Bungie has confirmed upcoming changes for Destiny 2's Episode Heresy Act 2, including nerfs to the dominant pulse rifle, Redrix's Estoc.  This follows a community preview of the changes, which sparked widespread discussion among players.

This week has been packed with Destiny 2 news. Bungie hosted a livestream detailing Act 2, launching March 11th, and showcasing new weapons, activities like the Court of Blades, and the return of the annual Moments of Triumph event.  Adding to the excitement, Guardian Games will also launch on March 11th.

The popular Redrix's Estoc pulse rifle is receiving nerfs.  Its Legacy PR-55 Frame archetype, shared with the BxR-55 Battler rifle, grants significant bonuses to accuracy, stability, and hip-fire targeting, making it a Crucible favorite.  In addition to fixing a bug preventing some players from obtaining a fixed roll of the Redrix's Estoc after placement matches, Bungie aims to reduce its dominance in PvP.

Bungie acknowledges that Redrix's Estoc, as a competitive reward, boasts higher-than-average stats. However, some values exceed even its BxR-55 counterpart, leading to a 5-point reduction in handling.  The potent perk, Sword Logic, which grants bonus damage after weapon kills, will also see a reduction in its base and increased bonus damage in PvP. Bungie plans to extend this perk to other weapons in the future, and its current performance in Destiny 2 is deemed excessive.

In a more controversial move, some buffs to Lightweight Pulse Rifles introduced in Update 8.1.5.3 are being reverted.  Body shot and critical hit damage will decrease, although Bungie assures these values will remain higher than pre-update levels.  Nightstalker Hunters utilizing the On The Prowl aspect will also receive PvP nerfs, particularly when combined with Smoke Bomb.  Glow intensity and smoke debuff effects will be reduced.