Destiny 2 Threshers have been nerfed in the popular FPS game, according to an update from Bungie. The powerful flying Cabal ships were a burden to players who complained about their ability to one-shot Guardians since Lightfall’s release just over three weeks ago. Theshers’ projectiles can seek targets, which made it nearly impossible for Destiny 2 players to take cover from or dodge them, resulting in near-guaranteed death.
The Bungie team implemented the changes as part of Destiny 2 Hotfix 7.0.0.6. The patch notes contain the line, “Fixed an issue where Cabal Threshers were doing more damage than intended.” Based on Bungie’s choice of words, it appears the airships were causing extra damage due to a bug, and the team never intended for them to be as powerful as they were. However, their high damage output frustrated players attempting to complete activities on Neomuna and became the subject of numerous memes suggesting they were far too powerful.
Threshers represent one of many difficulty issues players have complained about in the game over the past few weeks. Players continue to share their frustrations with Legendary Lost Sector difficulty. While a recent TWAB noted that Bungie would be easing Lost Sector requirements to earn Destiny 2 Guardian Ranks and the team has also improved Exotic loot drop rates in response to the criticism, Bungie has yet to address their overall difficulty.
Before Lightfall’s release, Destiny 2 game director Joe Blackburn shared that the Bungie team would be making the game more difficult in response to player feedback that some activities were too easy. However, the changes have also led to backlash from players who were satisfied with the game’s easier difficulty, as they say the Mars Heist: Battleground Nightfall and missions such as the Legendary secret ‘Avalon’ mission from the Destiny 2 Vexcalibur Exotic quest are too challenging.
Bungie promises a mid-season weapon balancing update, which could potentially address player feedback that primary weapons don’t feel viable in many PvE activities. More viable weapons could make the content easier for weaker and newer players.
However, Bungie has yet to address these other difficulty challenges in the multiplayer game. It’s too early to tell whether changes such as the Thresher power change in the hotfix will impact player retention. Still, Guardians have made it clear that when it came to adjusting the game’s difficulty for Lightfall, the developers’ attempt at balance amounted to a swing too far in the opposite direction.
If you’re still considering whether or not Lightfall is for you, be sure to check out our Destiny 2 Lightfall review, as well as a list of all the Destiny 2 classes – including the Stasis and the Strand.