There are so many weapons in Destiny 2 that it can be hard to know which weapons are best suited for PVE, Crucible, or Gambit. You’ve got a bank full of weapons, sure, but which ones should you actually be using? While it’s possible to just hop into Crucible and see what your teammates are using, that’s not a fun way to figure out what’s what. So here we are, sharing the best PVP weapons in the current meta so that you can work out your loadout before diving into the next match.

Keep in mind that you may need to adjust depending on which weapons you don’t have and which slot you choose to use an Exotic.

The Process

Our picks are based on a combination of a few different sources. The largest is what the Charlemagne Discord bot, which reports the current Destiny 2 meta, thinks about the state of things. Among other things, the bot tracks weapon popularity for each game mode. This is super useful for getting our baseline information. We also use general community consensus from the Destiny subreddit and our own experiences playing Crucible! And finally, we also reference TRN's Destiny Tracker, which collects weapon insights for various in-game activities.

Guide last updated on September 2023 by Whitney Meers.

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Destiny 2 PVP Tier List

Want a quick rundown? Here are all of the best weapons in a tier list format. Detailed explanations for each of the selections is available below.

[tier-list]

Best Crucible Kinetic Weapons

Scout Rifle

Dead Man's Tale

Between its accuracy and how great it is at long ranges, Dead Man’s Tale is a weapon as good as the person wielding it. For PVP, grind for a Killing Wind roll to further increase the scout rifle’s effectiveness after each kill.

Destiny 2 Dead Man’s Tale Guide – How to Get Random Rolls
Source: Presage Exotic quest.
Craftable: Yes.

The Jade Rabbit

After all these years, The Jade Rabbit remains a beast because precision hits gain bonus damage on your next body shot and return ammo to the mag. But its real power is that Zen Moment reduces recoil and flinch over time, making it significantly easier to aim. Further, it’s a worthwhile choice for a Crucible scout rifle since the catalyst increases weapon stability by 27.

The Jade Rabbit - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Exotic engrams.
Craftable: No.

Randy's Throwing Knife

If you're not looking to use an Exotic, you can try Randy's Throwing Knife. This Crucible-specific weapon isn't craftable, but with 24 perks — 12 for each column — there is no shortage of combinations, many of which are stellar for PVP.

Randy's Throwing Knife - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Crucible engram focusing.
Craftable: No.

Hand Cannon

Austringer

There are a lot of solid hand cannon choices for Destiny 2 PVP, which explains why this archetype remains a go-to for Crucible sweats. You can hand-build the perfect PVP Austringer if you can be patient enough to pick these up when they're available from Banshee or Xur and are also willing to use a few Deepsight Harmonizers.

Austringer Guide - Austringer God Roll & How to Get
Source: Banshee-44 or Xur when available.
Craftable: Yes.

Rose

Rose remains a fan-favorite PVP weapon due to its lightweight frame, giving users a movement advantage.

Rose Guide - How to Get the Rose Hand Cannon
Source: Crucible when on rotation.
Craftable: No.

Kept Confidence

Kept Confidence is seeing a lot of use due to the fact that it's craftable with traits like Killing Wind and Eye of the Storm, plus it feels good to use.

Kept Confidence - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Season of the Witch activities.
Craftable: Yes.

Ace of Spades

If you want to use an Exotic kinetic hand cannon, you're going to want to bust out the trusty old Ace of Spades for its range and stopping power it possesses.

Ace of Spades - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Monument to Lost Lights.
Craftable: No.

Crimson

Crimson is a top choice for players with stellar aim due to its heavy-hitting three-round burst and ability to heal the wielder when they land precision kills.

Crimson - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Exotic engrams.
Craftable: No.

Hawkmoon

Hawkmoon makes this list as an oldie but goodie, as it grants a smooth gunplay experience for Guardians with solid aim.

Hawkmoon - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Xur.
Craftable: No.

Thorn

Crucible is also seeing a Thorn revival. It's a great weapon for Quickplay due to the fact that it leaves Remnants on kills, which you can pick up to make the weapon stronger for killstreaks that can lead to downing opponents in two shots.

