Destiny 2’s yet-unnamed season 22 is just around the corner, but Bungie has already given fans a full breakdown of the Artifact Mods that are on the way after the Destiny 2 showcase this year. The seasonal artifact helps set the tone and the flavor for a season, and players can expect a new gameplay mechanic when the next season hits.
Through its seasonal artifact, Bungie is introducing the new Elemental Orbs mechanic, which takes a hefty amount of inspiration from Lightfall‘s Tangles on Strand subclasses. These new orbs are essentially Light-aligned versions of Tangles, with different effects based on what subclass you’re using.
The Artifact mods let you generate these Elemental Orbs, and guardians can throw them at enemies to apply subclass-based debuffs. Several Artifact mods focus on creating and destroying these new Elemental Orbs, improving their efficiency and even potentially giving them extra effects.
In addition to Elemental Orbs, players will also find a slew of mods to deal with Champions, debuff enemies, bolster some weapons, and more. Here are all the Artifact mods slated to release in season 22.
Destiny 2 season 22 Artifact mods
First column
- Anti-Barrier Auto Rifle
- Piercing Bowstring (Anti-Barrier Bow)
- Unstoppable Scout Rifle
- Overload Hand Cannon
- Unstoppable Fusion
- Note: Overload Machine Gun will also be available in the fourth column of the artifact.
The first set of Artifact mods for season 22 shows a decent split in Champion mods for the next few months. Unstoppable Fusions is returning, though based on the description in Bungie’s official post, it will only apply to fusion rifles and not linears. Still, this can potentially bring another option to guardians’ anti-Champion repertoire, especially when taking into account that Vex Mythoclast will have access to this mod if you’ve unlocked it. It will also work with Riptide, the nearly ubiquitous Crucible fusion rifle—and even though this weapon doesn’t exactly need the extra utility, it can’t hurt.
If that wasn’t good enough, Unstoppable will have an amazing option in the ever-reliable scout rifles, including the soon-to-be-buffed Wicked Element. Scouts have been one of the safest picks for most activities, so there is certainly a decent option for players who want one.
Players will have access to two Overload mods this season: Overload Hand Cannons is available right at the start, while Overload Machine Guns will pop up in the fourth column of the Artifact. This potentially opens up multiple Overload options, including loadouts with three Anti-Champion mods since you can theoretically access them in all slots. While the power of harder-hitting weapons certainly comes in handy with beefy targets in higher-end activities, having the power to stun Overloads with a crowd-control tool is certainly welcome.
For Anti-Barrier, players can use the shorter-range Anti-Barrier Auto, though Destiny 2 offers a litany of Exotics with intrinsic Anti-Barrier options. In activities more suited to longer range, for instance, guardians can opt for Wish-Ender, Revision Zero, or Arbalest instead.
Related: Destiny 2 Weekly Reset: Nightfall, challenges, weekly raid, reset time, and more
Second column
- Arc/Strand Siphon Combo
- Solar/Strand Siphon Combo
- Void/Strand Siphon Combo
- Origin Perk Specialization I
- This mod buffs the effectiveness of the following origin traits: Head Rush (unknown; presumably seasonal weapons), Nanotech Tracer Rockets (Neomuna), Unsated Hunger (Season of the Deep), and a yet-classified origin trait.
- Diviner’s Discount
- This artifact mod reduces the energy cost of Scavenger mods.
The second column of the Artifact, as usual, is about convenience. The combination Siphon mod allows players to make Orbs of Power with multiple different elements at once, while the Diviner’s Discount will make it easier to slot Scavenger mods on a build. The Origin Perk Specialization trait also follows a similar pattern, bolstering the origin traits of certain weapons.
Third column
- Thanatotic Tangles
- “Strand weapon final blows have a chance to generate a Tangle.”
- Elemental Orbs: Void
- Elemental Orbs: Arc
- Elemental Orbs: Solar
- Origin Perk Specialization II:
- “Weapons with the Head Rush, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, Unsated Hunger, and [REDACTED] Origin traits are always overcharged when that modifier is active.”
The third column is where the real flavor of season 22 kicks in. Some of the mods here will allow players to create Elemental Orbs, which is essentially a Light-aligned version of a Strand Tangle. Guardians can pick these up and throw them at enemies to inflict different status effects, based on the subclass they have equipped. Solar applies Scorch, while Arc inflicts Jolt and Void makes enemies Volatile.
The Elemental Orbs mods grant a chance to generate an Elemental Orb with weapons that match your subclass element and will be the main way players can interact with the new mechanic, at least during season 22.
Related: What is the Nightfall weapon this week in Destiny 2?
Fourth column
- Overload Machine Guns
- Elemental Fury
- “While stunned, Champions take bonus damage from your abilities and Elemental Orb damage.”
- Communal Pickups
- “When an ally destroys or picks up your Tangle or Elemental Orb, the Tangle cooldown is reduced by five seconds, and you gain bonus damage with weapons matching your subclass for 10 seconds.”
- Refreshing Pickups
- Picking up a Tangle or Elemental Orb grants energy to your least-powered ability.
- Semi-Auto Striker:
- “If you have fewer than two stacks of Armor Charge, rapid precision shots with Bows, Snipers, and Scout Rifles generate an Armor Charge.”
The fourth column of the Artifact mods helps double down into the new Elemental Orbs mechanic, while also granting a bit more flavor for Armor Change and providing an Overload option in Overload Machine Guns. This last mod can come in handy given the prevalence of machine guns in the meta.
Fifth column
- Monochromatic Maestro
- “Dealing elemental ability damage increases matching weapon damage, and elemental weapon damage increases matching ability damage. Bonus granted is 10 percent for five seconds.”
- Rapid-Fire Ranger
- “Rapid precision hits made from long range weaken the target.”
- Elemental Embrace
- “Subclass elemental buffs grant you bonus recovery and damage resistance against combatant attacks of the matching element type.”
- Elemental Munitions
- “Combatant final blows with Tangles or Elemental Orbs have a chance to drop Special or Heavy ammo.”
- Frenzied Stacks
- “Your Armor Charges grant bonus damage to your thrown Tangles or Elemental Orbs. Your Armor Charge now decays over time.”
Some old favorites are returning. The old Sundering Glare mod is back, at least in spirit, with the new Rapid-Fire Ranger mod, letting players debuff enemies when plinking at them from afar. This is a particularly good addition for higher-end activities, where everything in close range can kill you and where enemies are extra sturdy. Monochromatic Maestro is also making a comeback, placing even more focus on single-element builds (especially with the prominent role of Elemental Orbs in season 22).
Elemental Embrace can also be a strong contender depending on the magnitude of its effects, adding another dimension to subclass choices.
The other two mods in the mix round out the flavor of Elemental Orbs, helping with ammo generation and even making them deal higher damage. While their actual potential for destruction remains to be seen, at least Bungie seems to be pushing them pretty vehemently in the season 22 Artifact.
