Technical Analysis: The DOUBLE LOOT EVENT in Destiny 2—Is the Modifier Reliable Now?
The Destiny 2 weekly reset has introduced an unannounced, expert Portal Event with the DOUBLE LOOT EVENT in Destiny 2 modifier. The said event, which was centered around Bonus Focus rewards, was notoriously broken and was eventually removed during its previous occurrence. That aside, Bungie has released it again with a critical patch, and initial testing shows it's now functioning correctly.
What to Know About the New Double Bonus Focus
The fundamental mechanism of this DOUBLE LOOT EVENT in Destiny 2 is the "Bonus Focus" guaranteed drop in certain Portal activities.
Modifier Mechanic and Past Problems
On entering the game, the "Double Bonus Focus" notification is shown.
Early Misunderstanding: In the past, most players thought this indicated they could farm double drops of the Bonus Focus item (such as the SMG or Rocket Launcher) indefinitely.
The Glitch: The modifier was designed to only impact the very first successful attempt of an activity, but it was all too often not crediting the double drop even in this case. Bungie shut it off mid-week because it had become the source of a multitude of complaints and instability.
The Current, Fixed Wording
The modifier has now been altered, adding much-desired specificity regarding how it's intended to function. On seeing the rule modifiers on a Portal activity, the text now reads:
"The initial bonus focus awarded daily drops a second time."
This updated text reasserts the harsh cap on the reward, while reasserting its value.
Double Loot Functionality Testing
To guarantee the stability of the modifier, we've conducted tests with a number of Portal activities featuring emphasized Bonus Focus rewards.
First Test (Solo Ops)
Activity: Creation (with the Bonus Focus SMG).
Run 1 Result: Upon reaching the minimum required grade (B or higher), the Guardian earned two of the shown SMGs. The modifier worked as expected.
Run 2 Result: Running the same activity again rewarded the SMG once, confirming that the bonus is once per day, per activity.
Second Test (Alternate Activity)
Activity: Cabal Watch (with the Hiatus Rocket Launcher).
Outcome: The Guardian managed to acquire two Tier 5
Haliaetus Rocket Launchers successfully, confirming the following crucial strategy:
You perform the double drop the very first time you get to successfully accomplish a special Portal activity every day. You can then switch to another Portal activity and obtain a double drop there too.
Maximizing Efficiency During the DOUBLE LOOT EVENT in Destiny 2
Although this week is not a "Double Loot for Everything" week, the event is still quite well-suited for goal-oriented grinding, especially for top-tier gear.
Hassle Target Gun: Hiatus Rocket Launcher
The Hiatus Rocket Launcher is a new hassle target gun due to a high-priority interaction with its Origin Trait.
The Synergy: Paired with the Cluster Bomb trait, the Origin Trait (which gives ability energy on hit) triggers on each small cluster explosion.
Outcome: One rocket shot with Cluster Bomb will have almost your entire ability energy back, leaving it now "busted."
Recommendation: Run Cabal Watch once today to ensure two high-Power Level versions of this weapon before a sure-to-come hotfix or patch fixes its power.
Tier-5 Armor Farming
The DOUBLE LOOT EVENT in Destiny 2 is also good for quickly getting high-stat armor.
Target: Pinnacle Ops activities, which include the BOS-T armor set.
Reward: The BOS-T set has an excellent two-piece bonus that will heal the player when they acquire kills with a freshly drawn or reloaded gun.
Efficiency: Getting two distinct Pinnacle Op activities will guarantee four high-stat armor drops, ensuring rapid progress much more accessible to casual as well as hardcore players.
This limited modifier appears to be active today, and while limited, it is very useful for specialized farming of today's best-in-slot gear. Keep an eye on the Portal activities during the week!
For more tips, check out the Destiny 2 Game Guide page.
