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.
More Destiny 2 Content:
- Destiny 2 God Roll Weapon Hub – Every God Roll Weapon Guide
- Everything Right and Wrong with the Iron Banner Changes in Destiny 2
- Destiny 2 Stormchaser Guide – Stormchaser God Roll & How to Get It
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!
Guide last updated on May 1st, 2023.
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.
Best Crucible Kinetic Weapons
Jade Rabbit / Dead Man’s Tale (Scout Rifle)
Any time there’s a Trials of Osiris week, the most “efficient” guns surge in the rankings. This time around that’s Jade Rabbit, a scout rifle that has largely gone ignored but has suddenly found itself pretty dang strong after a couple of different buffs coming together.
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.
Rose/ Austringer / Eyasluna / Ace of Spades / Crimson / The Last Word / Thorn / Fatebringer (Hand Cannon)
The most popular archetype in all of Destiny 2, there are a lot of strong hand cannons you can use in the Crucible. Eyasluna and Fatebringer remain popular choices because of their solid perk pools and wonderful base stats. Of the two, I’d recommend Eyasluna simply because its starting stats are comically good and it can roll with Rangefinder. Meanwhile, if you’ve ground enough, you can hand-build the perfect PVP Austringer. As for exotic hand cannons, you can use Crimson, The Last Word, Thorn, or Ace of Spades. All four are terrific options despite each playing differently. Ace of Spades is definitely the best of the four due to the sheer range and stopping power it possesses, but Crimson is a close runner-up
New Purpose / The Messenger / Piece of Mind / No Time to Explain (Pulse Rifle)
Piece of Mind is dominating the Crucible right now, which isn’t surprising given how popular pulse rifles are. Tied to Season of the Risen, this pulse rifle has incredible base stats and can be crafted with some seriously dangerous enhanced perks. This makes it far better than a lot of the other guns, as those enhanced perks can make a huge difference when fighting someone. If you’ve braved the new Duality dungeon, New Purpose is also proving to be a promising choice. Alternatively, you can use The Messenger which is a slower-firing, yet stronger weapon. Tied to Trials of Osiris, this gun is also an absolute monster and unsurprisingly a very popular choice.
Riiswalker / Ragnhild-D / The Chaperone / Reckless Endangerment (Shotgun)
Shotguns will always be a staple in Destiny 2 Crucible — especially when there are so many incredible choices. Riiswalker is definitely the best in-slot option for Kinetic shotguns since it can roll with the Iron Reach perk which gives it a whopping +18 to the range. Speaking of sniper rifles and shotguns, The Chaperone continues to be a good choice for people who can aim and Reckless Endangerment is a decent alternative since this ritual weapon comes with a nice perk combo.
The Immortal / Osteo Striga (Submachine Gun)
Well we all knew these guns were going to be on the list. 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. But until then, expect to see The Immortal in every match and mode you play. Alternatively, players are also using Osteo Striga which not only poisons enemies, but lightly tracks toward their position. This makes it easy to use, especially when you’re against very mobile players.
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
Horror’s Least / BxR-55 Battler (Pulse Rifle)
Pulse Rifles are pretty hot right now with Horror’s Least and BxR-55 Battler being the best of the bunch. The former is a Nightfall weapon that has terrific stats and a solid perk pool. The recoil is also really easy to control, even when you are being shot at or suffering from flinch. As for the latter, the BxR-55 Battler is a craftable weapon from Dares of Eternity and it’s one of the most popular PVP weapons right now. This is not only due to it being able to use Enhanced Perks, but the terrific stats and hip-fire recoil making it a terror at both long and close-range combat.
Felwinter’s Lie / Matador 64 (Shotgun)
Felwinter’s Lie is so incredibly powerful. The good news? Everyone can get a copy from the Monument to Lost Lights. The bad news? We all have to suffer everyone using Felwinter’s Lie. Perhaps the most popular shotgun right now, Matador 64 is the go-to option for a lot of 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.
Le Monarque (Bow)
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.
Vex Mythoclast / Main Ingredient / Jotunn (Fusion Rifle)
With all of the new Solar 3.0 tools available, Vex Mythoclast is reaching new heights in the crucible. Main Ingredient is still topping the charts since Xur recently sold a PVP god roll, making it available to everyone with enough legendary shards. One of the best PVP fusion rifles in the game, this weapon is capable of absolutely decimating anyone within a few meters. Want to stick with an old favorite? Jotunn certainly hasn’t gone anywhere — and probably won’t.
Lorentz Driver (Linear Fusion Rifle)
Even after Bungie turned off the random Guardian tracking, effectively letting you frequently see enemies through walls, Lorentz Driver is still a top-tier weapon. We haven’t seen a Linear Fusion Rifle this good since the days of Arbalest, so grab it and get going!
