Destiny 2 Best PVE Weapons in Beyond Light [Season 12]

As you start getting serious with Destiny 2, one of the first questions you’ll have is: What are the best weapons in the game?

That question is not as easy to answer, as it all depends on whether you’re looking for the top weapons for PVP, PVE, casual, or endgame content.

Today, we’ll focus on the best PVE weapons in 2020 for endgame activities. And by endgame, we mean content where having a high Power Level matters and that requires weapons that will not be sunsetted any time soon.

In this guide, we’ll cover both Exotic and Legendary weapons (including their PVE god rolls), give you an overview of the current PVE meta, and provide quick guides on how to obtain the top PVE exotics. For the sake of clarity, we’ll split our selection of weapons into three categories: primary, special and heavy weapons.

A big thank you to Jarv for helping me put together this selection. Jarv is one of my favorite PVE content creators and someone you should definitely check out on YouTube.

Destiny 2 Best PVE Primary weapons

In this section, we cover the best primary PVE weapons. And by primary, we mean either Kinetic or Energy weapons that use Primary ammo.

About DPS: You’ll see us talk a lot about DPS, damage per second, throughout this guide. DPS is important for PVE, because the higher the DPS, the more damage you can deal to a Boss or Major.

If you sometimes get confused between Kinetic, Primary, Energy, and Special weapons, just remember Primary weapons use “normal” ammo, aka, white ammo boxes:

Weapon	Drops from / Requirements	Exotic Perk, God Rolls & Verdict	Type	Slot	Drops from	Requirements
IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.2 | Submachine Gun	World Drop ❘ Average	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: Season 15 PVE God Roll: Threat Detector + Surrounded (also good: Vorpal Weapon) ► Players have been desperately looking for a Recluse replacement for months, and after disappointments such as the Seventh Seraph VY-7 or the DeathAdder, Bungie finally delivered a solid SMG: the reprised IKELOS_SMG_V.1.0.2. With the right perks, this weapon shreds, and as a massive bonus, it can create Warmind cells (aka, mini-nukes that destroy everything around them).	Submachine Gun	Energy	World Drop	Free-to-Play
Sacred Provenance | Pulse Rifle	Garden of Salvation Raid ❘ Hard	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: Season 15 PVE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Full Auto Trigger) + Kill Clip ► Offering better range than Auto rifles, Pulse rifles remain solid and consistent weapons to use in endgame PVE. And among the many excellent Pulses out there, Sacred Provenance is one of the strongest. On top of offering great perk options, a hard hitting four-burst fire weapon. Sacred Provenance is Best in Class, but you'll have to earn it throught raiding. Good Alternative: Cold Denial.	Pulse Rifle	Kinetic	Raid	Shadowkeep
Cold Front | Submachine Gun	Dawning Event ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: Season 16 PVE God Roll: Surplus (also good: Subsistence) + Kill Clip ► SMGs are in a great place now that 600 RPM Auto Rifles have been toned down.The IKELOS_SMG_V.1.0.2 may be the current king of SMGs due to its ability to create Warmind cells, but Cold Front is an excellent kinetic alternative and not far behind. With great PVE perks and a good damage output, Cold Front is an top-notch PVE primary. Be warned that due to its recoil, it can be difficult to handle, especially with a controller.	Submachine Gun	Kinetic	Dawning Event	Free-to-Play
Nation of Beasts | Hand Cannon	Last Wish Raid ❘ Hard	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: Season 15 Nation of Beasts PVE God Roll: Perk 3: Outlaw Perk 4: Dragonfly (also good: Rampage) ► 140 RPM hand cannons have a slightly longer range and higher damage than their 150 RPMs counterparts (such as Dire Promise), making them favorites for endgame PVE. And Nation of Beasts happens to be one of the best 140 RPM hand cannons in the game. Nation of Beats feels great, features good bases stats, and can offer potentially great rolls. What else could you want? Good Alternative: Ancient Gospel.	Hand Cannon	Energy	Raid	Forsaken
Gnawing Hunger | Auto Rifle	World Drop ❘ Average	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: Season 15 Gnawing Hunger PVE God Roll: Perk 3: Overflow (also good: Subsistance) Perk 4: Rampage ► Auto rifles have always been accessible and easy to use but with the buff they received with Season of the Worthy, they became extremely lethal too. Especially the 600 RPM variants. Among the many options available, Gnawing Hunger is the top choice. It offers some of the best PVE perks in the game and it's also extremely easy to farm via the Umbral engrams system. Good Alternative: The Summoner.	Auto Rifle	Energy	World Drop	Free-to-Play
Posterity | Hand Cannon	Deep Stone Crypt Raid ❘ Hard	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: Season 16 PVE God Roll: Reconstruction + One for All (also good: Rampage) ► Posterity has some of the best base stats ever seen in a 180 RPM hand cannon, including a 100 Recoil stat that gives it a great feel. It's simply a joy to use, and the recent buff to Precision cannons helps it excel even more. On top of that, Posterity can roll with all the best perks from the Deep Stone Crypt raid. The One for All perk is particularly great on this hand cannon. One for All is like Rampage on steroids, it lasts longer and does more damage without even requiring kills! Good Alternative: Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver.	Hand Cannon	Energy	Raid	Beyond Light
Trinity Ghoul | Combat Bow	Exotic Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: NA Exotic Perk: "Fires an arrow that splits when released. Aiming down sights and fully drawing the bow both decrease the spread. Precision kills grant the next shot chain-lightning capabilities." ► Bows don't usually get much love and are mostly used by bows aficionados only. Except for Trinity Ghoul, which became one of the best exotic primaries overnight and the absolute best PVE bow in the game. With its new Catalyst, it can easily create massive chain-lightings, making ad clearing a breeze. To be fair, Trinity Ghoul won't be as effective in the highest-level endgame.	Combat Bow	Energy	Exotic Engram	Free-to-Play
High Albedo | Sidearm	Europa Weapon Quest ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: Season 16 PVE God Roll: Ambitious Assassin (also good: Surplus) + Wellspring ► One of the new Europa weapons, High Albedo is one of the best sidearms seen in a long time and the perfect replacement for the soon to be retired Breachlight. With excellent PVE perks, High Albedo has great stats and does a lot of DPS, especially if you run a Stasis sub-class. Good Alternative: The Fool's Remedy.	Sidearm	Kinetic	Europa Weapon Quest	Beyond Light
Trustee | Scout Rifle	Deep Stone Crypt Raid ❘ Hard	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: Season 16 PVE God Roll: Reconstruction (also good: Surplus) + Wellspring ► It was hard to imagine just a few months ago that a scout rifle would be part of our Top PVE weapons selection. But thanks to a buff that makes them more consistent and easier to use, Scouts are finally relevant again. Trustee is a particularly great choice. It has great all-around perks that is the most consistent and lethal scout you could use in PVE. Good Alternative: Night Watch	Scout Rifle	Energy	Raid	Beyond Light
Monte Carlo | Auto Rifle	Exotic Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Sunsets: NA Exotic Perk: "Dealing damage with this weapon reduces melee cooldown and can fully charge your melee with each kill. Melee kills and kills with this weapon increase damage." ► Just like Gnawing Hunger, Monte Carlo is a 600 RPM auto rifle capable of dealing a lot of damage. On top of that, it features a great exotic perk that is essentially Swashbuckler (one of the best damage-dealing perks in the game) on steroids. That exotic perk also makes it the perfect tool for melee builds or basically for anyone that enjoys punching things.	Auto Rifle	Kinetic	Exotic Engram	Free-to-Play

