Destiny 2 Best PVE Weapons [2550+ Hours Played]

Season 20 has released officially and I have listed the 20 Best PvE weapons in destiny 2 that you should get.

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May 7, 2023

In Destiny 2’s PvE, you’ll use a wide variety of weaponry against different foes in different missions, strikes, and raids. Season 20 has just been released, and with it comes a slew of awesome new weaponry. We have listed the top-tier hand canons, SMGs, bows, and heavy guns that are by far the best Destiny 2 PvE weapons this season.

Key Takeaways

Destiny 2 season 20 and Lightfall expansion released on Feb. 28, 2023.
New PvE weapons emerged in season 20 to complete PvE effectively.
Many weapons have been updated for the new season, and it is crucial to select the right weapons for your playstyle.
Each weapon has its own stats and characteristics that suit players of different playstyle.
Some weapons are hard to obtain, while some are easily available.
Knowing about the best weapons options increases your game sense and helps you fight more efficiently.

Why Trust Us: With 2550+ hours in the game, Usama is a trusted source for Destiny 2 guides!

Destiny 2 PVE Weapons Comparison

Here is the comparison and stats table of my picks for best PvE weapons:

Weapon Name	Type	Impact	Effect Range	Stability	Reload Speed	Handling
The Hothead	Rocket Launcher	55.0	75 (Blast Radius)	32.0	59 sec	36.0
Heritage	Shotgun	80.0	70.0	60.0	37 sec	46.0
Osteo Striga	Exotic SMG	25.0	38.0	76.0	1.8 sec	72.0
Corrective Measure	Legendary SMG	41.0	83.0	60.0	51 sec	57.0
Explosive Personality	Energy Shotgun	80.0	40.0	28.0	36 sec	55.0
Calus Mini Tool	Submachine Gun	15.0	45.0	64.0	37 sec	-
Lingering Dread	Grenade Launcher	-	100 (Blast Radius)	24.0	71 sec	85.0
Divinity	Exotic Trace Rifle	18.0	90.0	86.0	61 sec	67.0
Forbearance	Fusion Rifle	95.0	65.0	29.0	29 sec	29.0
Gjallarhorn	Exotic Rocket Launcher	-	100 (Blast Radius)	14.0	35 sec	28.0

The Hothead

Rocket Launcher with large explosion radius

destiny 2 hothead — The Hothead (Image by us)

Type	Rocket Launcher
Rarity	Legendary
Magazine	1
Ammo	Heavy
Reload Speed	59
Blast Radius	75
Velocity	34
Stability	32
Handling	36
Impact	55
Recoil	60

Why I chose it: Large explosion radius, cluster bomb, and tracking module, effective against large enemy formations and moving targets

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A legendary rocket launcher, the Hothead may be obtained in Destiny 2 in a few different ways:

It can be obtained as a random drop if it is a part of the loot table for the Weekly grandmaster nightfall.
In Season 20 of Destiny 2, it is yet to be determined from which GM nightfall it drops from.
Alternatively, it can also be purchased from Zavala via focused decoding by purchasing it for the first time for 5x Vanguard engrams, 10,000 glimmer, and 25 legendary shards.
The Hothead with a God Roll is possible by prioritizing the following benefits:
- Vorpal Weapon: The weapon can deal bonus damage to bosses, vehicles, and guardians.
- Explosive Light: Picking up an Orb of Power increases the next projectile’s blast radius and damage.
- Impact Casing: increases the rocket’s blast radius and damage.
- Velocity MW: increases the rocket’s projectile speed, making it easier to hit distant targets.
Players should be prepared to grind several activities and devote a large amount of time in order to obtain a Hothead with a God Roll since the odds of receiving one are completely unpredictable.

Large initial explosion radius
Effective against large enemy formations.
Targets that are in movement can be targeted more easily.
Rapid reload time that facilitates rapid fire.
Effective in a number of situations: use it for strikes, Gambit, the Crucible, or Nightfall.

Slow initial speed makes the weapon tough to reach distant targets.
Low base impact, making each projectile less damaging.
Takes precise targeting to keep from taking self-damage.

Heritage

Good Option for Shotgun Lovers

Weapon Type	Shotgun
Rarity	Legendary
Damage Type	Kinetic
Impact	80
Range	70
Stability	60
Handling	46
Reload Speed	37
Rounds Per Minute	45
Magazine	7

Why I chose it: High Impact with decent range.

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The legendary shotgun Heritage may be acquired from the Deep Stone Crypt raid.

