A new analysis suggests Destiny 2’s RNG bug may be causing non-random perk drops for months.
Last week, a Destiny 2 player, SparkD2_, shared an analysis with a data-backed claim suggesting the VS Chill Inhibitor grenade launcher had some sort of perk weighting active in the Vesper’s Host dungeon. Using statistical tests, the player argued that certain perk combinations were far less common than they should be.
Bungie quickly dismissed the claim, stating, “There is no perk weighting active for any legendary weapon perks in Destiny 2.” The developers acknowledged recent updates to exotic perk attunement but stood firm on the integrity of legendary weapon RNG.
However, new community theories have surfaced, and based on some new data analysis, it appears the issue might be more complex than initially thought.
Destiny 2 Weapon Perk Distribution Bug?
Yesterday, a Destiny 2 community member and developer, Newo, shared a ten-page analysis (which you check out here), suggesting that certain perks appear together at rates significantly lower than expected. The player used a custom-built tool to gather data on perk drops directly from players’ inventories, offering a detailed look at how perk combinations for dungeon weapons are distributed.
The research focused primarily on two weapons from the Vesper’s Host dungeon: the VS Chill Inhibitor and the VS Velocity Baton. Findings showed “dead spots” in perk combinations, indicating some rolls were almost non-existent despite theoretically equal odds.
Now, this is where things get even wilder. Destiny 2 content creators Vendetta, Skarrow9, and MossyMax ran a detailed review of the perk distribution data on Light.gg, which tracks popular perk combinations.
They found that the likelihood of certain perks appearing together isn’t entirely random but seems to depend on how they are arranged in the game’s API. Essentially, perks closer together in the internal order have a higher chance of being paired, while those further apart are less likely to show up together.
For example, if a weapon has perks aligned as follows in the API:
| Column 3 | Column 4 |
|---|---|
| Demolitionist | Bait and Switch |
| Envious Arsenal | Chain Reaction |
| Attrition Orbs | One for All |
| Cascade Point | Explosive Light |
| Danger Zone | Surrounded |
| Rimestealer | Chill Clip |
The data indicates that “Demolitionist” (Perk 1 from Column 3) is much more likely to appear alongside “Bait and Switch” (Perk 1 from Column 4) than with “Chain Reaction” (Perk 2 from Column 4). The odds drop even further when pairing it with “One for All” (Perk 3 from Column 4).
This trend suggests that the game’s RNG system may favor perk combinations that are closer together in the internal order, while perks listed further apart have a significantly lower chance of being rolled together.
The same pattern was observed across various weapons, including the new seasonal weapons like Liturgy, Bitter/Sweet, and Sovereignty, indicating this could be a widespread problem rather than a case involving just one grenade launcher.
As of now, Bungie has not commented on the new findings, and it remains uncertain whether they will, given their previous statements dismissing perk weighting concerns. The community is eager for an official response and hopes the developer will address the matter in future updates.
