Destiny 2 Heresy Update Stealthily Strengthens Taken Enemies, Increasing Their Difficulty

Players of Destiny 2 are noticing a significant change in enemy behavior with the latest update, Episode Heresy, making some battles a lot more challenging.

Destiny 2 launched its latest episode, Heresy, last month, introducing new Hive storylines, fresh activities, and some powerful gear. The first part of the Heresy narrative has already concluded, and players are eagerly waiting for Act 2, which is set to release on March 11, 2025. This update brings exciting new exotic weapons, including the Derealize exotic mission and the Sundered Doctrine dungeon, giving players much to explore and enjoy.

However, players are not entirely satisfied. Like previous episodes, this one has its share of bugs and glitches, which Bungie, the game’s developer, has acknowledged. But players have also found a change that isn’t listed as a known issue, and it’s affecting the game’s difficulty.

Recently, players have discovered that certain enemies are significantly harder to defeat, and they think they know why.

Uncovering the Enemy Changes in Destiny 2

A discussion thread on the r/DestinyTheGame subreddit has gained attention as a player pointed out that a specific enemy called the Taken Phalanx is behaving quite differently now. These shield-bearing enemies have been part of the game for many years, but their difficulty has reportedly spiked.

This player noticed something felt wrong while completing missions. After comparing videos from before and after the update, they discovered that the shield placement on the Taken Phalanx had changed. In the past, these enemies held their shields slightly to the side, only raising them fully when using a knockback attack. Now, they keep their shields directly in front of them at all times, similar to the behavior of the new Dire Taken Phalanx. This change means their full shield covers most of their heads and bodies, making them much harder to defeat, especially in content where they were previously manageable.

Here’s how the Taken Phalanx used to look before the latest update:

A player noted, “Taken Phalanxes have changed. Instead of holding their shields out to the side, they now keep them in front of their bodies, just like the new Dire Taken Phalanx.” Players expressed frustration, particularly in difficult missions, because a single Phalanx can block entire pathways. One player shared that they had successfully completed the Starcrossed mission without any issues before, but now they were struggling greatly against the new tanky version of the Phalanx.

Here’s how the Taken Phalanx appears after the update:

Another user commented, “I noticed something was off in the Grandmaster nightfall this week. They are so much harder to stun with most weapons now. You have to shoot the edge of their right foot; otherwise, they absorb most shots.” Someone else shared their experience fighting a boss in the Lake of Shadows mission, mentioning that the enemy kept its shield up, making it hard to hit as well.

Many players believe this change must be an unplanned adjustment, but Bungie has not confirmed if this new behavior was intended or just a bug. One player mused, “I wonder if this is a bug or an intentional change to make them tougher.”

Here’s a visual comparison of the two versions. (Thanks to Chablo 91)

Have you found the Taken Phalanxes to be tougher than before? Do you think this is an intended change or an unintended issue that Bungie needs to address? Share your thoughts!