One of the rarest guns in Destiny is causing problems. Players are complaining that the Vex Mythoclast is too overpowered and disrupts the balance of the game's competitive multiplayer.
The Vex Mythoclast is technically a Fusion Rifle that causes Solar Damage with each shot. Unlike many other fusion rifles, it has no charge time. What makes the Mythoclast really rare, though, is that it's a Primary weapon so the player has plenty of ammo. Furthermore, it's outfitted with a powerful scope.
The net result is that the Vex Mythoclast has the precision and speed of a Scout Rifle but the high damage of a Fusion Rifle. As this video from KirbyTvv (via Eurogamer) shows, the gun's capable of killing a player with full health and shields in just a few shots. He uses it to absolutely dominate this Crucible match, ending with a score of 24 kills and 4 deaths:
The Vex Mythoclast, thankfully, isn't easy to get. It's a possible reward for completing the Vault of Glass raid on Hard difficulty. This means that only a small percentage of hardcore players even have a chance at earning this weapon. Still, the number of players with this gun will only increase over time - especially now that players know how effective it is in the Crucible.
Players' damage and armor ratings are normalized in most Crucible matches. However, this balance only goes so far. A gun like the Vex Mythoclast with fantastic features can still give players a huge leg up on their competitors.
The PvP will only be more unbalanced when the Iron Banner event goes live. Iron Banner is a special playlist where players' attack and defense stats matter. A player wearing gear from Vault of Glass will be hitting harder and withstanding more damage than someone who hasn't tackled Destiny's endgame yet.
It's common for player-versus-player combat in MMOs to be imbalanced. Some players are going to spend more time than others on acquiring new equipment for their characters. If they're allowed to bring this equipment into PvP, that's obviously going to give them a huge advantage in battle. It's one of the incentives for putting so much time into finding quality loot in the first place.
MMO players might be used to this but it could be shocking to Destiny players whose multiplayer experience is limited to shooters. Call of Duty and other games let players unlock new weapons and gadgets over time but a newbie can still easily down a veteran in single combat if they aim well.
Bungie could make Destiny's PvP a level playing field by not letting players bring their weapons into each match. Players would have to find weapons throughout the map instead. However, the developers are unlikely to make such a big change after the game's launch. Getting new loot is one of the main pursuits of the game. If they can't use that loot in PvP, they might not find the grind worthwhile and end up quitting the game.
It's far more likely that Bungie will just nerf the Vex Mythoclast. This particular hybrid just seems too powerful for PvP. I wouldn't be surprised if they remove the Scope, add a charge time, or make the gun into a Special weapon like other Fusion Rifles.
