Destiny 2’s weapon crafting system will require players to level up their guns to get the most of them, but that experience will be integrated into the gameplay loop to make it feel seamless, Bungie developers said in a press conference last week.
Bungie outlined the upcoming crafting system in a blog post on Feb. 3, revealing that fans will have to level their weapons to access specific perks. Senior design lead Rodney Thompson gave more insight into how to level those weapons—and why you won’t necessarily have to grind them.
The best way to level the weapons is “just by playing the game,” according to Thompson. Completing activities with a weapon and getting kills with it will boost its level, so “don’t just stand into a Thrallway.”
The system is “seamlessly integrated” into how you play Destiny 2 and “a bunch of the leveling up your weapons happens without you even noticing it,” according to game director Joe Blackburn. But players can also be “laser-focused” on leveling weapons quickly, Blackburn said.
Crafting a weapon in Destiny 2 is also meant to bring a significant connection to your weapon due to the possibility of reshaping it and the time commitment needed to improve it. Leveling your weapon “is where the bulk of your crafting playtime will be,” according to the blog post, and players can reshape a gun to best fit their preferences.
Not all weapons will be craftable at launch, though, and players will have to unlock a weapon’s Pattern—essentially a blueprint—to craft it. Additionally, “certain combinations on certain weapons” won’t be available, “especially right at launch,” Thompson said. Weapons will still have their unique identity based on perk combinations and there’s room for a mix between crafted and non-crafted guns in a guardian’s arsenal, according to him.
Players can try the crafting system for themselves when The Witch Queen launches on Feb. 22.
