Destiny 2’s Tonic system has been widely panned, but improvements are coming.
Changes are coming to the Destiny 2 Tonics system, with Bungie confirming the little-loved Episode: Revenant system is getting a boost in an update next week.
Developers are hoping the update will address shortcomings with the tonic system, with many players speaking out against the mechanic due to its tedious requirements and lack of benefits.
Destiny 2 Tonics duration, proper weapon focusing on the cards
Bungie stated in a post on the Destiny 2 Team X/Twitter account yesterday that Tonics were getting a refresh on December 17. "Our main goals are to give you far more opportunities to earn the weapons you're chasing with Tonics," Bungie said.
The base duration for each tonic will be increased by 20 minutes at all rarities. This means Legendary Tonics will now last 80 minutes — long enough to account for multiple activities or a dungeon run. These durations are further boosted by unlocking Lab Equipment, with another increase coming with Act 3.
Weapon-focusing tonics will also prioritize the weapon the player is chasing. Previously, drinking a weapon-specific tonic would only slightly increase the odds of that weapon dropping. Guardians were frustrated by popping a tonic only to receive a wide range of weapons from the same set, missing out on the loot they actually want.
"Legendary Tonics will guarantee the associated weapon drops when triggered directly to your loot feed, rather than being shared across multiple Episode: Revenant weapon drops," Bungie clarified. Activity-based tonics will also increase the drop rate of weapons when running that specific activity.
Related articles
A step in the right direction, but still a "clunky" system to navigate
The Tonic system has been criticized by many Destiny 2 players since it arrived with Episode: Revenant in October. Tonics are supposed to replace the old crafting and attuning system we saw in previous seasons, but two months in, improvements are still being made as players struggle with its complexities.
"All this work to make a system that is objectively more complicated than just having f*****g crafting for seasonal weapons," one player said on Reddit. Between harvesting the tonic ingredients to opening multiple menus every time a tonic expires, it's clear players are struggling to adapt to the system, which has been described as "clunky."
"You're just putting lipstick on the pig here," another player said. "The basic concept of using Tonics for seasonal rewards is just fundamentally discouraging. There are too many steps in between you and the drops you want."
Bungie remains committed to improving the system which will be in place at least until Episode: Revenant Act 3. The episode wraps up next February.
In the meantime, we'll see if next week's update hits the right spot as far as tonics are concerned. For more Destiny 2 news, check out esports.gg.
