Destiny 2 transmog: Armor Synthesis cost, cap and how Shaders changes work explained

What is transmog in Destiny 2?

Armor Synthesis, which is the official name of Destiny 2's transmog system, allows players to change the appearance of their equipped armour to another, without sacrificing stats, perks and other unique traits.

Unlike the past Universal Ornaments system, which only allows you to change armour to select cosmetic appearances from Eververse and events, this lets you to adopt the appearance of any armour you have collected.

For example, you have a Raid armour set you really like to use for its stats. But, there's a Trials set you prefer to appearance of, the Armor Synthesis system allows you to keep the Raid armour equipped, but make it look like the Trials set.

How Destiny 2's Armor Synthesis 'transmog' system works in Destiny 2

So, what does the new transmog system entails? Well, the step-by-step provided by Bungie is a tad confusing, to say the least, but we'll use it as a foundation to explain the basics to get you started:

1. First, you'll have to defeat enemies to earn Synthstrand
2. Once you have collected at least 150 Synthstrand, you can take on bounties to earn Synthcord
3. Synthcord can be used at the Loom in the Tower to obtain Synthweave
4. Lastly, Synthweave is used to convert an unlocked Legendary or lower armor appearance from Collections into a Universal Armor Ornament.

Bear in mind this feature won't unlock automatically, and instead you'll have to go through a rather simple mission first. Start by visiting Banshee-44, who's located just in the way to the Bazaar if you land on the Tower's courtyard. He will give you the 'Armor Synthesis Introduction' questline. Accept it and let's get on moving. Say hello to Ada-1 in her brand new (and cool-looking) base, and she will task you with retrieving research data from Europa's surface.

Thankfully the exact location is signalised on the map. Head west towards the Bray Exoscience area, and then all the way downstairs. You will stumble upon a couple small enemies, so nothing to worry about. Push through to the terminal to interact with it, and you'll obtain the first quest item.

Then, you'll have to find a processing unit, which happens to be just on the other side of the room. Sprint towards there, open any of the doors available, and you'll see it laying on a table. Once you've grabbed it, Ada-1 will tell you to report back to her at the Tower. After a brief conversation, you'll have to interact with the Loom, which is that massive device just behind Ada-1. Lastly, talk to her again to finish the quest.

Players can also purchase Synthweave Templates from Eververse through the Guardian Appearance screen, with the option to buy a single Synthweave or a five-piece bundle, essentially bypassing the above process.

A single template will cost you 300 Silver, whilst the template bundle costs 1000 Silver. For reference, 500 Silver costs £4.79 in the UK. In order to avoid mistaken purchases, it's confirmed templates can be applied to any class.

How to make your first armor ornament in Tying it Together' explained

Once you're done with the introductory tasks, Ada-1 will grant the Tying It All Together quest. Just by accepting it you'll receive one Synthweave per class for free, which is used to create and apply Ornaments.

In order to make your first ornament, head towards the Appearance Customization screen (found by pressing 'S' on the keyboard or Down on the D-pad from the gear screen, then selecting the top right icon). Select any Legendary equipment, and a list of ornaments will be displayed. Take your pick, which will cost 1 Synthweave, and unlock it. In case you were wondering, yes, you can also preview multiple pieces before making your choice. From there, all that's left is to equip your new ornament.

Destiny 2 transmog cost, Armor Synthesis cap and other restrictions explained

Whilst the previous section covers the basics, there are a number of caveats and exceptions to keep in mind:

• Now, these Universal Ornaments obtained from Armor Synthesis may only be applied to Legendary armor pieces. As a result, the appearance of Exotic armor pieces can't be altered. Bungie stated this decision comes from wanting for "players to quickly identify and understand what Exotic perks a player may have in all activities."
• Another exception is some Year-1 armor ornaments won't be present due to "technical constraints," but solutions are in process for a "future Season". You can find the full list of what's missing below:
• Year 1 Vanguard sets
• Year 1 Crucible sets
• Year 1 Iron Banner sets
• Year 1 Faction Rally sets
• Year 1 Prestige Raid sets
• Year 1 Trials of the Nine sets

Destiny 2's Shaders changes explained

If you're a fan of shaders, these will undergo their own set of changes as well. Up until now, shaders are one-time use consumables that must be repurchased from Collections, in exchange of Glimmer of Legendary Shards.

Starting in Season of the Splicer, all unlocked shaders will be visible on the Guardian Appearance screen when hovering over the shader bucket, and players will be able to apply shaders for 500 Glimmer per armor piece. There's also the option to "apply all" with a new button, which will cost 2500 Glimmer. In summary, the cost remains the same, but Legendary Shards will no longer be required.

You will still be able to earn shaders through various activities in Destiny 2, or purchase them using Bright Dust or Silver from Eververse. With this new update, the cost will bump from 40 Bright Dust to 300 Bright Dust, so keep that in mind. It will continue to be a one-time purchase for the time being, and you'll find it in the Guardian Appearance menu when unlocked.

In celebration of the Armor Synthesis debut, an Eververse bundle will be available for Glimmer instead of Silver, if you fancy giving the system a go.

Destiny 2 transmog release date explained

During a blog post timed with the release of Destiny 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series in December 2020, Bungie confirmed transmog would be added to Destiny 2 alongside Season 14.

This season - named Season of the Splicer - and transmog along with it, will release on Tuesday, May 11th 2021.

How Universal Ornaments worked previously in Destiny 2

Previously, if you wanted to change your armour ahead of the full transmog system, this was only possible in some cases using Universal Ornaments.

Introduced with Shadowkeep and the 'Armour 2.0' revamp, it allowed Armor pieces released from Year 3 onwards to equip Universal Ornaments, a type of cosmetic which changed their appearance.

Universal Ornaments were mostly sourced from the Eververse and events, and didn't apply to armour you might earned in-game. An additional exception were Exotics, the appearance of which cannot be changed.

To equip a Universal Ornament, on the perks screen, you would scroll down where to it says 'Appearance' below.

From here, you could make cosmetic changes - including equip Universal Ornaments, Shaders and if supported, Glows.