When Destiny 2: The Final Shape launches in June, it will introduce a brand-new subclass unlike anything before it. Whereas each previous subclass incorporates specific elemental energies associated with Light and Darkness, the upcoming Prismatic subclass harnesses Light and Dark in equal measure for customizable loadouts that blend together various powers from other subclasses. Here's a deep dive into everything we know about it and what players can expect.
Prismatic Basics
Bungie revealed the Prismatic subclass during a developer gameplay preview for The Final Shape that aired on April 9. The livestream opened with a fight against a boss called Vrihn, Subjugator of Gardens. Though it certainly takes place within the Traveler since the Witness appears briefly, the destination is called The Lost City—which could mean that the Pale Heart shows potential futures. The player character is a Hunter who wields a Strand grapple, a Stasis Withering Blade melee projectile, a Gunslinger Acrobatic Dodge, and even more.
"Getting Light and Dark and mastering it, no one's done that before," says Combat Area Lead Ben Wommack in the livestream. "The Witness is manipulating the energies like this, but The Witness is not a master of Light and Dark — you are, the Guardian is, the players are." The word "gamebreaking" kept popping up often.
"Your Super, melee, grenade, and Aspect slots will feature a selection of Light and Darkness abilities from all five damage types," an April 10 blog post from Bungie reads. "You can also select from all available movement modes and class abilities, including the subclass-specific ones, such as Phoenix Dive, Acrobat’s Dodge, and Thruster." Bungie promises that "a complete starting Prismatic build" will be available to players from the very first mission of The Final Shape.
When playing as the Prismatic subclass, a Light meter and a Dark meter underneath the Super bar fill as you deal damage of each type. Once it's complete, you can activate Transcendence. Unlike a Super, it's an enhanced combat state that unlocks a new kit of abilities like a grenade combining Light and Dark while also boosting weapon damage. When cast, Prismatic also refunds all melee and grenade energy. Dealing damage with either also boosts the regeneration rate for the other.
Developers also promise that there are far more Fragments available in Transcendence compared to typical subclasses, which means that buildcrafters will have a myriad of new combinations allowing them to customize their Guardian to their playstyle.
Prismatic Subclasses
The Prismatic Subclass is unlocked in the very first mission of The Final Shape but more abilities, Aspects, and Fragments are unlocked during and after the campaign along with some as hidden collectibles. This will incentivize experimentation as new options become available.
Prismatic Hunter
The Prismatic Hunter is all about maneuverability and even more options for turning invisible. Included below is a table of optional abilities.
| Supers | Class Abilities | Movement Modes | Melee Abilities | Grenade Abilities | Aspects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Storm’s Edge | Marksman’s Dodge | High Jump | Combination Blow | Arcbolt Grenade | Ascension |
Golden Gun: Marksman | Gambler’s Dodge | Strafe Jump | Knife Trick | Swarm Grenade | Gunpowder Gamble |
Silence and Squall | Acrobat’s Dodge | Triple Jump | Withering Blade | Duskfield Grenade | Winter’s Shroud |
Silkstrike |
| Blink | Threaded Spike | Grapple | Threaded Specter |
Shadowshot: Deadfall |
|
| Snare Bomb | Magnetic Grenade | Stylish Executioner |
- Transcendence Grenade: Hailfire Spike (Solar and Stasis) - Throw a device charged with Stasis matter and Solar energy that attaches to surfaces or targets and then erupts into a slowing storm. After a short duration, the device ignites, creating a deadly scorching cyclone.
Prismatic Warlock
The Prismatic Warlock has a ton of options for summoning support entities like Hellions, Threadlines, and Bleak Watchers.
| Supers | Class Abilities | Movement Modes | Melee Abilities | Grenade Abilities | Aspects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Song of Flame | Healing Rift | Burst Glide | Incinerator Snap | Healing Grenade | Hellion |
Nova Bomb: Cataclysm | Empowering Rift | Strafe Glide | Pocket Singularity | Vortex Grenade | Feed the Void |
Stormtrance | Phoenix Dive | Controlled Glide | Chain Lightning | Storm Grenade | Lightning Surge |
Winter’s Wrath |
| Blink | Penumbral Blast | Coldsnap Grenade | Bleak Watcher |
Needlestorm |
|
| Arcane Needle | Threadling Grenade | Weaver’s Call |
- Transcendence Grenade: Freezing Singularity (Stasis and Void) - Throw a mass of Void energy and Stasis matter. On impact, it deploys a miniature black hole orbited by a halo of slowing ice. After a short duration, the black hole implodes, suppressing and dealing heavy damage to all nearby targets.
