Special grenade launchers are reliable weapons in Destiny 2 for both single-target damage and crowd control. There are plenty to choose from, so here are our picks for the 10 best PVE special grenade launchers in Destiny 2. This list isn’t in any particular order — these are all great weapons depending on your needs and preferences.
Update History
- March 2023: Removed Truthteller and Ignition Code, added Harsh Language and Prodigal Return
1. Witherhoard — Best Destiny 2 Special Grenade Launchers
The king of grenade launchers, Witherhoard has been a standby ever since it was introduced in Season of Arrivals. It’s one of the few weapons in Destiny 2 that causes damage over time, allowing you to tag a target with it then switch to another weapon and continue firing. It’s not only one of the best special grenade launchers, it’s one of the best Exotic weapons in the game.
2. Lingering Dread
The first Stasis grenade launcher, Lingering Dread is obtainable from the Duality dungeon. If you’re using it, it’s probably for Chill Clip, which synergizes well with Stasis subclasses but can help manage groups of adds regardless. Plus, its Origin Trait boosts its reload speed, and since frequent reloads are one of the downsides of grenade launchers, that’s a nice feature.
3. Pardon Our Dust
Pardon Our Dust is a kinetic grenade launcher from the Bungie 30th Anniversary Celebration content. Since being released it’s become craftable, but even if you don’t craft it it’s got some great perks to choose from. And thankfully, the perks Bungie cut from it during its update were mostly garbage anyway, so it’s easier to get a better roll of it these days.
4. Forbearance — Best Destiny 2 Special Grenade Launchers
An Arc wave frame launcher from the Vow of the Disciple Raid, Forbearance benefits from the Vow Origin Trait Souldrinker and also gets access to the Raid perks Bait and Switch and Sleight of Hand. We wouldn’t recommend using those on it, however. Instead, opt for Ambitious Assassin and One For All or Chain Reaction for maximum add control potential.
5. Dead Messenger
One of several Exotic weapons that can be switched between Arc, Solar, and Void damage, Dead Messenger is a special wave frame that fires three blasts outwards. Its damage type flexibility makes it great for popping different kinds of shields and also allows it to benefit from various subclass abilities. It’s also just a lot of fun to make things go boom with it.
6. Salvager’s Salvo
Released way back in Season 13, Salvager’s Salvo is a powerful and versatile Arc grenade launcher. For direct damage, it has Spike Grenades, Demolitionist, and Vorpal Weapon. For thinning the herd, switch to Ambitious Assassin and Chain Reaction. It’s one of the best Arc grenade launchers in Destiny 2, and you don’t even have to grind for a good roll of it.
7. Explosive Personality — Best Destiny 2 Special Grenade Launchers
Another wave frame launcher, Explosive Personality sort of replaced the old Martyr’s Retribution from Season of the Dawn. We love the combination of Auto-Loading Holster and Disruption Break on this thing. Fire a grenade to pop an enemy’s shield and weaken then, switch to your kinetic weapon to finish the job, and Explosive Personality will have reloaded itself by the time you’re done.
8. Harsh Language
Well, you can retire your Deafening Whisper — it’s been made obsolete by Harsh Language. The new Void wave frame grenade launcher on the block has a great deal to recommend it. To begin with, it’s got a pretty great Origin Trait in Field-Tested. When it comes to the actual perks, Destabilizing Rounds is just straight-up funny on this thing. It’s basically Void Incandescent, and if you’re building into Void then it’s all the better. You can also run Repulsor Brace or Disruption Break, if you need them.
9. Prodigal Return
Prodigal Return is the first special grenade launcher to roll with Voltshot, giving it great synergy with Arc builds. It also gets the new Envious Assassin perk, which can overfill the magazine. Fun stuff.
10. Empty Vessel — Best Destiny 2 Special Grenade Launchers
A Solar grenade launcher obtainable from Vanguard activities, Empty Vessel doesn’t have the world’s greatest Origin Trait but does have a lot of usage possibilities. As with most Vanguard weapons, its main issue is its massive perk pool, which means more work finding that perfect roll. A couple suggestions: Spike Grenades/Field Prep/Vorpal Weapon or Blinding Grenades/Auto-Loading Holster/Disruption Break.
