Destiny 2: Expert Guide On 15 Best PVP Snipers

The list of the best Destiny 2 PVP snipers can vary as each gun offers a drastically different archetype and pool of perks that can alter your playstyle in combat. In contrast, perks may not matter too much in PVP right now, but there are the usual ‘god rolls’ that you should get, especially if you want that specific sniper rifle to have an edge. Each of these best sniper rifles I have showcased in this list can heavily benefit you in 2024 in both of Destiny 2’s core PVP modes; Crucible and Trials of Osiris.

Here’s a summary of the 15 best PVP Sniper Rifles in Destiny 2; all compared to each other:

1. The Supremacy

The Supremacy was originally part of the Queen’s Wrath event rewards back in Destiny 1 in 2014. The gun became one of the rarest weapons ever since the event itself was featured only once in the game’s lifecycle.

However, with the release of Destiny 2 and the Forsaken expansion, you could now earn the Supremacy again as part of the Last Wish raid rewards. Thankfully, the weapon has a chance to be dropped in any encounter, so the only thing stopping you from getting it is pure RNG.

2. Defiance Of Yasmin

The Defiance of Yasmin makes a return in Destiny 2 with the reprisal of the King’s Fall raid’s loot pool, a raid that was originally featured in Destiny 1 with the Taken King expansion. You can obtain from the Warpriest as well as the Daughters encounter in the raid, not to mention even craft it via the Relic at the Enclave, as long as you have five deep sight weapon patterns in possession.

3. 1000-Yard Stare

The 1000-Yard Stare is yet another reprisal of a fan-favorite Sniper Rifle from Destiny 1, as Bungie brought it back as part of their 30th Anniversary pack during the Witch Queen DLC in Destiny 2.

This sniper rifle was, and still is, generally considered the best PVP weapon in Destiny 2 by the community, despite the fact that there are various other great weapons to counteract its popularity. You can obtain the 1000-Yard Stare via the Grasp of Avarice dungeon in the 30th Anniversary pack content.

4. Mercurial Overreach

The Mercurial Overreach is a brand-new sniper rifle introduced with the Season of the Deep in Destiny 2. The weapon is obtainable only by completing three competitive matches every week to get your first drop.

You can do this up to two times on your other two characters to have three chances per week in total to get a drop for it. However, it is worth mentioning that you need to complete your preliminary placement matches and then complete the usual three matches actually to acquire a gear drop of the Mercurial Overreach.

5. Beloved

The Beloved is no stranger to any PVP player in Destiny 2, as this sniper rifle was originally introduced with the Season of Opulence in the Forsaken DLC. It was later sunsetted but would soon make its return with the Season of the Haunted, allowing players to chase once again for its god rolls. The Beloved is easily another popular sniper rifle, one that’s easily been a sought-after PVP weapon ever since you couldn’t obtain it as easily anymore.

6. Eye Of Sol

The Eye of Sol is the Trials of Osiris exclusive weapon, which can only be obtained via completing its playlist matches, via engrams, or by completing bounties and ranking up your reputation with Saint-14. For hardcore PVP players, it is quite easily the best kinetic PVP sniper that remains strong to this day in the current 2024 sandbox of Destiny 2.

The Eye of Sol also has access to two different Basic Origin traits, which are the following:

• Alacrity: Gain increased reload, stability, aim assist, and range when you are the last living member of your fire team or running solo.
   
• One Quiet Moment: Grants 40 Reload Speed and a 0.95x Reload Duration Multiplier while out of Combat.
  • For One Quiet Moment, being in Combat is defined as having either dealt or received damage within the last 5 seconds. Kills reduce this to 1.5 seconds until the damage is dealt with or received by the player. Lastly, it can activate even if the weapon is stowed.

7. Cloudstrike

The Cloudstrike is an exotic sniper rifle introduced with the Beyond Light expansion which offers some unique properties. You have a chance to obtain the Cloudstrike through high-difficulty tier Empire Hunts in Destiny 2. While the weapon is primarily useful in clearing mobs of enemies easily in PVE, it is also a fun weapon to use in PVP solely due to its special exotic perks:

• Moral Polarity: Precision final blows generate a lightning bolt at the target’s location.
• Stormbringer: Rapid precision hits create a lightning storm at the point of impact.
   
• Furthermore, if you are equipped with its exotic catalyst, Cloudtsrike gains the Triple Tap perk, where rapidly landing precision hits will return one round to the magazine.

8. Mechabre

The Mechabre is a legendary snipe rifle that was dropped with the launch of the Festival of the Lost event in Destiny 2. Players could acquire a random roll of the weapon by progressing through Eva Levante’s questline “Gone but not Forgotten” and receiving it for free as a completion reward. But after that, you would need to grind out Haunted Lost Sectors for more drops of the Mechabre.