If you manage to take down the game’s final boss, Taniks the Abomination, you could find the shotgun lying about as a reward.
Players that complete the raid on harder levels, such as Master or Grandmaster, have a better chance of obtaining the Heritage.
The Heritage is not a sure drop and may need a number of runs to acquire.

To maximize the potential of the Heritage, players should aim for a God Roll, which is a combination of specific perks that make the weapon more powerful.

The best God Rolls for the Heritage include perks such as Smallbore, Accurized Rounds, Reconstruction, and Rampage.
Players can increase their chances of getting a God Roll by using the raid chest checkpoint exploit, which allows them to farm the final chest for multiple chances at the shotgun.

Lethal legendary shotgun that is most effective at close range.
Decent range for a shotgun, and it’s much better with specific upgrades.
Shotgun’s already huge magazine capacity may be expanded even more.
The Rampage perk is useful against groups of foes.
The Heritage’s good base stability facilitates rapid aiming and shooting.

It’s not easy to use the Heritage at long range.
Takes a long time to reload the weapon.
Can only be obtained via the completion of the raid.
It has a sluggish firing rate.

Osteo Striga

SMG with high Range and Stability

Type	Exotic SMG
Ammo	Kinetic
Magazine Size	30
Reload Speed	1.8 seconds
Range	38
Stability	76
Handling	72
Recoil	80
Rounds Per Minute	750
Damage	19

Why I chose it: An Exotic SMG in destiny 2 that has high recoil.

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You will receive the weapon pattern to craft the Osteo Striga once you finish up the main campaign of the Witch Queen DLC.
Once you complete the campaign, head back to the enclave on Mars, to the relic, and shape this weapon.
Since it is a craftable exotic, the stats can change depending on how you insert the rolls for it, which can alter its stats variably.
You will need to level up the weapon to Level 10 in order to unlock its catalyst, which will overflow the magazine based on the number of kills you get using its poison damage.
A good way to farm the kills to level up the weapon is by heading into the Shuro Chi encounter in the Last Wish raid and killing a large number of enemies there, and then wiping to reset the encounter.

Easily one of the best crowd-controlling weapons.
Also fantastic to use in the crucible for PVP due to its fast TTK.
It becomes even better with the Catalyst equipped.

The range is pretty lacking,
Obtaining the catalyst can take a rather long time if you don’t opt to farm the kills.

Corrective Measure

A High-Power Machine Gun

destiny 2 lmgs — corrective measure (image by eXputer)

WEAPON TYPE	Legendary SMG
Impact	41
Ammunition	Rounds per Minute 450 (Magazine 59)
Range	83
Stability	60
Handling	57
Reload speed	51
Aim Assistance	72
Zoom	15
Airborne effectiveness	6

Why I chose it: High magazine capacity with decent range and base damage.

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The Corrective Measure can seamlessly take down enemies with the right perks, making it a superb ad-clearing machine gun in the game.
The weapon supports an adaptive frame archetype meaning each shot fired is hard-hitting and precise rather than the rapid-firing LMGs.
You can obtain the weapon through the Vault of Glass raid, and on the master difficulty, you have the chance to acquire the time-lost or ‘adept’ version of it.
The core difference with the adept version of the weapon is that it essentially offers two extra perks alongside the usual ones, as well as a slot for adept weapon mods.
The Best perks for the Corrective Measure can range from feeding frenzy or subsistence to either one for all or firefly.

Can explode heaps of enemies within seconds if you have activated the Volatile flow.
The weapon comes almost close to the DPS of the best exotic LMG, Thunderlord.
One-For-All perk can also make it a great DPS weapon.

Players might be tempted to chase after the weapon for its time-lost variant
Other variant is locked behind the master difficulty version of Vault of Glass.
The weapon isn’t an ideal choice for DPS in most endgame activities.
Players will need to be precise with their shots at enemies.

Explosive Personality

Launcher with Highest Blast Radius

Rarity	Legendary
Type	Energy Shotgun
Element	Arc
Impact	80
Range	48
Stability	28
Handling	55
Reload Speed	36
Rounds Per Minute	65
Magazine	5

Why I chose it: A legendary energy shotgun in Destiny 2 that can roll with some very powerful perks.

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To get the Explosive Personality shotgun, players must complete the “Presage” mission on Master difficulty.
The chance of getting Explosive Personality as a drop from completing the mission is random, but the odds increase with each successful completion.
Players can also increase their chances of getting Explosive Personality by using the “Luck in the Chamber” perk on their ghost.

The recommended God roll for Explosive Personality includes perks such as Quickdraw, Vorpal Weapon, and Reconstruction.

