Destiny 2's Winterbite Stasis glaive is a new and powerful Heavy weapon launching with Lightfall that has caused a stir among players. The community has been reacting to it being in the Heavy slot, compared to the Kinetic slot, since that is where most Stasis weapons usually end up. As one of the few Stasis weapons in the Heavy slot, it has some limitations that prevent it from shaking up the PVE meta meaningfully. It only makes sense for Bungie to add a Legendary Stasis glaive as a new weapon to the Destiny 2 sandbox, especially with Winterbite's imminent release.
The problem with the Winterbite Stasis glaive being in the Heavy slot is that it limits players' options for massive damage. In Destiny 2, the Heavy weapon slot is typically used for rocket launchers, grenade launchers, swords, machine guns, and linear fusion rifles, which are designed to quickly eliminate enemies with high damage, making it a less-than-ideal place for a Stasis glaive and its utility focus. However, if Winterbite were a Kinetic weapon, that would give players a utility-focused glaive and leave the Special and Heavy slots open for more damage opportunities, making for a fairly balanced loadout.
Winterbite Isn't Quite The Exotic Glaive Destiny 2 Players Had Been Expecting
To properly address the fact that Winterbite will be in the Heavy slot, Bungie should add a Legendary Stasis glaive that would reside in the Kinetic space. A craftable Stasis glaive would also make it easier for players to get their hands on this powerful weapon type, as they wouldn't have to rely on Exotic patterns or a long and potentially grindy Exotic quest. This also makes sense now that Bungie is trying to reduce FOMO throughout Destiny 2's various systems and the upcoming Lightfall expansion.
Additionally, a craftable Stasis glaive would also give players more control over the type of Stasis melee weapon they want to use. With Winterbite, players are currently limited to whatever the weapon rolls with normally as an Exotic, unless it's something like the Hawkmoon that has a random perk rolled after finding it again. That seems quite unlikely for Winterbite given Bungie's track record with randomly-rolled Exotics, though. However, a craftable Stasis glaive would be an ideal way to create a melee and ranged hybrid weapon with the perks and stats players want beyond Destiny 2's craftable swords or other glaives.
A Kinetic Stasis Glaive Could Have An Interesting Impact In Lightfall's PvE Sandbox
Another benefit of a craftable Stasis glaive is that it would provide more variety in Destiny 2's PVE meta. Whether Bungie's next crack at a Stasis glaive is of Exotic or Legendary, there is a lot Bungie could do to such a weapon to make it interesting to use as long as it's in the Kinetic slot. From new and unique perk combinations to a hypothetical Origin Trait that perfectly suits the weapon type, a Kinetic glaive would be, at the very least, refreshing for players who are tired of the Energy-slotted glaives they have been using for the past year.
Ultimately, the Winterbite Stasis glaive is a powerful weapon in Destiny 2, but as the only Stasis glaive, it has some limitations in the Heavy slot that prevent it from adding to the PVE meta in a meaningful way. After Bungie confirmed the Winterbite went into the Heavy Slot, players started to wonder whether this would be another Salvation's Grip situation. Maybe one day soon, possibly with Season 20 or Season 21, Bungie will finally create an Exotic or craftable Legendary Kinetic glaive to further open up options for players' builds.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
