Destiny 2’s New Subclass “Prismatic” Has One Serious Problem… PvP

Bungie recently revealed the newest Subclass that will be arriving with The Final Shape – Prismatic. While fans have been expressing their excitement about the gameplay opportunities that Prismatic will bring to the Destiny 2 sandbox, many others criticize how practical it would be in a PvP setting.

With the opportunity to mix and match multiple abilities and create more builds than ever before, will Prismatic throw off the balance in the Crucible?

How Does Prismatic Work in Destiny 2?

Bungie has described Prismatic as being an “advanced” subclass that offers an entirely new level of gameplay and strategy. In essence, Guardians will be able to use various damage types from the Light and Dark to create a combination of abilities. For example, as a Hunter, you will be able to use your arc abilities that activate the Jolt effect, while also using Stasis abilities to freeze and slow enemies. The same idea can be applied to each class in Destiny 2.

Players also earn a new type of power called Transcendence in The Final Shape. When Prismatic is equipped, you’ll have a light and dark meter to fill up. Once both the meters reach full capacity, Guardians will be able to unleash a special power that combines abilities of different damage types and elements.

However, it doesn’t stop there. With the introduction of Exotic Class items in The Final Shape, Guardians will also be able to combine two Exotic Armor perks not only from different exotics belonging to their class, but perks from different classes as well.

All of this new customization sounds great in theory, and most definitely will make for a fun PvE experience. But what does this mean for PvP?

Will Prismatic Be Overpowered in PvP?

Bungie has yet to address exactly just how Prismatic will function in a PvP setting. However, if we’re looking at previous examples, PvP balance hasn’t always been Bungie’s strong suit.

When Stasis and Strand were introduced into the Destiny 2 sandbox, players often complained about how those subclasses threw off the game balance. And even though Bungie eventually addressed those player concerns, on both occasions, game-balance fixes came a while after launch.

Now, with Prismatic giving players the option to combine multiple abilities from different subclasses, game balance has once again been called into question. Whether or not Bungie has already devised a way to address this has yet to be revealed. However, with The Final Shape dropping in under eight weeks, we’ll soon know for sure.