Destiny 2: Hunters Are Broken, and Need a Serious Buff

I don't main a hunter, I main a warlock. Typically I'm squeezing my controller and cursing all [...]

By Matthew Hayes

I don't main a hunter, I main a warlock. Typically I'm squeezing my controller and cursing all hunters everywhere for leaning on that stupid one-shot golden gun. I mean who can't line up a shot with a hand cannon, right?! For once, though, I'm willing to concede that hunters are in need of a buff.

By now it's been well-documented that the hunter's Shadow Shot ability is not performing as intended. Toward the end-life of the original Destiny players started noticing reduced effectiveness of Shadow Shot due to lag, and whether lag is the culprit this time around we can't say for sure, but I think that we can all agree that it needs some tuning up, along with Hunter speed, generally.

In this Reddit thread are multiple gifs and videos of hunters showing frustrating moments in the Crucible where their Shadow Shot failed to operate as intended -- as promised -- resulting in unfair deaths.

Here's one clip showing showing a hunter with his Arc super activated. As he goes on an acrobatic rampage, the player fires off a perfectly-aimed shadow shot, which should have tethered him in place, debuffed him, and canceled his super. Instead... Well, you'll see for yourself.

This next clip is even more frustrating. Check out this Titan smashing through the door and activating his super. The reactionary Shadow Shot from our hunter should have tethered him in place, but he jumps and smashes his way right through it. At first you may be inclined to think that the Shadow Tether was destroyed by the Titan's ground pound, thus rendered inactive, but you can clearly see it still active in the background toward the end of the clip:

Can we talk about this, Bungie?

destiny 2 hunter

Listen: Making video games is hard, and fixing video games is hard. We're well aware that there's never a convenient "fix" button that Bungie can magically press to make this all straighten itself out. We would love acknowledgment that this is happening, though.

Shadow Shot has two main boons: It can cancel enemy supers, and it keeps enemies tethered to a single spot to make it easier for teammates to eliminate them. Currently, it is doing neither of these things consistently. For those who love to spend their time in the Crucible and play competitively, what incentive do they have to roll with the Nightstalker class?

Like I said, I main a warlock, and I'm not looking forward to getting smacked with a Shadow Shot the way it was intended to hit. We need more variety in the Crucible, though, and all players deserve to have fun with the Guardian and sub class they're most attracted to.

Have you experienced any issues with the Shadow Shot?

Do you think hunters are broken?

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