More than any other class in Destiny 2, Titans come in for jokes and mockery. Hunters are grimdark rogues, Warlocks are bookish wizards, and Titans eat crayons. For the most part, this is all in good fun, and Titans have been powerhouses in PVE and PVP as often as any other class. But there is a problem with Titans that’s persisting even into the upcoming Lightfall expansion — Bungie doesn’t seem to know what to do with them mechanically.
The new Strand power is granting Warlocks and Hunters some really incredible-looking abilities. Warlocks are getting the closest thing Destiny 2 has ever had to a pet class. Hunters, meanwhile, are gaining incredible mobility. What do Titans get? They get to punch. Their abilities include a melee attack, a Barricade that launches some Strand blasts, and yet another roaming super where they punch things.
Now, it’s fine for a class to have a defined identity. But let’s look at the various existing subclasses and the diversity (or lack thereof) within them:
- For Void, Hunters have a roaming melee super that makes them invisible as well as a debuffing ranged burst super. Warlocks get a roaming, teleporting super and a burst explosive super. Titans get a roaming melee super and a defensive super that buffs allies.
- Solar Hunters have a short-ranged burst super and a roaming, ranged one. Warlocks get a roaming super that allows them to fly, plus a buffing/healing field. Titans get two roaming supers, one of which is ranged and one of which is melee.
- For Arc, Hunters have a roaming staff super and a burst/DoT ranged super. Warlocks have a roaming lightning super and a sustained, narrow laser beam. Titans get a roaming melee super and a burst melee attack.
- With Stasis, Hunters have a burst/DoT super that creates a moving field of damage. Warlocks have a roaming ranged super. Titans have a roaming melee super.
- Lastly, with the upcoming Strand, Hunters have a roaming semi-ranged super. Warlocks have a burst ranged attack. Titans have… another roaming melee super.
Why do Warlocks and Hunters get so much more variety than their bulky brethren? Sure, Destiny 2 Titans have the excellent Ward of Dawn and the deadly Thundercrash. But pretty much all of their other super abilities are “move around and hit things.” Meanwhile, Hunters have Golden Gun, Shadowshot, Gathering Storm, and more. Warlocks get Well of Radiance, Nova Bomb, Stormtrance, and so on.
Strand, unfortunately, seems to be continuing the pattern here. Imagine if the Titan Strand super emphasized protecting your teammates by weaving armor around them? Or what if it was a Strand machine gun that unwound itself as it fired? Maybe a Strand turret that automatically tracked enemies? There are so many possibilities here that play into Titan flavor.
We’re not sure why Bungie felt the need to give Titans yet another melee-focused subclass, but it’s a shame to see their identity in Destiny 2 be restricted so much. Sure, Titans punch things. But they can do other things, too.