IKELOS_SMG / Tarrabah / Shayura’s Wrath / Funnelweb (Submachine Gun)
While there are many new guns, one making waves among players is the Funnelweb submachine gun. Considered by many to be a “baby” version of the highly utilized Recluse pinnacle weapon, this firearm is skyrocketing in popularity. Much of this is thanks to not only its deep perk pool but also the fact that it is void. This gives it some bonkers synergy with the new Void 3.0 update — especially for those using volatile rounds. Shayura’s Wrath is currently in second place, though I suspect this is due to it being tied to Trials of Osiris and not the gun itself. Shayura’s is still a monster of a weapon and you should consider using it.
The other two popular SMGs are the IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3 and Tarrabah. Along with The Immortal, these weapons are currently dominating the PVP meta due to their remarkable range, low time to kill, and accuracy. Keep in mind, Bungie has confirmed that both of these weapons are getting hit with a nerf. While we don’t know what is getting adjusted, you should still consider looking at alternative PVP firearms if you use these.
Cloudstrike / Beloved (Sniper Rifle)
As for sniper rifles, Cloudstrike is certainly the most popular choice by a pretty wide margin. This is due to not only the great stats but the fact that a single headshot kill could potentially slay multiple other Guardians. For those looking for a legendary sniper rifle, I strongly recommend giving Beloved a spin. Not only can you craft this weapon and get enhanced perks, but this firearm has some great stats, a low zoom, and some terrific perks for PVP.
The Palindrome / Igneous Hammer / Frontier’s Cry (Hand Cannon)
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. The wild thing is that’s true regardless of what kind of roll you get. A god-roll Adept version can just destroy absolutely everyone. Palindrome, on the other hand, is in the Nightfall rotation. Just make sure to check before you start grinding. Now that there is more than one weapon each week, it’s much harder to get the specific roll you’re looking for. Finally, Frontier’s Cry is at the bottom of the top ten list this month, but honestly, I think this because players are just trying it out. It’s a very mediocre hand cannon and you can find better options.
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)
- Beloved (Sniper Rifle)
- Erentil FR4 (Fusion Rifle)
- Trust (Hand Cannon)
Best Crucible Weapons – Power
Gjallarhorn / Ascendancy / The Wardcliff Coil / Palmyra-B (Rocket Launcher)
It’s back! Gjallarhorn has finally made the jump to Destiny 2. Because Bungie wanted to avoid a situation where everyone is running the same exotic heavy weapon this time around, it’s given the weapon a new perk: Pack Hunter. With it, 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. For those who want something different, The Wardcliff Coil is always a good option alongside the plethora of Legendary rocket launchers. As for legendary rocket launchers, the Palmyra-B has gotten a lot of attention since it’s craftable and can come with some decent PVP perks.
Recurrent Impact / Commemoration (Machine Gun)
Heir Apparent was finally nerfed into the ground in PVP, so don’t expect to see it any longer. Recurrent Impact makes the list as the newest Machine Gun in the game. However, as a whole, machine guns are once again lackluster when it comes to Crucible. Another popular choice is Commemoration thanks to its accuracy, damage, and the fact that you can craft the perfect roll of this weapon.
Stormchaser / Reed’s Regret / Cataclysmic (Linear Fusion Rifle)
When it comes to linear fusion rifles, Stormchaser holds the DPS crown now. With a three-round burst, it’s capable of doing roughly 50% more damage per shot than every other Linear Fusion Rifle in the game.
For the discerning Guardian, there are two other solid linear fusion rifle options for PVP. Reed’s Regret is the Trials of Osiris linear fusion rifle and is considered by many to be the best legendary linear in the game. Much of this is because it can come in an Adept form if you go flawless, but also thanks to its solid stats and great perks. Cataclysmic is also making waves, but I suspect this is mainly because this weapon can be crafted and enhanced perks are very strong.
Typhon GL5 / Wendigo GL3 / Regnant (Grenade Launcher)
If you’re going for a legendary Grenade Launcher, Typhon GL5 appears to be the most popular. Personally, I am underwhelmed by this weapon if only because I don’t find the stats that impressive or perk pool that strong for PVP. If you can use an exotic, I suggest just rocking The Colony since it requires less effort and can easily secure kills due to the tracking rounds. Wendigo GL3 and Regnant are also very popular PVP choices, as they have some nice versatility, killing potential, and you can even craft the Regnant.
Black Talon / Half-Truths / Razor’s Edge (Sword)
Swords have plummeted in popularity this season. Outside of the likes of Black Talon, which can also attack from range, you should be seeing a lot less of them even with the Stasis nerfs. Razor’s Edge is also making the charts because Hunters like to look cool when they run around and pretend they’re in an anime.
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.
