Destiny 2’s Festival of the Lost: A New Shotgun Comes With Bugs

Destiny 2 has once again embraced the spirit of Halloween with the return of its Festival of the Lost event, but not without some unexpected surprises, including a controversial weapon that has players buzzing. The ongoing event, which is typically a time for celebration and in-game festivities, is marred by various bugs and glitches that have emerged, some of which players are eager to exploit, while others are simply frustrating. With the game’s developers, Bungie, having recently laid off a significant portion of their quality assurance team, it seems that a few more issues have slipped through the cracks this time around.

Among the standout features of this year’s Festival of the Lost is the introduction of a brand new weapon archetype—a Heavy Burst shotgun that fires two rounds simultaneously. This new shotgun is reminiscent of the hand cannon archetype that Bungie has previously implemented. Early player experiences with the weapon have been largely positive, with many enjoying the gameplay dynamics that the new shotgun brings to the table. However, the real intrigue lies in a peculiar bug associated with the weapon that has drawn considerable attention.

Upon completing the initial Festival quest offered by Eva Levante, players are awarded a fixed roll of a weapon called Arcane Remembrance. This roll is particularly noteworthy because it comes equipped with perks that were not intended to be available. Specifically, players are receiving the Trench Barrel perk, which, according to the game’s API, should not be a possible roll for this shotgun.

The confusion arises from the functionality of the Trench Barrel perk itself. Typically, Trench Barrel is designed to provide a 50% damage buff that stacks with every subsequent shot fired. However, in this case, players have noticed that the perk does not function correctly. Instead of consuming “stacks” of the damage buff as expected, it operates on a fixed five-second timer. This anomaly effectively makes the Arcane Remembrance shotgun more powerful than it should be, especially in comparison to other shotguns that utilize Trench Barrel correctly. It appears that Bungie may have opted not to include the perk at all due to concerns about its functionality alongside the shotgun’s unique burst-fire capability. Yet, the curated roll given to players accidentally includes it.

The big question now is how Bungie will address this oversight. Many players have likely invested materials to enhance their Arcane Remembrance shotguns, which complicates the situation. A simple fix might not be viable; players could feel aggrieved if Bungie were to change the perk to something less desirable. However, there is the possibility that the developers could modify the perk to ensure it operates as intended, potentially correcting the stacking issue while allowing players to retain their enhanced shotguns.

Beyond the excitement surrounding the new shotgun, players are also encountering a series of frustrating bugs and glitches throughout the Festival of the Lost event. For starters, many of the weapons introduced in the festival, aside from Arcane Embrace, are rolling with outdated perk pools instead of the new ones designed for the event. Furthermore, a weapon that was promised to drop during the festival is inexplicably absent, leaving players disappointed and confused.

Adding to the list of grievances, players have reported that Eva Levante is mistakenly distributing the Solstice quest during the festival, which is an unusual and seemingly irrelevant occurrence. Another longstanding issue resurfaces, with the appearance of a tenth Headless One failing to spawn on occasion. This bug forces players to wait idly for 1-2 minutes, which can be especially irritating in a fast-paced game like Destiny 2.

The situation is exacerbated by the lack of matchmaking for the Expert Haunted Sectors. While this may have been an intentional design choice, it becomes a major inconvenience for players trying to team up. Despite being advertised as having the ability to create Fireteam Finder listings for these sectors, players find that this option is not available, leaving them to navigate the matchmaking process through external third-party APIs—a cumbersome solution that undermines the seamless gameplay experience Destiny 2 typically aims to provide.

For many players, these issues have become exhausting and detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. With 80% of the weapons dropping with outdated perks and the annoying timer bug surfacing in nearly every match, the festival’s allure is diminished. Many players express a preference for engaging in the Expert mode, but the current matchmaking limitations make this an impractical option. Critics argue that the game should not require players to jump through hoops for something that should be straightforward, emphasizing that it is a lost sector, not a dungeon.

In light of these challenges, players are encouraged to acquire the Arcane Remembrance shotgun, but there may be reservations about fully diving into the Festival of the Lost until these issues are resolved. With some of the ongoing bugs having lingered for over a year, skepticism remains about whether these problems will be addressed swiftly. Players are left to hope that Bungie will prioritize fixing these issues in the coming weeks, as the community looks for a smoother experience and a more polished celebration during this festive season. For now, while the new shotgun presents an exciting opportunity, many players may find themselves hesitating to engage with the festival as a whole.