. Hunters will have the ability to close the distance and destroy opponents quickly.
As the quote above states, they aimed to provide tools to stay alive on the battlefield.
For that, the Arc Staff Super returns. It’ll let players block and deflect incoming projectiles. They’ll also perform armored dodges. The latter grants them damage resistance after the movement.
But, one Super wasn’t enough for the team.
As such, Gathering Storm is another Arc-themed Super. With it, Hunters leap into the air and hurl their staff like a spear. The result is a damaging burst that inflicts Jolt on nearby enemies. Then, lightning bolts overcharge the staff. It amplifies its damage and hurts nearby enemies.
We also have the melee side of Hunters. The Combination Blow ability is a keeper. It lets Hunters embrace the graceful warrior feeling. Killing enemies with the ability refunds dodge energy and increase melee damage. So, it lets Hunters chain impressive combos with dodges and melee attacks.
Of course, that also Amplifies the Hunter during the battle.
Hunters also get three Arc aspects.
Flow State Amplifies you when you defeat a Jolted opponent. Tempest Strike adds a sliding melee attack that launches Arc waves. And, Lethal Current increases the melee lunge range after dodging. It also Jolts targets while sending lightning aftershocks.
Arc Hunters also receive the Blink movement.
What Destiny 2 Arc 3.0 brings to Warlocks
According to the team, they had a vivid fantasy for Arc 3.0 Warlocks. In their words, they wanted to combine the lightning shaman and Emperor Palpatine. The goal was to turn Warlocks into an elemental conduit for lightning.
As such, Warlocks are also getting two Supers. The number one is Chaos Reach. Players can shoot Arc energy beams from their hands. The other Super is Stormtrance. It combines the Landfall and Ionic Blink behaviors from the previous Arcs. So, players create a shockwave underneath them while teleporting briefly.
Curiously, Warlocks also get a couple of lightning melees. Ball Lightning sends out an Arc energy ball that zaps enemies. Chain Lightning sends lightning arcs that strike and jolts targets.
Amplified Warlocks see their abilities become more powerful. Ball Lightning zaps enemies more times for more damage. Chain Lightning chains to twice as many targets as the original iteration.
Again, Warlocks get three Aspects.
Arc Soul assists the player and allies who pass through the rift in battle. It also becomes supercharged when Amplified. Lightning Surge activates the melee while sliding to teleport forward. The exit point emits a field of lightning that Jolts enemies. Electrostatic Mind creates Ionic Traces on Arc and debuffed kills. Collecting Ionic Traces amplifies the player.
A fast and powerful Titan Arc revamp
Last, but not least, we have the Titan Arc subclass. Destiny 2 Arc 3.0 shakes things up for the class. Titans aren’t famous for their mobility. But, Arc 3.0 looks to change this. This time, they’ll combine the brawler with a freight train.
Curiously, it’s also the class that retains most of its previous abilities.
For Supers, Fist of Havoc and Thundercrash return.
However, Fist of Havoc gets an adjusted slam radius. Slamming the ground creates a damaging field. Slamming from the air creates a damaging AOE effect. Thundercrash remains mostly unchanged. Yet, Arc 3.0 uncouples it from the previous subclass diamond system. So, players might discover new and stronger ways to use Thundercrash.
Seismic Strike and Ballistic Slam also return in Arc 3.0. This time, Seismic Strike blinds enemies. And, Titans get a new charged attack: Thunderclap. Holding the melee button charges a powerful blast that decimates opponents. The attack varies depending on how long you hold it.
But, the largest change is the Thruster class ability. Double-tapping a button thrusts the Titan in that direction. It’s somewhat similar to the Hunter’s dodge.
Again, Arc Titans receive three Aspects.
Touch of Thunder upgrades Arc grenades in different ways with different effects. Juggernaut gives Titans a frontal shield while sprinting. It also becomes stronger when Amplified. Finally, Knockout amplifies the Titan and regenerates health when killing enemies.
The fragments coming with Destiny 2 Arc 3.0
Lastly, Destiny 2 Arc 3.0 bring a bunch of new Fragments. They’ll help you boost your Guardian’s existing stats.
The Spark of Beacons makes weapons create blinding explosions when Amplified. The Spark of Resistance boosts damage resistance when surrounded by enemies. The Spark of Momentum lets you reload your weapon by sliding over ammo. And, the Spark of Shock causes Arc grenades to Jolt enemies.
However, that’s only a part of what’s to come. We’ll probably see new Fragments developed and announced in the future.