Key Takeaways
- Destiny 2's Final Shape DLC replaces Legendary Shards with Strange Coins for endgame currency, leveling the playing field.
- Strange Coins, a nostalgic nod to the original game, return as the primary currency for purchasing exotic items.
- Xur, the Exotic vendor, is reworked in the Final Shape DLC, offering new gear and a reputation system for players.
The Final Shape has arrived at long last, marking the end of Destiny 2’s decade-old Light and Darkness saga. Also, like any other major DLC for Destiny 2, the Final Shape has also brought about a new sandbox of weapons, abilities, and activities for players to explore, among several more subtle game changes.
One notable change that Destiny 2’s Final Shape DLC has introduced is the removal of Legendary Shards, which have been effectively replaced by Enhancement Cores and Glimmer, but also with Strange Coins. This change to Destiny 2’s endgame currency has been a long time coming, considering that Legendary Shards were infamous for being easy to farm and exploit, though this currency being replaced by Strange Coins for endgame items is a nostalgic change that brings the franchise full circle as Strange Coins reprise their role from the original Destiny.
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Destiny 2 Has a New Endgame Currency
With the release of Destiny 2’s Final Shape DLC, regardless of owning the DLC or not, all players can no longer earn Legendary Shards, and any remaining uses for this currency will soon be removed or replaced with other available currencies. Bungie’s reasoning behind this change is in part that, on several occasions, players have discovered farming methods for Legendary Shards that led to parts of the game’s community obtaining such high amounts of this currency that it created an uneven playing field. So, fixing this controversy in Destiny 2 meant that it was necessary to entirely remove the Legendary Shards economy and replace them with something new.
The new currency that has replaced Legendary Shards is Strange Coins, although this isn’t exactly a new currency in Destiny 2. Prior to the Final Shape DLC, Strange Coins were previously tied to the Dares of Eternity activity, where they could be used to purchase bounties and rewards related to this activity.
Strange Coins are no longer used to purchase items from the Dares of Eternity NPC vendors in Destiny 2. Instead, these vendors now use Glimmer.
Destiny 2’s Strange Coins Are a Callback to the Original Game
However, even before being used in the Dares of Eternity activity, Strange Coins' history in the Destiny franchise dates all the way back to the launch of the original Destiny in 2014. In the original Destiny, Strange Coins were an iconic part of the endgame grind, as they were used to purchase Exotic armor and weapons from the mysterious vendor Xur. And now in Destiny 2, Strange Coins replacing Legendary Shards means that this currency has reprised its role in the franchise.
After a long journey and being repurposed, Strange Coins returning to their original use is a nostalgic treat for longtime fans of the franchise who have been around since the original game. To top things off, Destiny 2’s traveling Exotic vendor Xur has also been reworked in the Final Shape, potentially reigniting players’ excitement for visiting this mysterious NPC every weekend.
Xur’s rework in the Final Shape provides this NPC with new gear and items for sale beyond their typical inventory, as well as a reputation system for players to earn rewards as they purchase other items, similar to the new Cryptarch reputation system.
Ultimately, Destiny 2 has come a long way since the original game’s release, and for fans who have committed to one or both games over the years, the moments where the franchise’s roots shine through can be an emotional and satisfying experience. So naturally, with Strange Coins once again becoming the primary endgame currency, and giving players a new reason to visit Xur, this nod to the original Destiny is a nostalgic treat for franchise veterans that highlights one of the many ways that the Final Shape DLC brings the franchise full circle.
Destiny 2
FPS
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PC , Stadia
- Released
- August 28, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Bungie
- Publisher(s)
- Bungie
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer , Online Co-Op
- Engine
- Tiger Engine
- ESRB
- T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence
- Expansions
- Destiny 2: Forsaken , Destiny 2: Shadowkeep , Destiny 2: Beyond Light , Destiny 2: The Witch Queen , Destiny 2: Lightfall
- How Long To Beat
- 100+
- Metascore
- 85
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4,PS5, Xbox One &Xbox Series X|S
- Number of Players
- 1-6 (Co-Op)
- PS Plus Availability
- Essential, Extra, & Premium (The Witch Queen)
- Video Games
- Destiny 2
- Bungie
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