The raid weapons in Destiny 2 are some of the best in the game. The Vex Mythoclast that was reintroduced with the reprised Vault of Glass raid is a reinterpretation of the original that builds on what fans love, while still offering something more. That catalyst for the Vex Mythoclast builds on this even more by offering a Rampage-like perk and turning it into one of the best weapons for PvP and PvE activities in Destiny 2. While the other raid weapons in Destiny 2 are still fun to use, they can feel circumstantial, and the Vex Mythoclast's reintroduction in the series highlighted something they’re missing: Catalysts.
The Vex Mythoclast isn’t the first exotic raid weapon to get a catalyst in Destiny 2, but because it has so much more prominence than the Legend of Acrius, it can be hard to ignore how much its catalyst brings to the table. It provides an extra perk and builds on a weapon that was already excellent. While adding new catalysts for raid weapons might seem like a move that could make them overpowered and problematic in Destiny 2’s sandbox, the Vex Mythoclast might prove the opposite. The introduction of catalysts for the already powerful raid weapons could still be a double-edged sword, but it could also provide more freedom.
Cons of New Catalysts
The negatives of adding catalysts for exotic raid weapons are pretty apparent, especially with the stronger ones. Anarchy receiving a catalyst could turn it into a menace and make it too strong, even for endgame activities. Even though it’s fun to wield unmatched power in Destiny 2, it’s clear that a balance is needed to keep activities like the weekly Grandmaster Nightfall strikes and raids a challenge for players. While this shouldn’t mean that weapons are made to be too weak, it does pose some difficulties, as weapons like Anarchy and other raid exotics could dominate the endgame.
Similarly, without catalysts that are unique enough, they could be seen as failed opportunities. Eyes of Tomorrow is one of the most unique weapons in the game, and is a rocket launcher that feels good to use. Its tracking perk and multiple rockets make it fun, and it builds on older weapons like Truth, Gjallarhorn, and The Wardcliff Coil. Now that players can get Gjallarhorn in Destiny 2 though, Eyes of Tomorrow doesn’t feel quite as unique as it once did.
Providing a catalyst could make it too much like Gjallarhorn and suddenly there are two of the same weapons in Destiny 2. Plenty of weapons in Destiny 2 are alike, but exotic weapons, in particular, should stand out from one another even if they are similar. The changes players want for Eyes of Tomorrow could circumvent this, but it’s still important that the catalysts can build on each individual weapon in a meaningful way, especially for raid exotics.
This further highlights why raid exotics should get catalysts more than not. Despite any potential problems, catalysts could help each weapon feel even more unique. The catalyst for the Vex Mythoclast builds on the weapon in a meaningful way, and supports its Volatile Battery and Temporal Unlimiter perks. Taking this into account, similar approaches could make weapons like Tarrabah and One Thousand Voice more fun to use, while building on the perks the guns were designed with. This concept has been well executed in the past with iconic weapons like the Vex Mythoclast and Gjallarhorn. Each of them shows how making these catalysts overpowered, at least at first, could be a good thing.
Catalysts for Raid Exotics is the Future
Adding strong catalysts for exotic raid weapons kills two birds with one stone as well. They would make the catalysts feel well worth the time by making their weapons even more powerful, while also providing room for nerfs. Trying to cultivate exotic weapons to be stronger can be difficult. Even if the ideal launch is a well-balanced weapon, if it doesn’t perform well enough, an exotic weapon can fall to the wayside and buffing it to be better can be a struggle. A strong start is what's likely to make the game-changing glaive weapons so memorable at launch, even if they prove problematic in the long-term.
Nerfing weapons in Destiny 2 that are too powerful is generally a move that’s well understood, even if not everyone is a fan. The Vex Mythoclast is a great example of this once again. It’s incredibly effective even after nerfs, but players don’t see it as quite as big of a problem as when it first launched in Season of the Splicer. Conversely, the Legend of Acrius catalyst doesn’t do enough. It improves the weapon’s ammo economy, but it doesn’t help it feel like a fun and unique option the way other exotic raid weapons do, and as a result, it has become a fossil of Destiny 2’s past.
This points to working in new catalysts as the best option, making raid weapons as strong as possible with the intent of revisiting them. The weapon in The Witch Queen’s raid is a great way to look at this for the future. Having it be an overpowered weapon when the raid launches might make it an effective option in PvE and a pain in the Crucible, but it would be see use. Updates that follow the launch of The Witch Queen could then revisit the weapon and tweak it, so it’s more balanced in Destiny 2’s sandbox, but is still a satisfying weapon that stands out.
Taking this a step further, if the raid weapon for The Witch Queen releases with a catalyst that builds on it in a meaningful way and makes it even stronger, there’s increased room for tweaking. As more players get the weapon and even more grind the catalyst, the community would be able to adjust to its impact. Developers would also get to observe how it’s used and where it might be too strong. This could play out over a longer period and creates an opportunity for it to be better balanced as time goes on, hopefully without the need for it to be buffed.
This could be the approach that’s already being implemented for the new exotic Warlock boots coming with The Witch Queen. Players have already pointed out that this new gear could be too strong in the Crucible, despite how useful it’ll be in PvE. Seeing how the community uses them in mass and their overall effect could help with balance changes later while getting players to adopt them early on. Even though the nature of exotic raid weapons is different from the new boots, given how hard raid weapons can be to get, it’s still an effective way to implement new catalysts for them.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
