Marathon Game Director Joe Ziegler has teased a balance shake-up across the next couple of patches, targeting outliers in the combat meta that the team has spotted internally and that players have called out across Bungie's many feedback channels.
"BALANCE SHAKE UP! We're looking to make some changes in the next couple of patches to adjust some of the outliers in the combat space that we've both seen in our observations and heard from your feedback across all of the various (and plentiful) channels we watch."
— Joe Ziegler, Marathon Game Director
Ziegler said some changes will likely ship in the next patch, with another set arriving about a week after — so expect a staggered rollout rather than one mega-update.
Areas Bungie is looking to adjust
- Bubble shields — too easy to get and too powerful when used
- The Knife — scaling too easily to "god-like" power levels
- Thermal scopes — too present and dominant in fights
- Snipers — too strong across too many scenarios
- Vandal and Recon — more "oomph" so they better match their counterparts
New items teased (details TBA)
Beyond tuning, Ziegler said the team is adding gear to add texture to the outcomes of fights. Two additions were teased under wraps:
- SECRET: A new item to give solos a more common option when downed
- SECRET: A new item offering a more merciful option between crews
Full descriptions will land with official patch notes.
Ziegler added that there will be more in the coming patches beyond this list, and that Bungie still has a long backlog of topics that need more time — with updates as plans evolve. He also thanked the community for keeping feedback flowing.
Source: Joe Ziegler on X
Prep for the meta shift — explore Weapons, Runners, and the Loadout Builder on MarathonDB.