After months of waiting, the final Light subclass update is finally coming to Destiny 2 with the Arc 3.0 update. Bungie revealed the updated subclass in a blog post on its website Wednesday morning, but didn’t offer any footage. (Players will need to wait to see Arc 3.0 in action during the Destiny 2 Showcase on Aug. 23).
This new version of Arc is all about mobility and staying up-close and personal with enemies. And like all the other 3.0 subclasses, Arc 3.0 comes with new effects (which Bungie calls “verbs”), Aspects, and Fragments to allow players to customize their kit around this new play style.
Let’s take a look at the new additions.
The verbs
Amplified is the biggest and most important verb with Arc 3.0, namely because it doesn’t require you to equip an Aspect or Fragment to activate it. Amplified is an intrinsic feature on each Arc 3.0 class, and everyone can activate it by simply getting multi-kills with Arc abilities. (You can also activate Amplified in other ways via Aspects and Fragments).
Once Amplified, you’ll move faster and gain increased weapon handling. You’ll also be able to slide much farther than usual. Sprinting for a few seconds while Amplified will give you a super speed boost, an even better slide, and a PvE-only damage resistance bonus.
Blind, Jolt, and Ionic Traces are the other terms to know with Arc 3.0. Unlike Amplified, Blind and Jolt only impact your enemies. Ionic Traces sit in the middle, spawning from enemies or abilities while benefiting you.
Blind works similarly to Void’s Suppress in PvE. Blinded enemies won’t be able to see you or use their weapons. In PvP, it’ll create a flashbang effect for enemy players.
Jolting an enemy essentially primes them with electricity. Subsequent hits of damage on a Jolted target will send out damaging chain lightning effects to nearby targets.
Ionic Traces — which are currently only available for Arc Warlocks — will work similarly to how they have since their introduction in Forsaken, but they’ll be available to Hunters and Titans as well. Enemies leave behind Ionic Traces in certain circumstances, and picking them up will grant you ability energy.
Hunter updates
Hunters are getting the most love with Arc 3.0.
Not only will Hunters be able to block and deflect with their Arc Staff Super, the Blink teleportation option is making a return to their kit for the first time since the original Destiny. And after getting a raw deal with the subclass additions in Forsaken, Arc Hunters are finally getting an alternate Super called Gathering Storm.
Casting Gathering Storm causes Hunters to leap into the air and chuck their Arc Staff like a spear. The staff can lodge itself into the ground or into enemies, and it deals area damage upon initial impact. Shortly after implantation, a lightning bolt will strike the staff and overcharge it, creating a temporary damage zone around it.
Hunters will get three Arc Aspects to change up their play style:
- Flow State: Killing a Jolted enemy Amplifies you. While Amplified, you gain increased reload time, faster dodge recharge, and damage resistance.
- Tempest Strike: Meleeing while sliding causes you to send out a wave of lightning on the ground, which deals damage and Jolts enemies.
- Lethal Current: Dodging extends the range of your next melee attack, which also Jolts targets and creates a lightning aftershock. Lethal Current also enhances your Arc Staff Super, causing it to hit twice. Melee attacking a Jolted enemy also Blinds them.
Warlock updates
Warlocks are changing the least with Arc 3.0.
Chaos Reach and Stormtrance are both back, although the latter will be a combination of the Landfall and teleportation trees. Warlocks will also maintain their two separate Arc melee attacks. The first is a ball of lightning they can fire at enemy targets. The second is a chain lightning ability, which will create a web of lightning that zaps enemies.
However, Warlocks have an additional interaction with the Amplified buff when compared to other classes. While Amplified, various Warlock abilities change in functionality. For example, the ball lightning melee will strike three times, while the chain lightning melee will strike more targets.
Warlocks will get three Arc 3.0 Aspects:
- Arc Soul: Casting a Rift creates an Arc Soul that will assist you. Allies who step into your Rift will also gain an Arc Soul. While Amplified, your Arc Soul fires faster. Your Rift recharges faster while allies are nearby.
- Lightning Surge: Activating your melee attack while sliding will transform you into a ball of lightning, which teleports you forward, jolting targets in the area.
- Electrostatic Mind: Killing enemies with Arc damage or getting kills on Arc-debuffed targets creates Ionic Traces. Collecting Ionic Traces also makes you Amplified.
Titan updates
Titans are getting several major additions with Arc 3.0. Two Titan Supers are returning: Thundercrash (which is unchanged from its current iteration) and Fist of Havoc. The Arc 3.0 version of Fist of Havoc will be getting the best of both of its previous trees, with a lingering damage field and aerial AoE.
Most notably, Titans are getting a new class ability in the form of Thruster, although it can only be activated while on the ground, like Hunter Dodge. This differentiates it from the original Destiny’s Twilight Garrison Exotic (an armor piece that Bungie promised would never return, leading to some fans harassing the developers on Twitter), which required players to be airborne. Players will be able to cast Thruster to boost themselves in a given direction, which acts as an evade.
In addition to the original two Arc melee attacks for Titans — Seismic Strike and Ballistic Slam — they’ll be getting a third option: Thunderclap. With Thunderclap, Titans can hold their melee button to charge an attack; they do have to be standing still and on the ground to charge. Letting the button go will deal lots of damage to the Titan’s opponent relative to the amount of time they charged the attack. If it’s charged for long enough, this attack can instantly kill an enemy Guardian in the Crucible.
Like the other classes, Titans will also get three Arc 3.0 Aspects:
- Touch of Thunder: Improves Arc grenades depending on their type. Flashbang grenades can also Blind enemies on the first bounce. Pulse grenades will create an Ionic Trace and increase their damage output over time. Lightning grenades will gain a second charge and will Jolt targets. Storm grenades will create a mobile cloud that tracks and zaps enemies.
- Juggernaut: While sprinting with your class ability fully charged, you’ll gain a frontal shield that blocks damage (and it’s stronger when you’re Amplified). Enemies can break the shield with enough damage, which will drain your class ability energy.
- Knockout: Your melee kills will trigger health regeneration and make you Amplified. Breaking an enemy shield or critically wounding them increases melee range and damage. Knockout also causes your melee attacks to count as dealing Arc damage.
The Fragments
Bungie also previewed four of the Fragments coming to Arc 3.0. There will be significantly more Fragments in-game, but Bungie is keeping the rest of of them under wraps.
- Spark of Beacons: When you’re Amplified, Arc special weapon kills create a Blinding explosion.
- Spark of Resistance: When you’re surrounded, you gain increased damage resistance.
- Spark of Momentum: If you slide over ammo, you’ll reload your weapon and gain melee energy. You’ll gain even more energy when sliding over heavy ammo.
- Spark of Shock: Your Arc grenades will Jolt enemies.
Arc 3.0 will launch alongside Destiny 2 season 18, which will debut on Aug. 23 after the Destiny 2 Showcase.
Update: Bungie updated its article to clarify that the Titan’s new Thruster ability requires them to be on the ground, rather than in the air. This differentiates it significantly from the Twilight Garrison Exotic from the original Destiny.
We’ve updated the language around Thruster in the Titan updates section of this article.