Content creator “Datto” hosted a shader-themed game show, inviting other streamers and Destiny 2’s game director Joe Blackburn. While guessing shader palettes, Blackburn revealed that Bungie will change the way shaders are displayed in Destiny 2: The Final Shape.
“We have redone how the icons look in The Final Shape and there’s like a whole ‘nother section of every shader icon,” Blackburn said when the subject of hidden colors in shader palettes came up. When asked further, he went on to say that “all of the colors are represented in the new icons and they are organized a bit differently.” Blackburn added, “The more prominent areas take up more prominent parts of the shader [icon] and all the little hidden colors are represented.”
Despite the fact that Blackburn prefaced the news by saying “This is a very small reveal and I have nothing to talk about”, this change will likely come as a huge relief for players, especially those invested in Destiny 2 fashion. This is the first major update to shaders since they were changed from single use items, and Bungie only recently allowed players to choose favorites.
Certain shader icons poorly represent their appearance, such as Tyrian Abyss which is predominantly purple despite lacking any purple in the icon. Other shaders have hidden colors or cosmetic effects which are not represented in their shader icon and one of those is Photo Finish, which slowly changes color despite its mostly black icon. Making icons more representative of their palette could help players find the right shader with ease — something that should not be underestimated given just how many shaders there are.
This comes after Blackburn shared a video on Twitter in August in which he listed ways to improve communication between players and Bungie. One of these suggestions was that he would appear in videos and streams alongside prominent Destiny 2 content creators, and Blackburn’s appearance on Datto’s channel serves as an example.
