Popular Destiny 2 Exotic Weapon Disabled Over Game Breaking Exploit

Bungie disables Destiny 2's Hawkmoon hand cannon in PvP due to an exploit. Destiny 2, a live-service game, has a history of bugs and exploits over its six-year lifespan. Recent examples include the overpowered Prometheus Lens and a bug rendering the new No Hesitation auto rifle ineffective against barrier champions.

The Final Shape expansion, while largely well-received, also introduced its share of problems. One such issue involves the Hawkmoon exotic hand cannon, a popular weapon since its Season of the Hunt return. Its frequent appearance via Xur, the weekend merchant, further fueled its use. However, a game-breaking exploit emerged.

The exploit involved using the Kinetic Holster leg mod to reload Hawkmoon without canceling its Paracausal Shot perk. This granted players essentially unlimited damage-boosted shots, leading to reports of one-hit kills in the Crucible. Bungie swiftly responded by disabling Hawkmoon in all PvP activities to address the exploit.

This action follows another recent exploit allowing players to farm rewards while AFK in private matches. While that exploit primarily yielded resources, some reported rare weapon drops. Bungie disabled rewards for private matches, highlighting the studio's proactive approach to addressing in-game issues, even those considered relatively minor. The swift removal of the private match reward exploit, however, contrasted with the more significant impact of the Hawkmoon exploit.