Quickdraw allows players to quickly swap to the shotgun, Vorpal Weapon increases damage against bosses, and Reconstruction allows the magazine to gradually reload over time.
The Explosive Personality shotgun can also roll with other powerful perks such as Auto-Loading Holster, Trench Barrel, and Killing Wind.
Players can increase their chances of getting a God roll by using materials to re-roll the perks on the shotgun through the Umbral Engrams system.
It’s important to note that getting a God roll on Explosive Personality is not guaranteed and can take many attempts to achieve.

Has a high rate of fire and a decent range for a weapon
The damage it does may be considerably increased with Vorpal Weapon, Trench Barrel, and Death Wind.
Reconstruction perk allows auto-refill.
The animations and look of the weapon are quite pleasing to the eye.

As an energy weapon, it competes for the same slot as many other strong weapons.
Has a slow reload time without the Reconstruction perk.
Requires completion of the challenging “Presage” mission on Master difficulty.
It is not always the most effective option in PvP.
Its perks and effectiveness depend heavily on the user’s play style and the situation.

Calus Mini Tool

SMG for close range interactions

Weapon Type	Submachine Gun
Ammo Type	Primary
Damage Type	Kinetic
RPM	900
Impact	15
Range	45
Stability	64
Reload Speed	37
Magazine Size	23
Aim Assistance	56
Zoom	15
Recoil Direction	100

Why I chose it: A stable and precise submachine gun with a high rate of fire, great for close combat

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One of the best methods to get the Calus Mini Tool is to complete the Leviathan Raid and open the loot box in the Underbelly part of the raid.

Complete the Menagerie or increase in Gunsmith rank to get a random drop. You may or may not get the promised perks, nevertheless.
Use the Chalice of Opulence in the Menagerie to aim at a particular gun and boost your chances of obtaining a “god roll” (perks like Kill Clip, Feeding Frenzy, and Rampage).
Upgrade the effectiveness of your Calus Mini Tool by installing a weapon mod like the Counterbalance Stock or the Aiming Adjuster. Submachine Gun Scavenger and Loader are two excellent armor modifications that can greatly enhance your gameplay.
A deadly submachine rifle that can tear through foes in Destiny 2, the Calus Mini Tool can get yours with some luck and grinding.

Great for dealing with enemies up close because of their high rate of fire.
The weapon is simple to use and produces precise results.
For a submachine gun, the gun’s range is rather decent.
Can be obtained through various activities in the game, making it accessible to all players.
The firearm may be made even more effective by rolling a “god roll,”.

The gun’s magazine size is relatively small.
The Calus Mini Tool does not have access to as many mods as other weapons.
Obtaining a “god roll” can be a grind and require a lot of luck.
The gun’s damage output is lower than other weapons in its class.
The Calus Mini Tool can take some time to master due to its unique recoil pattern.

Lingering Dread

The High-Power Grenade Launcher

destiny 2 grenade launcher — Lingering dread (image by eXputer)

WEAPON TYPE	GRENADE LAUNCHER
Blast Radius	100
Ammunition Type	Special
Rounds Per minute	90
Damage	stasis
Projectile Velocity	83
Reload Speed	71
Aim Assistance	75
Zoom	13
Airborne Effectiveness	3

Why I chose it: A Grenade Launcher weapon that has various perks including blinding grenades and ambitious assassin.

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The Lingering Dread is a stasis grenade launcher, which, when used with the best perks, can make it an ideal choice for most endgame activities in Destiny 2.
The best perks that you want to get on it include; Chill clip, blinding grenades, and ‘ambitious assassin.’
You can only acquire the weapon through the Duality dungeon located on the Moon.
It is a random drop that is most commonly found in the first and last encounters of the dungeon.

Blinding Grenades can also do well on the Lingering Dread.
One of the rare grenade launchers which can roll with the chill clip perk.
It is a solid choice for endgame activities.
Generally a great PvE weapon for crowd control.

It is only available from the Duality dungeon as a random drop.
The Reload speed can be a deal-breaker for a few players.

Divinity

The Trace Rifle with exceptional Range

Type	Exotic Trace Rifle
Ammo Type	Energy
Damage Type	Arc
Impact	18
Range	90
Stability	86
Handling	67
Reload Speed	61
Rounds Per Minute	120
Magazine	29
Inventory Size	100
Zoom	16
Recoil Direction	100
Aim Assistance	60

Why I chose it: Excellent Range, Stability and Aim assistance.

