Destiny 2 Delivers Comprehensive Solution to Champion Issue in Final Update

In a significant shift for the endgame of Destiny 2, Bungie has announced that every weapon in the game will now possess an Anti-Champion capability. This change, detailed in today’s Dev Insights blog post, aims to solve the longstanding issue of Champions requiring specific counters that shifted every season. The new system will be based on a weapon’s fire rate and behavior.

Notably, this update includes Exotics, with their effects carefully selected to align closest with their intended purpose. One of the most impactful aspects of this change is the removal of any activation criteria. According to the blog post, firing any weapon will immediately apply the associated effect, as long as shots land.

This alteration will be particularly noticeable for weapons that counter Unstoppable and Overload Champions. Previously, Unstoppable required aiming down sights for a brief period before its effect was activated, while Overload required a sustained burst of fire. This change should significantly improve gameplay, especially against Overload Champions that can teleport and attack during stun.

The update was first hinted at in yesterday’s developer insights, but it wasn’t officially confirmed or detailed until today.

For the majority of the game’s weapons, Bungie has outlined the new division structure, which will affect how each piece behaves in combat.

Some items are excluded from this list, including more exotic archetypes such as burst hand cannons, two‑shot pulse rifles, and certain grenade launchers. Notably, Area Denial grenade launchers will now feature built‑in Overload, while the Heavy Burst frame will grant Unstoppable to pulse rifles and hand cannons. Rocket pulses and sidearms also receive Anti‑Unstoppable capabilities.

Regarding newer weapons, Renegades’ heat weapons can now absorb Overloads, but the Refurbished A99 heavy sniper rifle will instead receive Anti‑Barrier. This treatment applies to any other weapons within its Disruption sniper archetype. Swords will also receive varied buffs based on their frames: Caster for Barriers, Vortex for Overloads, and Wave‑Frame for Unstoppables.

The recent update to Destiny 2’s Champions system represents a strategic move by the developers to safeguard a core gameplay mechanic for the long haul. By streamlining the encounter and eliminating the need for future patching, Bungie ensures that players—whether they log in today or years from now—will consistently face a clear, straightforward challenge against these formidable foes without any additional developer intervention.