Destiny 2's Frontiers Update: A Complete Armor System Overhaul for 2026

Bungie has unveiled a comprehensive rework of the armor system for Destiny 2, set to launch with the upcoming Codename: Frontiers content in 2026. Moving beyond the post-Final Shape era, this ambitious overhaul aims to fundamentally transform how players engage with armor, shifting the focus from tedious stat grinding to meaningful buildcrafting and gameplay enhancement. The goal is to make the pursuit of armor both more rewarding and more comfortable, addressing long-standing community feedback about the system's rigidity and reliance on perfect rolls. This evolution promises to empower players with unprecedented control over their Guardian's capabilities.

The End of Tiered Stats & The Rise of Every Point

The most foundational change is the removal of the current "tier" system. Gone are the days where stats like Resilience or Recovery only provided benefits at increments of 10 points. In the new system, every single point invested will provide a tangible benefit. This monumental shift eliminates the frustrating need for players to farm endlessly for armor pieces that hit exact 10-point thresholds to avoid "wasted" stat points. The psychological burden of min-maxing is significantly reduced, allowing for more fluid and experimental gameplay. Players can now freely swap armor pieces without fear of breaking a perfectly tuned stat distribution, encouraging greater loadout diversity and situational adaptation.

Expanding Horizons: The 200-Point Cap and New Bonuses

Building on this new granularity, the effective cap for all stats is being doubled from 100 to 200 points. The first 100 points will function largely as they do today, providing the familiar benefits. However, investing points beyond 100 will unlock entirely new, powerful bonuses.

• Grenade (formerly Discipline): Investing over 100 points can occasionally grant an extra grenade charge upon recharge.

• Melee (formerly Strength): Similarly, exceeding 100 points may grant an extra melee charge.

• Resilience & Recovery: Bonuses beyond 100 are expected to offer enhanced survivability mechanics.

This system rewards deep specialization, allowing players who focus heavily on a single aspect of their kit to gain unique advantages previously unavailable. It transforms stats from passive modifiers into active build-defining choices.

New Mechanics and Stat Clarity

Alongside these core changes, Bungie is introducing new mechanics and improving clarity. The stats Discipline and Strength are being renamed to Grenade and Melee, respectively. This quality-of-life change allows players to instantly understand a stat's function at a glance, streamlining the buildcrafting process.

A brand new stat is also joining the roster: the Special Ammo stat. This stat will gradually increase the frequency of special ammo drops on kills. At high investment levels, it can even cause larger "brick" drops of special ammo, providing a direct and powerful way for players to manage their ammunition economy, especially for power-hungry special weapons.

Armor Set Perks and Stat Archetypes

In a move that adds a new layer of collectible depth, legendary armor sets will now feature unique set perks, functioning similarly to Origin Traits on weapons. These perks activate when wearing multiple pieces from the same set, providing team-oriented or gameplay-altering benefits.

For example, the Vanguard Operative set perk might grant the following:

• 2 Pieces: Throwing a grenade grants damage resistance to you and nearby allies.

• 4 Pieces: Unlocks an additional, more powerful perk.

This system incentivizes collecting full armor sets from specific activities and opens up new synergistic possibilities for fireteams.

Furthermore, to make targeted farming more sensible, all legendary armor pieces will drop with a Stat Archetype. This archetype determines which stats are most likely to roll high on that piece. Instead of purely random distributions, a "Mobility" archetype chest plate will reliably have a high Mobility spike, making it far easier for players to find armor that complements their desired build. This, combined with legendary class items now receiving full stat distributions just like other armor pieces, provides players with a vastly expanded and more predictable toolkit for creating powerful, specialized builds.

A New Era for Buildcrafting

The 2026 armor overhaul represents a paradigm shift for Destiny 2. It moves the game away from a system where the "best" armor was often defined by frustrating RNG and restrictive tier breaks. The new direction embraces player agency, meaningful choice, and rewarding specialization.

With granular stat benefits, high-investment bonuses, set perks, and predictable archetypes, buildcrafting is set to become more intuitive, deep, and impactful than ever before. Guardians will no longer just chase a generic "triple 100" build but will instead craft loadouts tailored to specific playstyles, activities, and team roles, ushering in a fresh and exciting chapter for Destiny 2's enduring gameplay.