Best Destiny 2 Weapons: PvE, PvP and Exotics (2024)

I was completely lost when I returned to Destiny 2 after an 18-month break. Not only is Destiny 2 notoriously bad at explaining things, but it’s also a game that naturally evolves over time, especially because of its ever-changing weapons, meta, and sandbox.

It was frustrating to search online, find outdated guides, and end up grinding weapons that were no longer good (I’m looking at you, Breakneck 1.0). This is why we’ll cover on the best weapons in Destiny 2 today, tell what rolls you should look for and where to find them.

Best Season 23 weapons

Like any other loot-based game out there, Destiny 2 is all about getting the latest and greatest gear. Exotics are always important (more on that below), but new weapons will always get the spotlight. And when the Seasonal weapons happens to include bangers, they instantly become the most sought-after items in the entire game. This is especially true for the weapons that drop from the latest endgame activity.

This guide covers every weapon that drops from the brand-new Warlord’s Ruin dungeon (you can find all the New weapons from Season 23:

Meta weapons today

Do you want to skip the guides and just want to know what the meta is today? These are the weapons with the highest usage rates in endgame PvE activities this past week:

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⚠ Note that this list is updated every Tuesday at reset.

Best Destiny 2 Exotic Weapons

Exotics are a key part of a Guardian’s loadout. As you’re only allowed to equip one Exotic weapon at a time, it’s often a difficult choice that can even lead to intense debates with your Fireteam. If you want to dive deeper into the top Exotic weapons in Destiny 2, this is for you:

The guide includes:

1. A ranking including all 100+ Exotics currently in the game
2. DLC Requirements
3. Guides on how to get them
4. A focus on all the newest Exotics

Knowing which Exotics are best and understanding which ones are the easiest to obtain can make a big difference, especially if you’re just starting out. With that knowledge, you can better target what Exotics to chase first and build strong loadouts sooner rather than later.

But some Exotics absolutely need their catalyst to reach their full potential. This guide covers all the Exotic Catalysts in the game and tells you where to find them.

The top tier Exotics for PvE and PvP

If you’re in a hurry and want a quick list that highlights the most used Exotics for PvE and PvP, these are ones we consider S-tier:

-	Kinetic	--	Special	---	Heavy	Meta
	Conditional Finality		Divinity		Gjallarhorn	Exotics
	Witherhoard		Ace of Spades		The Lament	Exotics
	Osteo Striga		Cloudstrike		Thunderlord	Exotics

Exotics deserve a dedicated section because they are truly special. Some of them literally break the rules of what a weapon should be able to do in Destiny 2. Having said that, you should always be clear on what you’re looking for when talking about weapons in Destiny 2. Are you looking for aweapon for PVE or a weapon for PVP?

PvP vs PvE

PVP and PVE are entirely different beasts that require entirely different tactics, strategies, and weapons. A good gun for PVE will most likely be very different than a good gun for PVP. For that reason, we will always talk about PVP and PVE separately.

Optimal Loadouts

As you become experienced, you’ll realize that having THE best weapons is not enough. You need the best loadout to truly compete. This means you should always be on the lookout for great weapons for every slot (Kinetic, Energy, and Heavy) and the right balance between one Exotic and two legendary weapons equipped at any given time. These resources will help you complete your loadout:

• Best Legendary weapons
• Best Kinetic weapons

Best Destiny 2 PvE Weapons

You’ll see us talk a lot about DPS and damage per second throughout this section.DPS is important for PvE because the higher the DPS, the more damage you can deal to a Boss or Major.

What to look for in PvE

A good PVE weapon should be able to deal a good amount of DPS while remaining consistent and easy to use. Some weapons can deal great DPS but require excellent aim and leave little room for mistakes. All of our top PVE weapons follow those criteria. They do good DPS, are consistent, and are easy to use. These are the weapons you’ll want to bring to the most challenging PvE content in Destiny 2:

Our PvE Weapons guide includes:

1. The Top 25PvE weapons currently in the game
2. Requirements and difficulty to obtain them
3. The current PvE Meta (what weapon types are the best and why)
4. Instructions to get the best PvE Exotics
5. The best PvE loadouts

If you’re building towards a strong PvE loadout, that guide is the place to get started.