Thorn - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Monument to Lost Lights.
Craftable: No.

Pulse Rifle

No Time to Explain

No time to explain

No Time to Explain is a beast for strong players. With this weapon, precision shots return ammo to the mag, and rapid kills with the gun progressively increase reload speed. This makes the weapon a go-to for Crucible sweats who need something versatile and allows them to adapt to various game modes.

No Time to Explain - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats Lore
Source: Complete Beyond Light campaign.
Craftable: No.

Submachine Gun

The Immortal

Following its introduction, The Immortal has become one of the most used weapons in PVP. This is not only due to its terrific stats but the bonkers perk combinations it can roll with. Seriously, the time to kill with the Target Lock perk is silly and there’s no way I don’t see this gun getting nerfed. You should expect to see The Immortal in every match and mode you play.

The Immortal - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Trials of Osiris when on rotation.
Craftable: No.

Unending Tempest

The Unending Tempest is hot as a Season 22 PVP-focused SMG weapon, with some players even resorting to calling it "Immortal 2.0."

Unending Tempest - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Crucible engram focusing.
Craftable: No.

Auto Rifle

Quicksilver Storm

Quicksilver Storm may seem like a bit of a surprise hit, but as an auto rifle that doubles as a rocket launcher that's also a grenade launcher, it's the best of all worlds. Not only is it practical, but it's also a lot of fun for casual play, plus you can get a catalyst that causes it to produce Strand Tangles.

Quicksilver Storm - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Own Lightfall expansion and annual pass.
Craftable: No.

Monte Carlo

monte carlo catalyst destiny 2, Best Energy Weapons in Destiny 2

Monte Carlo is getting some love in Crucible from Guardians this season as players are finding ways to synergize its melee-focused traits with various subclass Aspects and Fragments.

Monte Carlo - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Exotic engrams.
Craftable: No.

Necrochasm

The Necrochasm is a hot choice for the Crota's End raiders who have gotten their hands on one, and there's no denying that it's extremely consistent in PVP.

Necrochasm - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Crota's End raid.
Craftable: No.

Shotgun

Conditional Finality

Many Crucible players dominate with shotguns, and Conditional Finality is a top choice. As a Root of Nightmares raid drop, part of this may be due to the freshness of a relatively new raid Exotic that's not impossible to earn. Still, it's also a hit because of the Split Decision perk that can grant both Stasis and Solar damage to an enemy, causing it to freeze or ignite your enemy. It also has high handling and reload stats, making it a favorite in the current meta.

How to Get Conditional Finality in Destiny 2
Source: Root of Nightmares raid.
Craftable: No.

Imperial Decree

As a Legendary kinetic shotgun alternative, you can run Imperial Decree, which is craftable to Slideshot and Opening Shot. This combination means you can slide to partially reload the weapon and boost its range and stability, and then leverage improved accuracy and range on your first shot.

Imperial Decree - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Defiant engrams.
Craftable: Yes.

Sunset Recommendations

Honestly, the entire point of sunsetting weapons was so Bungie could avoid power creep. That’s all fine and dandy when power level matters like in raids, high-level strikes, and Trials of Osiris — but these weapons are still perfectly usable everywhere else. Crucible, in particular, seemed to be a sticking point for Bungie, yet all of these weapons are still top-tier. Some may no longer be obtainable, but feel free to keep rocking them if you have them! For others, like the Revoker, it’s easier than ever to get one for yourself — just visit the Monument to Lost Lights.

Steelfeather Repeater (Auto Rifle)
Revoker (Sniper Rifle)
The Mountaintop (Grenade Launcher)

Best Crucible Energy Weapons

Auto Rifle

Centrifuse

Best Weapons in Destiny 2, Centrifuse

Centrifuse's Overcharge Capacitor Exotic perk means sprinting, sliding, and firing this weapon builds a charge that increases range and reload speed. Its Regenerative Motion perk causes final blows with high charge to cause explosions, and maximum charge explosions blind targets. Plus, its catalyst causes it to gain overcharge when a player is Amplified, making it an extremely productive weapon.

