Destiny 2’s Dawning event has long delivered a wintry mix of festive cosmetics and cookie deliveries. But one year, it also delivered something far more useful: a faster way to level crafted weapons. For players tired of grinding, the event’s snowball fights became a surprisingly effective tool.
A Familiar Holiday Loop
The Dawning tasks players with baking cookies for Destiny 2’s many NPCs and receiving gifts in return. Some of those gifts turn into unique weapons that are only available during the event. Players can also chase new armor ornaments, Ghost shells, Sparrows, and other holiday-themed items. It’s a fun tradition. But longtime fans know the drill. Most years bring a few new cosmetics and maybe a new weapon, while the core loop stays largely unchanged.
The Crafting Grind
Weapon crafting arrived with The Witch Queen expansion. It changed the loot chase, but it also added a new grind. Crafted weapons need to be leveled to unlock enhanced perks, and that process can feel slow. Players need red-bordered weapons, crafting materials, and a lot of experience. Bungie made improvements over time by increasing red-border drop rates, reducing material costs, and boosting experience gains. Still, many Guardians wanted an easier path from zero to their dream weapon.
That Dawning event offered exactly that. For the duration of the event, players earned bonus progress for crafted weapon leveling whenever they completed activities. On top of that, defeating enemies with snowballs contributed progress to any equipped crafted weapon. Community manager dmg04 confirmed both bonuses. Previously, snowballs mainly moved quests and bounties forward. Now they fed directly into weapon crafting. It was a small change, but it had a big impact on how players spent their time during the event.
Why Players Loved It
Players were quick to call it a welcome change. Snowball fights had always been a lighthearted part of the Dawning, but they rarely felt meaningful beyond the seasonal checklist. With the new benefit, a player could load into an activity, throw snowballs at groups of enemies, and watch their crafted weapon gain levels. This combined fun and progression in a way that many players appreciated.
Here’s what the snowball update actually did:
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❄️ Snowball kills granted progress to equipped crafted weapons.
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🎯 Completing activities gave bonus crafted weapon leveling.
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🍪 It made the Dawning useful for long-term progression, not just cosmetics.
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⏳ It reduced the feeling of grinding by tying fun mechanics to real rewards.
| Snowball Behavior Before | Snowball Behavior During Event |
|---|---|
| Progressed quests and bounties | Also contributed to equipped crafted weapon leveling |
| Mostly a seasonal checklist item | Became part of crafting grind reduction |
| No bonus crafted weapon XP from activities | Bonus crafted weapon XP from completing activities |
The table shows just how focused the change was. It didn’t rework the entire event. It simply added a progression layer where there hadn’t been one before.
Seasonal Burnout
Destiny 2’s seasonal model has faced criticism for feeling repetitive. Annual events like the Dawning can start to blur together. Around that time, game director Joe Blackburn acknowledged the problem. He said he heard player feedback “loud and clear.” Blackburn promised more novelty, thematic variety, and new ways to progress characters in the months ahead, starting with Lightfall in February 2023. That statement reflected a growing desire among players for changes that respect their time.
Looking Back From 2026
Looking back from 2026, the snowball crafting boost still stands out. It wasn’t a massive overhaul. It didn’t change the Dawning’s core identity. But it showed how a limited-time event could support a player’s long-term goals without forcing a whole new system. Bungie has experimented with plenty of seasonal features since then, and the game has continued to change. Even so, simple quality-of-life wins like this one remain memorable.
The Dawning continues to return each year with new rewards and festive activities. Cookie baking, gift exchanges, and snowball fights remain part of the ritual. But for crafters, that particular winter proved that even a snowball can help forge a perfect weapon. Sometimes the best holiday gift is one that saves you hours of grinding.