Destiny 2 Transmog system cover

The Destiny 2 Transmog System is a Grindy Mess

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Published: April 22, 2021 2:52 PM

The Destiny 2 transmog system has been revealed by Bungie. While some more customization is always a welcome change, this new system might have a little too much grind for fashion-conscious players.

Destiny 2 is Bungie's flagship MMOFPSRPG that's been around for a good few years. It's playable on everything short of the Nintendo Switch and the Samsung Smart Fridge, but it also is lacking some features that comparable MMORPGs have had for years. One of these missing features is transmogrification and Bungie has released some details explaining how it works; unfortunately, it's not quite as straightforward as some might have hoped.

Destiny 2 Transmog system slice

What is the Destiny 2 Transmog System? How Does It Work?

The good news is that the Destiny 2 transmog system will give all players an opportunity to convert some items without spending any real-world money. The bad news, however, is that there's a cap on how many items you can transmog per season.

Before we get into detail, here's a quick explanation of how transmog (or transmogrification) typically works in games. Every piece of equipment looks a certain way, but you're inevitably going to be upgrading your gear as you progress through a game. Transmog typically allows you to keep the stats of your current gear but change out its cosmetic appearance to a different item. A system such as this gives players more freedom to make their character look stylish without worrying about stats.

The Destiny 2 transmog system does allow for it, but you're going to have to do a bit of grinding to unlock the bits and pieces you need to transform your gear. Here's how it works according to today's announcement:

  1. Defeat enemies to earn Synthstrand. 
  2. Spend Synthstrand on bounties to earn Synthcord. 
  3. Convert Synthcord at the Loom in the Tower into Synthweave. 
  4. Use Synthweave to convert an unlocked armor appearance (Legendary quality or lower) from Collections into a Universal Armor Ornament. 

That's certainly a pain in the butt, but the problems don't end there — you can only earn a total of 10 Synthweave per class per season; the sole exception is that the introductory season will let you earn double this amount.

If you want to do more transmogrification beyond the limit, you'll have to buy Synthweave Templates from the Eververse. A single Synthweave Template costs 300 Silver (roughly $3.00) and a bundle of 5 costs 1,000 Silver (roughly $10.00). Purchased Synthweave Templates can be applied to any class unlike the free ones you can earn through normal gameplay.

As shown on ResetEra, a number of players aren't too happy with the grind and the costs involved. That's certainly understandable, especially when you compare it to something like the World of Warcraft transmog system: you simply need to own an item whose style you want to copy over and you spend some in-game gold, no microtransactions required.

You can read more about the Destiny 2 transmog system in today's announcement. If you haven't yet jumped into this great MMO, you can play Destiny 2 for free via its official website.

What do you think of the Destiny 2 transmog system? Do you think you'd hit the cap in a single season? Let us know in the comments below!

A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

More Info About This Game
Learn More About Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Developer
Bungie
Publisher
Bungie
Release Date
February 22, 2022 (Calendar)
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