Prismatic Titan
This subclass has numerous options for disabling enemies before an aggressive follow-up move.
| Supers | Class Abilities | Movement Modes | Melee Abilities | Grenade Abilities | Aspects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Twilight Arsenal | Towering Barricade | High Lift | Shield Throw | Suppressor Grenade | Unbreakable |
Thundercrash | Rally Barricade | Strafe Lift | Thunderclap | Pulse Grenade | Knockout |
Bladefury | Thruster | Catapult Lift | Frenzied Blade | Shackle Grenade | Drengr’s Lash |
Hammer of Sol |
|
| Hammer Strike | Thermite Grenade | Consecration |
Glacial Quake |
|
| Shiver Strike | Glacier Grenade | Diamond Lance |
- Transcendence Grenade: Electrified Snare (Strand and Arc) - Throw an explosive device energized with Strand matter and Arc energy that detonates in a supercharged suspending burst. The suspended target takes heavy damage over time and chains jolting lightning to any nearby targets.
Prismatic Fragments
Each Prismatic subclass has a total of 21 fragments compared to the typical 14-16. And, once unlocked on one character, they become available on the entire account. Bungie even shared 12 of them already as part of the April 10 blog post.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Facet of Balance | Rapidly defeating targets with Light damage grants melee energy. Rapidly defeating targets with Dark damage grants grenade energy. |
| Facet of Bravery | Defeating targets with grenades grants Volatile Rounds to your Void weapons. Defeating targets with powered melee final blows grants Unraveling Rounds to your Strand weapons. |
| Facet of Dawn (starting) | Powered melee hits against targets make you Radiant. Powered melee final blows make both you and nearby allies Radiant. |
| Facet of Defiance | Finishers create a detonation that either Jolts, Scorches, Slows, Severs, or makes targets Volatile, based on the damage type of your equipped super. |
| Facet of Dominance | Your Void grenades Weaken, and Arc grenades Jolt targets. |
| Facet of Generosity | Defeating targets while Transcendent creates Orbs of Power for your allies. |
| Facet of Grace | Damaging targets with Kinetic weapons grants you bonus Transcendence energy. Defeating targets with your Super grants you and nearby allies bonus Transcendence energy. |
| Facet of Hope (starting) | While you have an elemental buff, your class ability regenerates more quickly. |
| Facet of Justice | While Transcendent, your ability final blows explode. |
| Facet of Protection (starting) | While surrounded by enemies, you are more resistant to incoming damage. |
| Facet of Purpose (starting) | Picking up an Orb of Power grants either Amplified, Restoration, Frost Armor, Woven Mail, or Overshield, based on the damage type of your equipped super. |
| Facet of Ruin (starting) | This increases the size and damage of the burst when you shatter a Stasis Crystal or Frozen target and increases the size of Solar Ignitions. |
Exotic Class Items
The Final Shape will also introduce new Exotic-tier class items that "allow you to steal perks from other Exotics and combine two perks together into one single Exotic," said Gameplay Feature Lead Sam Dunn in the livestream. The base two perks are randomly rolled and can even come from other Classes, so players must continuously hunt down new rolls to experiment. Undoubtedly, these random rolls will determine various builds. It's unclear if all Exotic perks are in the loot pool here or if there's a limited selection, but the possibilities are tantalizing. Here are a few specific examples Bungie highlighted:
Hunter
- Assassin's Cowl (Hunter) - Powered melee final blows grant invisibility and restore a portion of health and shields. Finishers and final blows against more powerful targets increase the duration of the invisibility and the amount of health and shields restored.
- Liar's Handshake (Hunter) - Using your Arc melee ability or being hit by a melee attack will allow you to follow up with an extremely powerful melee counterpunch that will heal you.
This will likely be one of the rolls that all Hunters chase. With the right aspects, that means every dodge and powered melee final blow grants invisibility. And, in theory, the perk from Liar's Handshake becomes element-agnostic, so any melee abilities activate the extremely powerful counterpunch.
Warlock
- Apotheosis Veil (Warlock) - Immediately regenerate health, melee, grenade, and Rift energy for you and your nearby allies upon activating your Super. After your Super ends, temporarily gain greatly increased melee and grenade regen.
- Star-Eater Scales (Hunter) - You gain additional Super energy from Orbs of Power you pick up. While your Super energy is full, picking up an Orb of Power overcharges your Super, causing you to gain a burst of healing when cast and a bonus to your Super damage. At maximum overcharge, you also gain an overshield.
A deadly combo for any class, this combines two of the very best Exotic perks associated with Supers, vastly increasing survivability for roving Supers and incentivizing Orbs of Power generation.
Titan
- Ophidian Aspect (Warlock) - Weapons ready and reload very quickly. Provides a small benefit to the airborne effectiveness stat of all weapons.
- Precious Scars (Titan) - Final blows from weapons with a damage type matching your subclass energy create a burst of healing around you that grants allies restoration. After reviving or being revived, you gain an aura that provides overshields to you and nearby allies.
This combo emphasizes gunplay. Airborne effectiveness doesn't matter much to a Hunter, but Ophidian Aspect's perk is a boon to any Warlock or Titan. In theory, your "subclass energy" for the Precious Scars perk is every energy type on Prismatic. Between the burst of healing and the overshield, expect that Precious Scars perk to be vital for higher-tier Prismatic gameplay.
