Destiny 2 Update 7.3.0 Patch Notes: All You Need To Know

Bungie has released details on Destiny 2 Update 7.3.0, implementing sweeping adjustments across core systems just weeks before the Lightfall expansion. This patch massively shakes up gameplay incentives, abilities, Strand subclasses, and more ahead of Year 6. In this article, we provide all you need to know about Destiny 2 Update 7.3.0 Patch Notes. Check them out!

Complete Destiny 2 Update 7.3.0 Patch Notes

Among the most notable changes, Update 7.3.0 significantly overhauls rewards for Vanguard Ops, Crucible, Gambit, and Iron Banner to better respect players' time. All four ritual playlists now guarantee enhancement cores and have increased glimmer gains. The chances of additional rewards also scale up based on performance, such as reaching higher Nightfall scores or winning Crucible/Gambit matches.

On top of these baseline improvements, a new double Crucible rewards booster has been activated. Bungie seeks to draw more engagement to Destiny 2's base competitive modes with these player-friendly changes.

Ability Spam Gets Targeted Nerfs

For months the Destiny 2 sandbox has suffered from excessive uptime on certain powerful grenades, melees, and class abilities. Several key armor mods and fragments have enabled builds able to spam abilities to a tiresome degree.

Destiny 2 Update 7.3.0 patch notes take direct aim at this ability spam meta with significant modulation to the most exploited mods. Firepower, Heavy Handed, and more now have cooldowns between energy grants and lower overall values. Distribution and Outreach also got decreased energy returns, especially for higher-tier cooldown classes.

These ability-focused builds will still be strong but less egregious. The shifts should lead to more gunplay emerging in high-end PvE and PvP activities.

Strand Gets Expansive Tuning Pass

While solar and void 3.0 reworks have settled into comfortable spots, Strand continues to see volatility as Bungie hones the new darkness power. Update 7.3.0 thus delivers some of the most extensive tuning yet to Strand abilities and exotics across all three classes.

Several damaging Strand melees like Warlock Pocket Singularity and Titan Shiver Strike received enhanced tracking, radius, and utility. Support abilities also got improvements to uptime and effectiveness, as with Hunter Weavewalk. Overly dominant tools like Titan Banner of War banner levels and Woven Mail damage resistance saw reductions, however.

These changes indicate Bungie's close attention to balancing Strand's novelty against the older light subclasses. There is still work left, but tangible progress made in Update 7.3.0.

Exotic Armor Gets Targeted Reworks

Beyond abilities and subclasses, several exotic armors with lackluster appeal got complete reworks in the new update. The cultist-themed Aeon exotics now mark enemies for increased fireteam damage rather than just provide generic buffs.

Warlock highlights Apotheosis Veil gained dramatic improvements to rift ability regeneration and group support power too. The air-focused Titan Stompees and damaging Titan Wormgod Caress also received impactful changes suited to their core fantasies.

Including numerous other exotics tweaked across classes, players have plenty of new gear options to experiment with. Bungie continues to show dedication toward underused exotics seeing balanced improvements rather than just overnerfing dominant ones.

Swords, Glaives, and Snipers Buffed

Among weapons, a few struggling archetypes gained noteworthy PvE buffs to damage and ammo economy. Swords, glaives, and snipers in particular got help to carve out more reliable niches against Destiny 2's bullet-hose meta.

Swords received multiple mechanics changes to tighten their core role as devastators against high-priority targets. Glaive projectile speed, lethality, and combo flexibility all came up to bring the fantasy in line with their viability.

Moreover, snipers finally gained an unconditional 15% PvE damage increase to support their precision broad playstyle better. Bungie continues responding to pain points holding back some of Destiny's coolest weapon archetypes.

Core Economy Shifts Ahead of Lightfall

Finally, Destiny 2 Update 7.3.0 patch notes also removed upgrade costs in the Monument to Lost Light exotic kiosk and focused weapon crafting. All the steep legendary shard requirements vanished overnight, replaced with just enhancement cores and glimmer.

Bungie confirms legendary shards will still drop from existing sources until Final Shape but will get phased out as a currency eventually. This appears an early step toward that handshake while eliminating painful shard costs for returning or new players looking to flesh out their collections.

The shard and economy changes speak to Bungie evaluating outdated systems as Destiny 2 evolves into its five-year life cycle. This should alleviate serious frustrations around acquiring essential gear, especially exotic weapons, without totally devaluing investment put into stockpiles.

Summary of Key Changes in Destiny 2 Update 7.3.0 Patch Notes

Activities:

• New Crucible map Citadel added, Sparrow Racing mode introduced
• Gambit invader frequency and Iron Banner quest requirements adjusted
• Nightfall scoring updates, Trials weekly rewards added

Subclass & Ability Changes:

• Multiple melee displace times shortened in PvP (0.5s vs 1s)
• Restoration and Cure healing amounts lowered by up to 300hp/s
• Thundercrash resilience cut in half (53% to 25%) in PvP
• Several cooldown times increased - Well of Radiance, Ward of Dawn

Exotic Armor:

• Aeon Cult set was reworked to mark enemies for bonus fireteam damage
• Apotheosis Veil grants Restoration x3, increased ability regen
• Stomp-EE5 adds aerial damage resistance instead of class ability regen
• Wormgod Caress changed to 5 stack damage buff meter
• Severance Enclosure explosion size and chaining increased

Weapons:

• Snipers get flat +15% PvE damage
• Swords fixed functionality issues when guarding with over shield
• Glaive projectile speed and PvE damage increased
• Specific upgrades for Vex Mythoclast, Auto/Pulse Rifles

Economy:

• Removed all Legendary Shard upgrade costs
• Focusing now only requires cores/glimmer
• Shards will still drop from existing sources

Note: You can view the full Bungie Patch notes for Destiny 2 Update over here.

Destiny 2 Update 7.3.0 patch notes deliver significant changes to fundamentals like subclasses, abilities, exotics, weapons, economy, and ritual activities right before the Lightfall expansion shake-up.

Bungie takes strides toward systemic friction points around ability spam, struggling gear, and new Strand powers while throwing players a rewards bone across Crucible, Gambit, and Vanguard Ops.

For all the open questions around Lightfall itself, this patch brings plenty of much-needed adjustments to suit Destiny 2's live game in the interim.