IMO Bungie saw the player base dipping smaller and smaller so they decided to throw another carrot out there for people to grind for. It wasnt by accident that they took a big dump on the guns most everyone used. They did it on purpose so people would start grinding for pulse rifles. A lot of people before the PR buff would delete the guns all together because they were shit. Bungie knows this and by making them strong AF they knew people would grind to get them which equals more play time which equals win for bungie/activision. The 10000 + post petition requesting an auto rifle buff is still to this day being completely ignored by bungie. The "data" they used as justification to nerf autos has done a 180° turnaround by now, and they know it, but they wont address it for anything.