Destiny 2 Echoes Act 2 Elevates Celestial Nighthawk Prismatic Hunter to Unprecedented DPS Dominance

The Destiny 2 Echoes Episode and its new Seasonal Artifact row have decisively reshaped the endgame meta, supercharging the Celestial Nighthawk and Still Hunt synergy into a dominant force.

As I dive into the current landscape of Destiny 2 in 2026, the Echoes Episode continues to unfold its narrative and gameplay layers. While the initial reception to this post-Final Shape content wasn't universally glowing, primarily due to the stretched four-month release cadence and familiar seasonal model growing pains, one aspect has undeniably captured the community's focus and reshaped the endgame meta entirely. The introduction of Act 2 didn't just add another chapter to the story; it delivered a decisive power spike through its new Seasonal Artifact row, and I've witnessed firsthand how it has supercharged one specific playstyle into a league of its own. The synergy it creates has fundamentally altered how we approach the game's most demanding challenges.

The foundation for this dominance was laid with The Final Shape expansion. Prismatic subclasses arrived, allowing us to blend the most potent aspects of Light and Darkness into personalized kits. For Hunters like myself, this meant crafting a toolbox that combined devastating melee potential with elite ranged damage. The true game-changer, however, was the exotic sniper rifle, Still Hunt. Obtained through a poignant quest involving Cayde-6, this weapon features its own independent Super meter. When charged, it lets you unleash powerful Golden Gun shots without consuming your class ability. This mechanic alone was revolutionary.

Now, pair that with the classic Hunter exotic, Celestial Nighthawk. This helmet has always been about trading six Golden Gun shots for one supremely powerful, high-damage projectile. The magic happens when you combine them: using Still Hunt's empowered shot while wearing Celestial Nighthawk results in a single, catastrophic blast of Solar energy. Even before Act 2, this was recognized as a top-tier DPS strategy. But then, the new Seasonal Artifact perks arrived, and everything changed. It felt like Bungie handed us the keys to a vault we weren't supposed to open yet.

The new row of mods from the Echoes Act 2 Artifact is not just good—it feels meticulously curated to elevate Solar sniper builds, particularly this one. Let's break down what each perk contributes:

• Anti-Barrier Sniper Rifle: While not a direct damage booster, this transforms snipers into universal tools against Barrier Champions, removing a major gameplay hurdle in high-level content.

• Authorized Mods: Scavenger: A quality-of-life blessing. Reducing the armor energy cost for all Scavenger mods means I can more easily build for ammo sustainability, which is critical for prolonged DPS phases.

• Incendiary Rifle Rounds: This is where things get spicy. My Solar sniper rifles now apply Scorch on hit. Every shot from Still Hunt isn't just dealing impact damage; it's priming the target for an explosion.

• Solar Fulmination: And here's the payoff for that Scorch. When the target ignites (which happens after accumulating enough Scorch stacks), the explosion deals significantly more damage in a much larger area. This creates fantastic add-clear potential even in single-target focused builds.

• Sniper's Meditation: The crown jewel. Hitting with a sniper rifle grants a stacking bonus to damage, stability, and reload speed. Crucially, hits with Heavy ammo sniper rifles grant multiple stacks per shot. This is the engine that drives the damage into the stratosphere.

When I load into a raid or a Grandmaster Nightfall with this setup, the power fantasy is unreal. The gameplay loop is intensely satisfying. I position myself, start landing precision hits with Still Hunt to build Sniper's Meditation stacks, watching the damage numbers climb. Each shot also applies Scorch. By the time the target is near an Ignition threshold or a major damage phase begins, my Super meter is full. I activate Still Hunt's Golden Gun, the Celestial Nighthawk focusing that power into one shot, and... it's like the screen tears. The raw damage output, amplified by the stacked buffs and often triggering a massive Ignition from the built-up Scorch, simply deletes health bars. Current meta Warlock builds utilizing Solipsism with Spirit of Apotheosis and Spirit of Star-Eater, which were previously dominant, now feel like they're playing a different, slower game.

It's important to note that this artifact row also buffs other weapons. The newly craftable Whisper of the Worm, for instance, benefits enormously, especially from Sniper's Meditation, as its Heavy ammo hits grant multiple stacks instantly. However, in my extensive testing, Still Hunt remains the unequivocal king for this playstyle. Why? Its ammo economy is superior in practice. It uses Special ammo, which is far more plentiful than Heavy ammo in most activities, allowing for more consistent uptime. Furthermore, the synergy is just too perfect—the weapon's intrinsic Golden Gun function is tailor-made for Celestial Nighthawk's single-shot philosophy, creating a seamless and incredibly powerful rotation.

From a game balance perspective, it's a fascinating moment. This level of focused power creep from a Seasonal Artifact is unprecedented. It makes me wonder about the design intent. Was this a deliberate gift to Hunter mains? A way to shake up the stale meta? Or perhaps a test to see how the community reacts to such a potent, specialized toolkit? Whatever the reason, the result is clear: for any activity where boss DPS is the primary metric of success, the Celestial Nighthawk Prismatic Hunter with Still Hunt is not just a good option—it's practically mandatory for speed runs and optimal clears. The build has redefined the pinnacle of damage potential in Destiny 2's current era, and I don't see that changing until these specific Artifact mods rotate out. For now, the Solar sniper's time in the sun has never been brighter.