Destiny 2: Returning Exotics And The Black Armory Forges

Recently, The Last Word, a fan favorite exotic hand cannon from the original Destiny, found its way into Destiny 2 via a quest from the Drifter. This is just one of many exotics that have been reintroduced in Bungie’s newest multiplayer shooter, and they are usually obtained by completing a grind-heavy quest.

This got me thinking: Why not have players craft these returning exotics using the different forges from the Black Armory DLC? Not only would this make players feel like they are getting a brand new version of their favorite weapons, but it would also keep the Black Armory relevant into the future, as fans would continually return to the forges to craft.

Old Meets New

With the forges introduced in the Black Armory, we can now craft new weapons via the weapon frames that Ada-1 has available. However, it would be more interesting if we could use these forges to get our old weapons from the original Destiny back as well.

This could be done by calling on a method that was used to forge weapons in the Curse of Osiris expansion. With the Lost Prophecy quests, players were able to forge Vex-themed weapons by completing various activities and acquiring specific materials. With all the necessary components in hand, players would visit the forge next to the quest giver in order to obtain their new weapon.

This could be done again with returning exotics and the forges from the Black Armory. Under this system, players would craft their exotic weapon frames in these new forges. 

This method would increase the nostalgia players feel as they craft the new version of their old weapons. They could remember the great times they had clearing the original Nightfalls with Icebreaker or sniping someone from across the Crucible map with Hawkmoon.

However, I’m not saying that all exotic weapons should return in Destiny 2. Instead, I am suggesting that whichever ones are planned to come back should follow this new quest method.

This would give players a great reason to keep coming back to the Black Armory content they paid for, making it useful for a long time. This is the way to keep existing content relevant, continually breathing new life into it.