Centrifuse - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Season pass reward (Season 21).
Craftable: No.

Ammit AR2

If you want to use an auto rifle but want to reserve your Exotic option, go for the Legendary Solar Ammit AR2. It's craftable, and it's relatively easy to earn enough red borders to do so, so you can choose perks like Dynamic Sway Reduction to increase accuracy and stability along with Tap the Trigger, granting stability and accuracy on trigger pull.

Ammit AR2 Destiny 2 Guide – God Roll and How to Get It
Source: Foundry Resonance The Witch Queen quest.
Craftable: Yes.

Pulse Rifle

Graviton Lance

Best Energy Weapons, Graviton Lance

Graviton Lance is hot in Crucible right now, primarily due to a recent tweak that increased its round per minute, which marked a 20% burst delay reduction. This change suddenly catapulted it to a top choice for PVP due to peek shots becoming more viable. Its Exotic perk offers extra high damage on the second shot and spawns void projectiles. The catalyst provides increased range and aim assist, making it a no-brainer for many.

Graviton Lance - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Exotic engrams.
Craftable: No.

BxR-55 Battler

BxR-55 Battler emains a popular choice for PVP. It uses Enhanced Perks and has terrific stats and hip-fire recoil to make it a terror at both long and close-range combat.

BxR-55 Battler - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Xur's treasure hoard in Dares of Eternity.
Craftable: Yes.

Shotgun

Matador 64

Perhaps the most popular shotgun right now, Matador 64 is the go-to option for many players. Even though you can only get it in the Grasp of Avarice dungeon, the Matador 64 is absolutely worth the grind. Boasting high damage and range, the Matador 64 only gets better once you combine it with perks like Opening Shot, Pulse Monitor, and Accurized Rounds.

Matador 64 - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Grasp of Avarice dungeon.
Craftable: No.

Felwinter's Lie

Felwinter's Lie is a trusty old weapon, too, as it comes with Slideshot and Opening Shot and its Masterwork stat gives it a hefty range bonus.

Felwinter's Lie - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Monument to Lost Lights.
Craftable: No.

Bow

Le Monarque

Best Energy Weapons in Destiny 2, Le Monarque

If information is your game, Le Monarque is incredibly useful. Thanks to the poison damage over time, you can track opposing Guardians through walls and convey that information to your teammates. It also hits like a truck and is especially nasty in Iron Banner where players typically gather around control zones or chokepoints.

Le Monarque - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Monument to Lost Lights.
Craftable: No.

Fusion Rifle

Vex Mythoclast

Though not as oppressive as it once was, Vex Mythoclast remains a solid choice for patient players looking to fry opposing Guardians in a single shot. This weapon is capable of absolutely decimating anyone within a few meters.

Vex Mythoclast - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Vault of Glass raid.
Craftable: No.

Jotuun

Jotunn is an old favorite that certainly hasn’t gone anywhere — and probably won’t. Often shamed by some as the weapon of choice for less-skilled Crucible players, there's nothing wrong with benefiting from what feels almost like aim assist due to its one-shot tracking, as long as it's part of a team effort. Plus, it procs Incandescent, causing it to spread scorch to nearby opponents when you down an enemy.

How to Get the Jotunn Catalyst in Destiny 2
Source: Monument to Lost Lights.
Craftable: No.

SMG

IKELOS_SMG_V1.0.3

Best Weapons in Destiny 2, IKELOS SMG V1.0.3

Although SMGs received a nerf with Season 21, they continue to have a place in PVP. One popular SMG is the IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3. Along with The Immortal and Unending Tempest, SMGs remain within the PVP meta due to their remarkable range, low time-to-kill, and accuracy. Even recent nerfs haven't stopped a notable percentage of players from favoring them.

Destiny 2 IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3 - How to Get, God Rolls
Source: Xur when on rotation.
Craftable: Yes.

