The Prime Guide To The 8 Best Grenade Launchers In Destiny 2

Grenade launchers are one of the most feasible PvE weapons in Destiny 2. From regular strikes to endgame activities like Raids and Grandmaster Nightfall. Whether it comes to boss DPS, killing majors and champions, or killing trash mob enemies the best grenade launcher in Destiny will never disappoint.

Destiny 2 Best Grenade Launcher Comparison

Here’s a summary of the 15 best Grenade Launchers in Destiny 2, all compared to each other:

1. Anarchy

Anarchy is an exotic grenade launcher in Destiny 2. It fires arc energy projectiles that stick to surfaces and enemies. When stuck to an enemy, it deals damage over time for a moderate duration.

If you pair Anarchy with other special weapons like fusion rifles, this combo performs well for boss DPS. You can obtain Anarchy from the Monument of Lost Light at the Tower.

Pros

• The exotic perk on Anarchy Arc Traps allows you to fire arc projectiles that stick to surfaces and enemies.
• Multiple projectiles can chain with each other.
• You can do quick ad clear when multiple projectiles are placed on high-density enemy areas.
• Sticking Anarchy on bosses and pairing with other weapons like Succession allows for a decent DPS loadout.

Cons

• Anarchy in Destiny 2 has experienced several nerfs, reducing its ammo and damage per tick.
• These changes have weakened Anarchy, but it is still a viable choice in the current meta.

2. Witherhoard

Witherhoard is an exotic, breach-load special grenade launcher. It shoots Blight projectiles with a small circular AOE radius, damaging the target and nearby enemies. With the catalyst, Witherhoard’s handling improves, and automatically reloads ammo when holstered.

You can obtain Witherhoard from the Monument of Lost Light at the Tower.

Pros

• Witherhoard can be paired with other weapons like rocket launchers for optimal boss DPS.
• You can shoot it at the enemy spawn locations to kill them instantly.

Cons

• Without the catalyst, Witherhoard has an extremely slow reload speed of 2.8 seconds.
• If more than one person sticks Witherhoard on a boss, the effect of the second Witherhoard is negated.

3. Parasite

On this list of best grenade launchers, Parasite is one of the best weapons for instant burst DPS in Destiny 2. It is especially useful on bosses like Atraks-1, where the damage phase is extremely short. To obtain Parasite, you need to grab the quest for it, which is available on the quest terminal at the tower.

Pros

• The Worm’s Hunger exotic perk makes Parasite viable for instant burst damage on bosses.
• When fired at a group of enemies, the explosion from each shot is more than enough to clear ads.

Cons

• The reload speed of Parasite is very slow.
• Parasite only has one grenade/worm in the magazine, therefore forcing you to reload more often.
• Grenade shots fired from Parasite have extremely low velocity and travel distance.

4. Dead Messenger

Dead Messenger is an exotic, wave-frame grenade launcher in the special slot. Regarding usability, it is the best grenade launcher for PvP activities in Destiny 2.

Dead Messengers can be obtained when you complete the Vox Obscura exotic mission. This exotic mission is available on a weekly rotation.

Pros

• The wave-frame shots fired from Dead Messenger travel in a three-wave streak.
• Demolitionist perk will return your grenade ability energy when you get kills with this weapon.

Cons

• Dead Messenger has a slow reload speed of 2.5s.

5. The Colony

The Colony is another exotic grenade launcher. The special perk on this grenade launcher is called Serve the Colony, which reloads the magazine from reserves when it is Holstered. The Colony can be acquired from the Monument of Lost in the Tower.

Pros

• The exotic perk on this grenade launcher, Insectoid Robot Grenades, is beneficial in PvP.
• It makes the grenade projectiles follow opponent enemies and explode near them.
• The Colony also has a high fire rate of 140 RPM, making it a decent choice for certain PvE encounters.

Cons

• The Colony is a heavy exotic grenade launcher restricting you from using other useful exotics.
• The DPS of this grenade launcher is far worse in PvE activities compared to legendary grenade launchers.

6. The Prospector

The Prospector is an exotic grenade launcher. Although it lacks a high Blast Radius, it can still perform decently for clearing smaller enemies. You can acquire this weapon from the Monument of Lost Light.

Pros

• With a faster firing rate, The Prospector makes it easy to clear smaller enemies.
• Grenade fired from this weapon can stick to surfaces, making it easy to spawn kill enemies.

Cons

• The Prospector lacks a high Blast Radius perk, making it a bad weapon for boss DPS.
• Equipping this weapon will use up your exotic slot, and you won’t be able to use other exotic weapons.

7. Lingering Dread

Like Ignition Code, Lingering Dread also blinds and disorients enemy targets. It is a breach-load grenade launcher with stasis energy. Lingering Dread is an exclusive weapon you can only acquire from the Duality dungeon.

Pros

• Chill Clip slows enemy targets down for a short duration.
• Lingering Dread can blind and stun an unstoppable champion.

Cons

• Lingering Dread reloads relatively slowly compared to some other grenade launchers.
• Farming this weapon is difficult and tedious because it’s only available from Duality.

8. Forbearance

Forbearance is one of the best Destiny 2 grenade launchers, outperforming almost all other grenade launchers. It is a legendary arc wave-frame grenade launcher in the special slot. 

With a godroll perk combination of Ambitious Assassin and Chain Reaction, Forbearance clears ads quickly. You can acquire the Forbearance grenade launcher from the Vow of the Disciple raid.

Pros

• Forbearance can be crafted once you have acquired the pattern for this weapon.
• Crafting this weapon gives you the choice to choose enhanced perks of your choice.
• Ambitious Assassin and Chain Reaction reload your weapon and kill ads in a chain blast, respectively.

Cons

• Forbearance is a poor choice of weapon for boss DPS since it lacks high damage stats.
• This weapon can only be acquired through the Vow of the Disciple raid, making it difficult to acquire.

Destiny 2 Best Grenade Launcher Ranking Criteria

This list of best grenade launchers was written by me (Steam ID: Radio). I have been a player of the franchise for the past nine years and have over 3000+ hours across both Destiny games. Furthermore, I am updated on all news, patch notes, and sandbox updates in Destiny 2. This list results from a long and thorough research, extensive testing, and discussion with fellow players.

This concludes the list of best grenade launchers in Destiny 2. It will point you in the right direction and help you choose the Destiny 2 best special or heavy grenade launcher for all your PvP and PvE activities. Furthermore, if you need guidance on what weapons to use for damage against bosses, check out the best Linear Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2.

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• Destiny 2: Epochal Integration
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