Bungie is about to make a number of changes to kick off Destiny 2's next content season and it seems like they'll have a big impact on the game. The planned patch that comes with the Season of the Worthy's release in March is mostly full of tweaks that lessen the damage dealt by a variety of guns, and taken together, they should push players to make some major shifts in the strategies they favor in the Crucible PvP arena, and which weapons are seen as essential to high-level content like raids.
Bungie detailed the changes in its This Week at Bungie blog post, which largely seem like they're aimed at keeping any given type of weapon from becoming a default choice in either PvP or PvE. Bungie is switching around one of the perks of Izanagi's Burden, an Exotic sniper rifle that has become a mainstay of loadouts for players taking on high-level enemies, which will make it reload a little slower but a little more reliable when you're under fire.
Two other weapons, which have become dominant in the Crucible, are also getting downgrades: Lord of Wolves and The Last Word. Lord of Wolves, in particular, has seen a major uptick in use; the shotgun carries an alternate fire mode that sprays a ton of ammo in a short period that makes it ridiculously deadly at close ranges. Bungie is tweaking the gun to reduce the accuracy of that alternate fire mode, making it effective only at very close range--and that should encourage Lord of Wolves users to try its normal firing mode when they're fighting at a little more distance.
The Last Word, meanwhile, is having its damage lessened. It's still a pretty effective gun when you fire it from the hip (as it's meant to be used; it's basically a gunslinger's revolver), but non-headshot damage is taking a big hit. Bungie is also removing a boost to the gun's range when aiming down its sights to further encourage players to use it like they're trick-shooting in the Wild West.
It's not just Exotics that are getting changed, though. Bungie is making alterations to several gun types in general, with some reductions that'll likely cause some to alter their strategies. That starts with sniper rifles, which are the go-to guns to use for boss damage in activities like the Shadowkeep expansion's Garden of Salvation raid. Snipers are seeing their damage reduced in PvE content by about 20%, which might mean that you'll see fewer people blasting away with snipers to kill the Garden of Salvation's Sanctified Mind.
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Grenade launchers have also become go-to guns for use against boss enemies, and Bungie is reducing their effectiveness in PvE content as well. All grenade launchers are seeing a reduction of damage against bosses by about 10%. Meanwhile, you'll soon find fusion rifles are a little less effective in the Crucible, with reductions coming to their effective ranges that mean you'll need to be closer to knock down those kills.
On the plus side, Bungie is fixing its aim assist for fusion rifles and shotguns so that the guns don't lock on to other players' heads, which could result in more whiffs than kills. Auto rifles are getting a damage boost against other players too, since right now, those guns are disadvantaged against their slower-firing counterparts like hand cannons.
There are a bunch more changes detailed in Bungie's blog post, but we'll get the most complete look when the developer releases its patch notes closer to the start of Destiny 2's next content season, which is scheduled for March 9. You might want to get some raid clears with your snipers and grenade launchers before then.