Published on: Jul 23, 2015 @ 17:48

Read the full weekly update at Bungie.net

[divider]

This week at Bungie we’re serving up a small preview of the arsenal that’s waiting for you in The Taken King.

This isn’t just an arms deal, though. Our designers have been hard at working creating a wealth of weapons that will infuse the gun racks in the Tower with some more diversity – and heritage.

Historic Notes provided by Commander Zavala:

The weapons used by our Guardians come from the salvaged remains of our Golden Age and new discoveries in advanced energy systems. After the Collapse, gunsmiths who were the best at repurposing and repairing these artifacts quickly became crucial to any group’s survival. But with large arsenals comes power, and threats to our common goals forced the City to monitor the size of its weapon foundries. The foundries that survive today are the best of the best. Some are built on centuries-old traditions and tribal knowledge, others grew with new discoveries and rediscoveries, and each one has proven vital to our survival.

Included among the weapons that have been wrought by the hands you keep safe will be some native bloodlines of Legendary destruction. Help yourself to a small sampling of functional archetypes from three of the Foundries that keep our City well-armed and extremely dangerous.

[divider]

Functional. Reliable. Unapologetic.

Design Pillars provided by Lead Artist Raj Nattam:

• Hammers, not scalpels
• Relatable design harkening back to a lost era
• Hakke is not about exciting form, it is about exciting function
• A weapon’s weapon
• Hakke is the instrument of the people

Tactical Analysis provided by Sandbox Designer Jon Weisnewski:

Building reliable tools built for soldiers in the field, Hakke values simplicity over intricacy. Function over flair. Hakke weapons all start with a more tightly focused band of base stats that don’t spike as high or low as other weapon families, granting a solid foundation for growing the weapon.

On a Hakke talent grid you’ll see a simplified set of scopes that work best for the weapon, front-loaded perk nodes, with the stat upgrade options occupying the final column. Hakke perk selection is focused on offensive actions and combat tactics. Hakke Pulse Rifles fire a burst of four rounds with damage adjusted to match the DPS of a three round burst, meaning the pulse rounds do less individually but are equal as a group. Fire time between bursts is slightly faster.

AUTO RIFLE

Concept: Jesse Van Dijk
3D Model: Raj Nattam

SHOTGUN

Concept: Adrian Majkrzak
3D Model: Raj Nattam

PULSE RIFLE

Concept: Adrian Majkrzak
3D Model: Mark Van Haitsma

[divider]

The future is what we make it.

Design Pillars provided by Lead Artist Raj Nattam:

• Experimental, bordering on irresponsible
• Powered by barely understood technology
• A fusion of the mad scientist and product engineer of the new frontier
• Hallmark is the liquid ammo displays and Omolon power cells
• Omolon is the future returned

Tactical Analysis provided by Sandbox Designer Jon Weisnewski:

Pioneers of energy weaponry, Omolon is the first foundry to experiment beyond the world of combustion ballistics. Sporting lighter ergonomic frames, Omolon weapons all start with generous base handling stats to build from. Omolon talent grids focus on behavioral perks over stat customization.

Legendary talent grids are the only weapons that offer three perks: one as the first non-scope upgrade and two as a binary choice in the final column. Perk selection favors perks that are energy based and/or go beyond the weapon to interact with the wielder’s abilities or status.

SCOUT RIFLE

Concept: Joseph Cross
3D Model: Matt Lichy

HAND CANNON

Concept: Joseph Cross
3D Model: Raj Nattam

SNIPER RIFLE

Concept: Joseph Cross
3D Model: David Stammel

[divider]

Elegance in the face of brutality.

Design Pillars provided by Lead Artist Raj Nattam:

• This is my sword
• Function is a given; it must be given form
• Design is honed, precision
• Every curve, every line, every chamfer speaks to the Suros philosophy
• Suros is elegance amidst brutality

Tactical Analysis provided by Sandbox Designer Jon Weisnewski:

Some say the best weapon for a Guardian is the one they can customize to match their intent. Suros believes in options – weapons that can be repurposed for a variety of combat situations. Suros talent grids offer two columns of two stat perks, granting more options for changing weapon stats than any other foundry.