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Here is the process of getting Divinity gun in Destiny 2:

You must have the Shadowkeep downloadable content and have played through the main Shadowkeep story campaign before you can proceed.
After that, gather a group of six people and go to the Lunar Battlegrounds on the Moon to finish the “Raid: Garden of Salvation” raid.
To advance through the raid, you and your squad must solve a series of hidden “divine” puzzles by hunting down and eliminating targets. In all, you’ll need to solve seven riddles.
An “Enhancement Core” item will be rewarded to you for your efforts in killing the raid’s final boss, the Sanctified Mind.
The “Divine Fragmentation” quest item can be found in a secret box in the boss area; to access it, you must first take the Enhancement Core there.
You’ll need to kill a certain number of foes with a certain weapon, perform a certain raid challenge, and gather 120 Orbs of Light to progress through the mission.
The “Divinity” exotic trace rifle may be claimed from the Garden of Salvation raid’s secret chest if all goals have been met.

With the “Judgment” perk, allies close to an enemy target can do more damage.
The gun’s stability and precision allow for effortless, accurate shooting.
It delivers Arc damage, which is particularly devastating against shields.
It’s able to hold a sufficient supply of ammunition and be swiftly reloaded.

Judgment perk is time-limited.
It’s a tough weapon to get for casual players.
The slow firing rate and lengthy charging time make it less useful in close quarters.

Forbearance

Grenade Launcher with High Velocity Reload Speed

Rarity	Legendary
Type	Fusion Rifle
Damage Type	Solar
Impact	95
Range	65
Stability	29
Handling	29
Reload Speed	29
Rounds Per Minute	660
Magazine	5

Why I chose it: Enormous destructive power and remarkable range, formidable in both PvE and PvP with the right modifications

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Forbearance is a legendary fusion rifle in Destiny 2 that can be obtained through various means.

Forbearance is a possible drop from The Caretaker and Rhulk fights.
Spoils of Conquest can be used to buy previously acquired weapons.
Forbearance can also be crafted by completing pattern extraction for 5 grenade launchers.
Players can then visit the Enclave to craft a custom Forbearance.
The first weapon obtained from the end of the raid chest each week is a guaranteed Deepsight drop.
This can help players work towards a craftable Forbearance.

Impressive damage even against the most resilient of foes.
Once fully charged, it can fire off many bullets in rapid succession.
The gun has a remarkable range that may be increased with the Rangefinder perk.

Slow recharge hampers its effectiveness
Limited stability makes handling challenging.
Slower than other fusion rifles.

Gjallarhorn

High Blast Radius Grenade Launcher

Type	Exotic Rocket Launcher
Rarity	Exotic
Magazine Size	2
Reserve Ammo	6
Rate of Fire	15
Blast Radius	100
Velocity	60
Stability	14
Handling	28
Reload Speed	35
Rounds Per Minute	30
Aim Assistance	50
Recoil Direction	80
Zoom	20

Why I chose it: An exotic weapon with Wolfpack Rounds perk that deals high damage and tracks enemies, excellent for tough foes.

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Here is how you can unlock Gjallarhon in Destiny 2:

Complete the Out for a Walk quest, which is part of Bungie‘s 30th-anniversary celebration.
Talk to Amanda Holliday in the Tower Hangar to receive the Out Fly the Wolves quest.
Complete the first step of the Out Fly the Wolves quest by defeating 50 enemies with a rocket launcher in strikes or Crucible matches.
Complete the second step of the quest by defeating 25 enemies with rocket launcher precision final blows in strikes or Crucible matches.
Complete the third step of the quest by completing a special version of the Devil’s Lair strike on Master difficulty.
Defeat Taniks, the Abomination, the boss of the Master version of the Devil’s Lair strike, to receive the Gjallarhorn gun.
The Gjallarhorn gun can be acquired once per account, and it cannot be reacquired from collections.

High damage output
Wolfpack Rounds perk
Tracking capability:
Exotic rarity

Consumes a lot of ammunition.
The Gjallarhorn’s sluggish reload time is an annoyance.
Has a shorter effective range than other weapons.

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Why Trust My List?

destiny 2 hours — Destiny 1 and 2 hours (Image via Time Wasted on Destiny)

I created the list of the best PVE weapons (Steam Name: LIONT4MER), with over six years of experience with the Destiny franchise, you can be sure that my rankings will meet your expectations with these weapons. I’ve also generated over 2000+ hours solely in Destiny 2 and achieved completions in almost every single of the Raids seen via my Raid Report stats.

This brings to the end of our best PvE weapons in Destiny 2 guide. What are your top 10 weapons so far in Season 20? We’d love to know your thoughts. Meanwhile, before you leave, consider checking our Destiny 2 Unlock Deterministic Chaos, How To Farm Artifice Armor, and Everything New In Destiny’s Lightfall Update.

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