Destiny 2: Bungie details transmog and new shader system coming in Season 14

Destiny 2
Destiny 2 (Image credit: Bungie)

What you need to know

  • Destiny 2 developer Bungie has detailed how the upcoming transmog system Armor Synthesis will work when it arrives in Season 14.
  • Armor Synthesis will allow players to turn 10 pieces of armor from their Collections tab into universal armor ornaments per class, per season (20 pieces in Season 14).
  • To convert pieces of armor, players will need to kill enemies and complete bounties for Ada-1.
  • Additionally, Bungie also announced a new shader system that will make applying shaders easier for players.

In a new blog post, Destiny 2 developer Bungie has detailed how the transmog system coming in Season 14 works. Dubbed "Armor Synthesis," this system will allow players to turn 10 pieces of armor per class, per season from their Collections tab into universal armor ornaments that can be applied to any piece of Legendary armor you have (in Season 14, players can transmog 20 armor pieces). This will make it much easier for players trying to put together one of the best Destiny 2 builds to use the armor fashion that they want.

Engaging with the Armor Synthesis system will be quite simple, and it involves interacting with Ada-1, who is returning in Season 14. Here are all of the steps you'll need to complete:

  1. Defeat enemies to earn Synthstrand.
  2. Spend Synthstrand on bounties to earn Synthcord.
  3. Convert Synthcord at Ada-1's 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.

Players can also buy Synthweave directly from the Eververse store with Silver (Destiny 2's microtransaction currency) if they don't want to go through this process or wait for a future season to transmog more armor, but it isn't necessary.

Source: Bungie (Image credit: Source: Bungie)

Additionally, Bungie is also introducing a brand new shader system with Season 14. As opposed to the current system that forces players to buy single-use shaders, players will now be able to infinitely apply shaders they've collected before for 500 Glimmer each. Players can also choose to apply a shader to all of their equipped gear for 2,500 Glimmer, which saves time if you want to give your entire armor set the same colors. Notably, the price of new shaders from the Eververse store is also being raised from 40 to 300 Bright Dust. This is kind of disappointing, but overall, I think the new shader system is a massive improvement over what Guardians currently have now.

What do you think of these changes? Let me know. The latest Destiny 2 expansion, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, is available now for $40 on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. The base game is free, so if you're looking to try Destiny 2 out before investing any money, you can do so. If you do decide to try the game, don't miss my beginner's guide on how to get into Destiny 2 in 2021. Also, while you're waiting for Season 14 to arrive (expected to launch May 12, 2021), make sure to try and get the 10 best Destiny 2 weapons you need to farm in Season of the Chosen.

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.