Aside from its usual perk pool, the Mechabre also supports a basic origin trait which is called:

• Search Party: This weapon is granted faster aim-down-sights and movement speed when aiming down sights with no allies near you.
• If no allies are within 15 meters:
  • 2.5% Reduced ADS Movement Speed Penalty
  • 0.85x ADS Animation Duration Multiplier

9. Succession

The Succession is quite possibly one of my personal favorite sniper rifles, which has gained most of its popularity in PVE, but despite that, it’s still viable in PVP.

If you don’t have any of the snipers above with their god roll perks or to make them viable, the Succession has access to a couple of the best PVP perks, so if you’re both a PVP/PVE player, then you can easily try farming the Succession. You can obtain the sniper rifle via the Deep Stone Crypt raid, specifically from the Atraks-1 encounter.

Following is the basic origin trait for the Succession, found on every weapon from the Deep Stone Crypt:

• Bray Inheritance: Dealing damage regenerates a small amount of ability energy.

10. Silicon Neuroma

If you ask me, the Silicon Neuroma has been my personal favorite kinetic sniper rifle to use until it was eventually replaced with the Succession via my Deep Stone Crypt runs. The main noteworthy aspect here is that the Silicon Neuroma is exclusively a Nightfall activity weapon.

Every season, the weapon will be tied to a specific strike in the Nightfall playlist, which you can have a chance to acquire upon successful completion. I would strongly recommend farming Grandmaster Nightfalls since they have the highest chance of awarding you with exclusive weapons for the strike.

Along with it being a Vanguard playlist exclusive weapon, you can find the following two basic origin traits to choose from on the Silicon Neuroma:

• Stunning Recovery: Stunning a Champion partially refills your magazine, triggers health regeneration, and improves recovery for a short duration.
• Vanguard’s Vindication: Final Blows with this weapon grant a small amount of health.

11. Praedyth’s Revenge

The Praedyth’s Revenge sniper rifle is definitely a blast from the past for many veterans of the franchise. The weapon was part of the Vault of Glass raid in Destiny 1, and now it returns with the reprisal of the raid and its beloved loot pool. You have a chance to obtain the weapon via the Oracles encounter or by defeating Atheon, the final boss of the raid.

12. Frozen Orbit

Don’t let my ranking of the Frozen Orbit deceive you; it is yet another fantastic PVP sniper rifle to use for Destiny 2, whether it’s the Crucible, competitive, or even Trials of Osiris. Ironically, you can obtain the weapon via the Crucible loot pool by completing matches or leveling up with Shaxx and claiming reputation engrams.

13. Volta Bracket

The Volta Bracket is a legendary sniper rifle that was introduced back in the Lightfall expansion’s launch. It is one of the regional weapons of Neomuna, which can be obtained as rewards for activity completions such as the Terminal Overload or by leveling up Nimbus and acquiring engram rewards from him. Furthermore, the weapon also supports Strand as its unique elemental damage.

It also supports a basic origin trait known as the following:

• Nanotech Tracer Rockets: Landing multiple hits turns your next shot into a homing micro-rocket.

14. Irukandji

The Irukandji is one of the ordinary legendary sniper rifles that is found in the world loot pool, meaning that you can acquire it pretty much through any means via legendary engram drops or as a random drop. Furthermore, the weapon also supports Stasis as the main damage element.

The best way to acquire it is by checking in with either Xur or the Gunsmith’s daily or weekly inventory in the Tower, as it has a chance to spawn there with random rolls/perks periodically.

15. Bite Of The Fox

The Bite of the Fox is an aggressive frame legendary sniper rifle that is exclusively available in the Iron Banner loot pool. The weapon was originally added all the way back during the release days of Destiny 2, in Season 4. You can still acquire it now through the same ways, which is by either completing Iron Banner matches as well as by ranking up with Lord Saladin and receiving it randomly in his package rewards.

Lastly, the Bite of the Fox also features the following origin trait, which is also found on the other Iron Banner weapons:

• Skulking Wolf: While at low health, Guardian’s final blows with this weapon grant enhanced radar and remove you from opposing radar.

Best PVP Sniper Rifle Ranking Criteria

The following list of the 15 best Destiny 2 PVP snipers in 2024 was written by me (Steam ID: LIONT4MER), and the entire information was carefully crafted after discussion with my PVP clanmates as well as a few players on Discord. So with nearly 3000+ hours across both Destiny titles, you can remain rest assured that these snipers are up-to-date with the latest changes, meta information, and stats as of Season 21.

This wraps up my guide to the best PVP snipers. While you’re here, I would strongly recommend checking out how you can get your hands on the exotic Glaive weapon, Winterbite. Speaking of which, if you still haven’t, then it would be a good time to hunt down the exotic auto rifle known as the Centrifuse from the Season of the Deep. Lastly, for similar guides, you can also check out the list of the best bows in Destiny 2, as well as the best fusion rifles for both PVE and PVP.

Up Next:

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• Destiny 2 Root Of Nightmares Raid
• How To Unlock Lightfall Sub-Classes In Destiny 2