Destiny 2‘s upcoming in-game loadout system will allow players to quickly swap out between builds, subclasses, weapons, and even fashion, Bungie confirmed in a press conference last week. Guardians can change loadouts anywhere in the Solar System as long as guardians aren’t in an activity that locks gear, and the system can also pick up weapons that are inside players’ vaults.
The loadout system will debut alongside Lightfall on Feb. 28 and promises to make guardians’ lives far easier. It allows them to quickly switch between subclasses, Exotics, mods, weapons, and even fashion choices like ornaments and shaders. With 10 slots per character, players get a slew of options on their hands. They could have two sets for each subclass or have dedicated PvE and PvP sets, for instance, and even save similar sets with different ornaments.
While third-party tools such as Destiny Item Manager (DIM) and Ishtar Commander already allow players to swap loadouts, that utility comes with certain limitations. Players can’t change loadouts if they’re not in Orbit or in a hub, for instance. Destiny 2‘s in-game loadout system bypasses the restrictions from being in Orbit, allowing players to quickly change builds mid-activity as long as their gear isn’t locked (as is frequently the case in Legend content and above).
This doesn’t mean DIM and Ishtar are dead, though. The loadout system lets players pick up items from their vaults, but it requires open inventory slots to accommodate the incoming gear. The loadout manager can’t send items to the vault, so players will have to manually deposit or dismantle items if they need the inventory space—and that’s where inventory management apps come in.
The loadout system is only a part of Bungie’s efforts to overhaul Destiny 2, however. With Lightfall, the team will also ship the improved mod economy and add Armor Charge mods as the successor to Elemental Wells and Charged With Light. The loadout system allows players to swap those new mods quickly and synergizes perfectly with the improved buildcrafting coming to Destiny 2.
Having quick access to guardians’ favorite gear anywhere is a great improvement, and the loadout system will be available for all players. Veterans can swap builds with a button press, and New Lights who haven’t heard of DIM or Ishtar can start their journey with the new system to test out their different subclasses or Exotics. Tools like DIM and Ishtar will continue to be almost mandatory if you want to make the most out of your Destiny 2 experience, but the upcoming loadout system can be just as revolutionary.