Shayura’s Wrath

Shayura’s Wrath is an SMG that feels more like an AR, and shoots like a laser. As a Trials of Osiris weapon, it rolls with a ton of PVP-focused traits such as Killing Wind, Heating Up, and Perpetual Motion, plus it got a sweet reticle buff with a recent season. The fact that you can earn an Adept version of the weapon when it's on rotation makes it a sought-after weapon among hardcore PVP players.

Shayura's Wrath - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats
Source: Trials of Osiris when on rotation.
Craftable: No.

Sniper Rifle

Cloudstrike

When it comes to sniper rifles, Cloudstrike remains a popular choice. This is due to not only the great stats but the fact that a single headshot kill could potentially slay multiple other Guardians.

How to Get the Cloudstrike Catalyst in Destiny 2
Source: Complete Empire Hunts in the Beyond Light content.
Craftable: No.

Mercurial Overreach

Mercurial Overreach is a Legendary Arc sniper. While not quite as powerful as Cloudstrike, it drops with some traits that can be ridiculous for PVP. In the first column, there's Snapshot Sights for a faster time to aim down sights, or Discord, which causes final blows to increase speed to aim down sights, accuracy, and airborne effectiveness. Additionally, when it's active, final blows refund ammo. In the second column, there's Opening Shot to increase accuracy and range on your first shot or Moving Target to increase speed and acquisition while moving when aiming down sights.

Mercurial Overreach - How to Get, God Rolls
Source: Crucible when on rotation.
Craftable: No.

Adored

Adored is a crisp-shooting Arc sniper available at the Monument to Lost Lights. Unfortunately, it's not craftable, so if you get it this way, you only have a limited set of traits you can choose from.

Adored - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Monument to Lost Lights.
Craftable: No.

Beloved

Beloved is a craftable Solar sniper with the trusty combo of Quickdraw and Snapshot Sights. Unfortunately, it's tough to get this one, so you'll have to wait until Xur sells it.

Beloved - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Banshee-44 or Xur when available.
Craftable: Yes.

Hand Cannon

Igneous Hammer

I don’t even know where to start with Igneous Hammer. This thing is basically a sniper rifle capable of three-tapping folks from across the map.

Igneous Hammer - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats
Source: Trials of Osiris when on rotation.
Craftable: No.

Sunshot

Guardians are also leaning on Sunshot in Crucible much more than they have in recent seasons, likely due to builds like the Solar Hunter Foetracer build that synergize with the Solar hand cannon's trait that causes enemies to explode in Solar energy.

Sunshot - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Exotic engrams.
Craftable: No.

Sunset Recommendations

Again, the entire point of sunsetting weapons was so Bungie could avoid power creep. That’s all fine and dandy when power level matters like in raids, high-level strikes, and Trials of Osiris — but these weapons are still perfectly usable everywhere else. Crucible, in particular, seemed to be a sticking point for Bungie, yet all of these weapons are still top-tier. Some may no longer be obtainable, but if you have them, feel free to keep rocking them! For others, like the Revoker, it’s easier than ever to get one for yourself — just visit the Monument to Lost Lights.

Luna’s Howl / Not Forgotten (Hand Cannon)
Erentil FR4 (Fusion Rifle)
Trust (Hand Cannon)

Best Crucible Weapons – Power

Rocket Launcher

Gjallarhorn

Best Heavy Weapons, Gjallarhorn

Gjallarhorn will always be popular in Crucible, mainly because nearby allies gain increased handling, reload, and speed every time someone fires Gjallarhorn. That’s all in addition to the weapon’s iconic Wolfpack Rounds. Because of this, each fireteam should run no more than one Gjallarhorn if you’re coordinating.

Gjallarhorn - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: And Out Fly the Wolves quest (requires Bungie 30th Anniversary content).
Craftable: No.

Machine Gun

Commemoration

Best Weapons in Destiny 2, Commemoration

Machine guns are generally lackluster for Crucible. However, a contingent of players continues to enjoy mowing down opposing Guardians with Commemoration thanks to its accuracy, damage, and the fact that you can craft the perfect roll of this weapon.

