Destiny 2's Enhancement Cores to get a much-needed shot in the arm
Power up.
Bungie has outlined plans to shake up the way Destiny 2 players obtain Enhancement Cores in a move that should make the infusion process more accessible.
Infusion is the process of using an item to power up another item. For example, you might burn a gun that's a higher level than the gun you'd like to use, to make the gun you'd like to use the same level as the gun you're burning.
Enter Enhancement Cores, which must be spent as part of the infusion process. Pretty much all Destiny 2 players agree Enhancement Cores are too scarce in the game's economy, limiting the amount of infusing you can do. And the system doesn't play well with the way Destiny 2's character progression works out in the field, either. You might find a weapon one or two levels above the weapon you want to use, burn three Enhancement Cores to infuse it, then soon after find a weapon one or two levels above the weapon you want to use again. You've just wasted three Enhancement Cores!
Not only does the lack of Enhancement Cores limit your ability to keep the gear you like up to scratch, it limits experimentation and customisation. If you only have a few Enhancement Cores, you're much less likely to power up a gun that may or may not be fun or useful, because you want to reserve the Cores for essential infusions that may or may not come down the line.
In its latest weekly update blog post, Bungie explained its position and said it planned to give players more access to Enhancement Cores.
"The goal of the infusion system is to create an impactful feeling of progression when you increase the Power of an item you enjoy using," Bungie said. "An infusion system with no scarcity around the materials would diminish this impact. To that end, we tapped into a material with inherent scarceness, Enhancement Cores, to use as one of the keystone materials for this process.
"That is the goal the infusion system, but if the overall system is causing a negative experience, we want to work to improve it. We're constantly monitoring the infusion economy to see what kind of impact it has on gear usage. We keep a close eye on the amount of infusion materials being earned versus how many are being used and will continue to make adjustments as needed.
"To that end, we'll be making a change in Season of Opulence with the goal of providing more access to Enhancement Cores."
Here's how it'll work: Scrapper Bounties, which provided an Enhancement Core upon completion but dropped randomly when dismantling gear, will be removed from the game at the start of season seven. "There was no reliable way to earn Enhancement Cores using these bounties, and we didn't feel they were providing enough materials," Bungie explained.
Replacing Scrapper Bounties, the Gunsmith will offer a selection of daily and weekly bounties, paid for with the abundant Gunsmith Materials. Each of these will include an Enhancement Core as a reward when completed.
"Our hope is that this increased access and control over Enhancement Core acquisition will help improve the balance of materials being earned vs. materials being used," Bungie said. "As always, we'll be continuously monitoring this item economy, along with your feedback to assess its effectiveness."
With any luck, this change will make farming Enhancement Cores a lot less like pulling teeth, although those who loathe the Enhancement Core requirement for infusion in the first place will no doubt be left scratching their heads. Destiny 2 season seven, dubbed the Season of Opulence, kicks off this summer.