The single behavior perk is grounded in the middle of the talent grid as a focus point for the weapon’s core potential. If you want a weapon that can flex from CQ to ranged, quick to powerful, fast handling to hard hitting all with the swap of a few nodes: SUROS.

AUTO RIFLE

Concept: Joseph Cross
3D Model: Mark Van Haitsma

SCOUT RIFLE

Concept: Joseph Cross
3D Model: Matt Lichy

ROCKET LAUNCHER

Concept: Joseph Cross
3D Model: Mark Van Haitsma

This inspection doesn’t cover the entire product line that Hakke, Omolon, and Suros have to offer. We’re holding back a number of armament categories for you to discover for yourself as the Taken War escalates. The models you’re looking at will seed a vast array of options you’ll use to equip your Guardian.

There will be more choices than ever to arm yourself in the Tower. Factions will have their own guns. Classes will have their own guns. More Quests will lead you directly to specific guns. Even the Gunsmith will have a new way to include you in his enterprise. We’ll inspect all of that as well before you earn the means to equip yourselves to meet a rising threat.

[divider]

Ready, set, create.

Now what we’ve shown you some of our art, we want to see all of yours.

On Bungie Day, we released a video we had created to celebrate Destiny Year One. When we look across the community, it’s gloriously obvious that we’re not the only creators around here. Some people who play Destiny use the game as a stage to express themselves, and we love the show you put on. That’s why we gave you a two week head-start to create an entry in the Destiny Year One Art Contest.

That contest begins now. Your submissions are welcome in a brand new place to celebrate and share awesome community art. Check it out!

“What has been your favorite thing about the first year of Destiny?”

Contest Details:

• Submit an external link to the Creations page
• Upload your own stuff or give credit to an artist you love
• Provide the full URL without link shorteners – for example:
  • http://i.imgur.com/gLR0nVp.jpg
• Nothing wider than 1920 pixels, please
• Bungie-approved contest entries will go on display
• “Give Light” to participate in contest judging
• Bungie will award prizes to our favorite creations that rise to the top
• Winners revealed in the next Bungie Weekly Update!

Seven (7) creators will win a Collector’s Editions of Destiny: The Taken King.

Fifty (50) creators will win a Blacksmith Shader.

[divider]

Court Appointments

Want to know which map we’re featuring in Trials of Osiris this weekend?

The answer is: All of them.

Senior Designer Derek Carroll thought it might be interesting to change up the rotation this time:

By now, you know how this works… each week we select a single map to be the combat arena for the entire weekend’s Trials of Osiris, and everyone is thrilled with the choice.

This week only, we’re setting the Trials of Osiris playlist to “random,” just like the Elimination playlist, but on the six Trials maps where you’ve made your weekend homes.

Round, round you go. Let’s see who’s fought their way through the whole cycle and who just knows these maps well enough to thrive under the special circumstances that Trials has to offer.

Brother Vance is in The Reef, with eyes wide open for the victors. Next week, he’ll compete with Lord Saladin for your attention.

This week is an experiment.

[divider]

Fix It While the Iron is Hot

We’ll be talking a lot about Destiny Update 2.0 before it clears a path for Oryx into our solar system.

Destiny Hot Fix 1.2.0.5 will be its precursor. I’ve been told that one will arrive within the next month. It contains answers to questions that many of you have asked.

Nepal Digital Rewards

• Supporters of the Guardians to the Aid of Nepal Campaign
• Shader and Emblem codes will be delivered via email

Husk of the Pit fix

• Husk of the Pit will again drop from Blades of Crota
• Go to ‘Fist of Crota’ mission on Cosmodrome
• Drop rate has been increased from the original rate

Thanks for your patience and partnership on both fronts. You helped us support a good cause and were instrumental in hunting down a new bug. We’ll provide more information when the time of this deployment is more predictable.

[divider]

Next week, we’re scouting the Dreadnaught. The week after that, we’re scouting Germany. Every hero shot we took during our weapons inspection this week came from the build we’re taking to gamescom. Come and see us in the PlayStation booth, and we’ll let you fire off a few virtual rounds. If you’re in the neighborhood.