Bungie announces new Prismatic subclass, Exotic Class items, and enemy faction for Destiny 2: The Final Shape

Before Destiny 2 players had a chance dive into Onslaught or other Into the Light content, Bungie teased other exciting reveals for The Final Shape. The studio has confirmed that a new Subclass, Exotic Class items, and enemy type will accompany the upcoming Destiny 2 expansion.

The Final Shape is the final expansion in Destiny 2‘s Light and Darkness saga, concluding the original story. While taking the fight against the Witness to the inside of the Traveler sounds like a blast, the initial reveal for The Final Shape simply whelmed players. Following three successful streams detailing Into the Light content, Bungie held another Twitch stream to show off gameplay from The Final Shape. With a new Subclass and other exciting upcoming content, the June expansion is poised to continue the goodwill generated by Into the Light.

The Prismatic Subclass kicks off Destiny 2’s Final Shape stream

Bungie kicked off The Final Shape stream with the new Prismatic Subclass. The whole idea behind Prismatic is to mix and match. The Subclass allows Guardians to combine abilities from different Light and Dark Subclasses, creating unique and powerful hybrids. This was accompanied by a glimpse of a Hunter decimating foes with Strand, Stasis, Arc, Solar, and new abilities.

Bungie described the new Subclass, saying, “Prismatic is the new Subclass in The Final Shape where you can combine certain Class abilities from different damage types together.” The studio acknowledged that this has been a power fantasy within the community for a while, and it’s finally coming to the game.

Playing the Prismatic Subclass, players will have dueling Dark and Light meters building under their Super indicator. Dealing Light or Dark damage increases these meters, and once both are full, Guardians will enter a state called Transcendence. Transcendence grants players a new Dark and Light hybrid grenade, a stacking damage bonus, and completely refunds grenade and melee energy.

The Final Shape brings more Exotic Class items

For all of Destiny’s history, players have been able to equip themselves with their choice of Exotic armor pieces, but Class items have always been mysteriously absent. That’s changing with The Final Shape, which also adds a twist to the build game. Not only will Guardians be able to equip Exotic Class items, but each will also uniquely combine effects from other Exotic armor pieces. 

If this sounds kind of like the idea behind the Prismatic Subclass, it’s because it is, and these Exotic Class items are only usable when players have the Prismatic Subclass equipped. Bungie teased what some of the combinations might look like in a recap on its website, explaining:

“That means a Hunter could have an Exotic cloak with some of the unique qualities of Assassin’s Cowl combined with parts of Liar’s Handshake. On the other hand, Warlocks could get an Exotic bond roll with perks of Apotheosis Veil and Star-Eater Scales and Titans could get an Exotic mark with parts of Ophidian Aspect and Precious Scars.”

New enemies invade for The Final Shape

After teasing the new Subclass and showcasing Exotic Class items, Bungie moved on to what players would fight during The Final Shape. A new enemy faction is coming to Destiny 2: The Dread, bearing a similar resemblance to Tormenter enemies and Rhulk, the boss from the Vow of the Disciple Raid.

These new foes come in various shapes and sizes, including flying variants. Each Dread employs a unique way to try and trip players up, from Attendants and Weavers using Stasis and Strand to melee-focused Husks that are still a threat even after death.

While this is a lot of news preceding the June 3 The Final Shape expansion, Bungie promises that more info will come, starting with a scheduled Dev Insight article on April 10.