The TL;DR

If you’re in a hurry and simply want a list with the absolute best PvE weapons, based on usage in endgame content, these are the most “Meta” PvE weapons right now:

-	Kinetic	--	Special	---	Heavy	Meta
	Witherhoard		CALUS Mini-Tool		Apex Predator	PVE
	Wish-Ender		Nessa's Oblation		Cataclysmic	PVE
	Osteo Striga	,	Forbearance,Forbearance (Brave)		Cold Comfort	PVE

If you’re struggling with PVE endgame content such as Master and Grandmaster Nightfall: The Ordeals or Master Empire Hunts, you can’t go wrong with any of those weapons.

DPS values

Last but not least, if you want to take a deeper look into what the most lethal weapons, DPS-wise, are, this guide is for you:

Best Destiny 2 PvP Weapons

You’ll see us talk a lot about TTK and time-to-kill throughout this section. TTK is important in PvP because the lowest the TTK, the faster you can kill your opponent. You can read all about it in our TTK guide below.

What to look for in PvP

Unlike PvE, PvP is not about sheer damage or DPS. In the Crucible, every bullet counts, and for that reason, you should be looking for those weapons that require the least bullets (and time) to kill an opposing Guardian.

But similarly to DPS in PVE, TTK in PvP is not everything. You also want a lethal weapon with a good TTK that is also consistent and easy to use. It goes without saying that our selection of PvP weapons follows that criteria, too. They are consistent, easy to use, and have some of the lowest TTK out there:

Our PvP Weapons guide includes:

1. The Top 25PvP weapons currently in the game
2. Requirements and difficulty to obtain them
3. The current PvP Meta (what weapon types are the best and why)
4. Instructions to get the best PvP Exotics
5. The best PvP loadouts

If you’re building towards a strong PVP loadout, that guide isthe place to get started.

TL;DR

These are the most “Meta” PVP weapons right now, based on usage in endgame content:

-	Kinetic	--	Special	---	Heavy	Meta
	Ace of Spades		Matador 64		The Other Half	PVP
	The Immortal		Cloudstrike		Memory Interdict	PVP
	Conditional Finality		Igneous Hammer		Typhon GL5	PVP

If you want to take PVP seriously and want to give yourself the best changes in Trials of Osiris or the Competitive playlist, these weapons are all safe bets.

TTK values

Last but not least, if you want to take a deeper look into what the most lethal weapons, TTK-wise, are, this guide is for you:

Current Destiny 2 Meta

While not as covered as the “Top weapons” in Destiny 2, the actual “Meta” is equally important.

The Meta defines what weapons and loadouts are the most efficient and lethal at any given time. For that reason, understanding the current Meta will help you better understand Destiny 2 weapons in general and potentially get ahead of the competition. This guide covers the current Meta and state of the Sandbox in detail: What the best weapon types are and why, and what have been the latest changes:

It includes:

1. The latest Meta changes (season per season)
2. The current PvE Meta per class (Primary, Specials, and Heavy)
3. The current PvP Meta per class

And as the Meta in Destiny 2 can change overnight, you can rest assured our guide will be updated accordingly.

Best Destiny 2 weapons per type

The following guides all focus on specific weapon types or classes. If you’re interested in taking a deeper look into a specific weapon type that is dear to you, look no further than these:

PS:These guides obviously make the distinction between the best choices for PVE and PVP too!

	Auto Rifles	Primary
	Combat Bows	Primary
	Fusion Rifles	Special
	Glaives	Special
	Grenade Launchers	Special Heavy
	Hand Cannon	Primary
	Linear Fusion Rifle	Heavy
	Machine Guns	Heavy
	Pulse Rifle	Primary
	Rocket Launcher	Heavy
	Scout Rifle	Primary
	Shotgun	Special
	Submachine Guns	Primary
	Swords	Heavy
	Trace Rifles	Special

Best places to find great weapons

Some of the best weapons are extremely hard to acquire. And that’s a good thing, as Destiny 2 is a looter-shooter and having to work hard for the best gear is part of the fun.

But in case you feel lost and don’t even know where to begin, there are a few excellent sources where you can consistently farm Top Tier weapons. To get you started, these two guides cover the two most important methods to acquire top-tier weapons in the game (loot tables for raids/dungeons and schedules for rotating gear):

The following guides focus on specific sources of great guns. Each guide ranks every single weapon from its relevant activity, includes the top exotics found there, provides the best rolls for Legendaries, and gives you tips to efficiently farm them:

• Nightfall weapons
• Trials of Osiris weapons

Your turn

These resources should help you figure out what the best weapons in Destiny 2 are. These are the weapons that are worth chasing, either because they’re simply the best in class or because they’re very good while being easy to farm at the same time.