Commemoration - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats
Source: Deep Stone Crypt raid.
Craftable: Yes.

Grenade Launcher

Memory Interdict

The takeaway here is that grenade launchers are meta power weapons in Crucible. Most players lean toward Memory Interdict, likely because it doesn't take up an Exotic slot and it has a solid perk pool including Disruption Break, which makes enemies more vulnerable to kinetic damage for a short time.

Memory Interdict - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats
Source: Banshee-44 and Xur when available.
Craftable: No.

Typhon GL5

Typhon

Typhon GL5 won't roll with Disruption Break, but it does have its own nasty set of perks including Impulse Amplifier, Explosive Light, Demolitionist, and Chill Clip as possible traits.

Typhon GL5 - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Banshee-44 and Xur when available.
Craftable: No.

Wendigo GL3

The Wendigo GL3 is the way to go, as you can get a powerful Adept version when it's on rotation as a Nightfall reward.

Wendigo GL3 Destiny 2 Guide – God Roll and How to Get It
Source: Nightfall when on rotation.
Craftable: No.

Regnant

Regnant is a solid grenade launcher choice because it's craftable with Proximity Grenades that increase proximity detection and Rangefinder to increase projectile velocity.

Regnant - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Defiant engrams and engram focusing.
Craftable: Yes.

Cataphract GL3

As a Strand grenade launcher you can get as a Trials reward, it's easy to suggest the Cataphract GL3 is just a seasonal shiny new toy. But, its unique perk pool makes it a top choice as a fun-to-use weapon for PVP sweats.

Cataphract GL3 - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats
Source: Trials of Osiris when on rotation.
Craftable: No.

Sword

The Other Half

There will always be a contingent of players who swear by swords in Crucible, and they certainly love The Other Half because it's craftable with Eager Edge, which offers massive increases to the player's sword lunge distance immediately after switching to this weapon.

The Other Half - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Xur's treasure hoard in Dares of Eternity.
Craftable: Yes.

Half-Truths

While a player's preferred sword is up to them, this Half-Truths is also popular for Crucible sweats because, like The Other Half, it's craftable with Eager Edge.

Half-Truths - How to Get, God Rolls, Stats, Lore
Source: Xur's treasure hoard in Dares of Eternity.
Craftable: Yes.

Sunset Recommendations

Here are some other recommendations:

Hammerhead (Machine Gun)

And that’s it for our guide to the best Crucible weapons in Destiny 2! Thanks for taking the time to check it out. We wish all of you trigger-happy Guardians out there the best of luck in mowing down your friends.

More Destiny 2 Content:

The Process

Destiny 2 PVP Tier List

Best Crucible Kinetic Weapons

Scout Rifle

Dead Man's Tale

The Jade Rabbit

Randy's Throwing Knife

Hand Cannon

Austringer

Rose

Kept Confidence

Ace of Spades

Crimson

Hawkmoon

Thorn

Pulse Rifle

No Time to Explain

Submachine Gun

The Immortal

Unending Tempest

Auto Rifle

Quicksilver Storm

Monte Carlo

Necrochasm

Shotgun

Conditional Finality

Imperial Decree

Sunset Recommendations

Best Crucible Energy Weapons

Auto Rifle

Centrifuse

Ammit AR2

Pulse Rifle

Graviton Lance

BxR-55 Battler

Shotgun

Matador 64

Felwinter's Lie

Bow

Le Monarque

Fusion Rifle

Vex Mythoclast

Jotuun

SMG

IKELOS_SMG_V1.0.3

Shayura’s Wrath

Sniper Rifle

Cloudstrike

Mercurial Overreach

Adored

Beloved

Hand Cannon

Igneous Hammer

Sunshot

Sunset Recommendations

Best Crucible Weapons – Power

Rocket Launcher

Gjallarhorn

Machine Gun

Commemoration

Grenade Launcher

Memory Interdict

Typhon GL5

Wendigo GL3

Regnant

Cataphract GL3

Sword

The Other Half

Half-Truths

Sunset Recommendations

Crimson Banner of Conflict

Details

Attributes