Destiny 2 Best PVE Special weapons

In this section, we cover the best Special PVE weapons. And by Special, we mean either kinetic or Energy weapons that use Special ammo. Just remember, Special weapons use “Special” ammo, aka, green ammo boxes:

Weapon	Drops from / Requirements	Exotic Perk, God Rolls & Verdict	Type	Slot	Drops from	Requirements
Eriana's Vow | Hand Cannon	Monument to Lost Lights ❘ Average	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: NA Exotic Perks: "Fires special shield-piercing ammunition. Bonus damage when aiming down sights on the opening shot of an attack." ► A fan-favorite exotic hand cannon for the toughest endgame content such as Grandmaster Ordeals, Eriana's Vow can deal with Barrier Champions while also dishing some serious damage. And to top things off, Eriana's Vow may behave like a sniper, but as it's technically a hand cannon, it was untouched by the big sniper nerf from last season.	Hand Cannon	Energy	Monument to Lost Lights	Shadowkeep
Witherhoard | Grenade Launcher	Unobtainable ❘ NA	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: NA Exotic Perk: "Projectiles fired blight the target or nearby area on impact. Blighted targets take damage over time and blight the nearby area on death." ► With the ability to inflict significant damage over time, Witherhoard acts like a "mini" Anarchy. This weapon has quickly become one of the go-to weapons for PVE, with many using it for the hardest solo feats. Players have been desperately looking for a Mountaintop replacement. This is it. Shoot it at an enemy, the floor where that enemy is standing, and then switch to your Heavy weapon to basically melt anything the game throws at you.	Grenade Launcher	Kinetic	Unobtainable	Shadowkeep
Divinity | Trace Rifle	Garden of Salvation Raid ❘ Hard	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: NA Exotic Perk: "Sustained damage with this weapon envelops the target in a field that weakens and disrupts them." ► Divinity is the ultimate support weapon. It can deal with Overload Champions and more importantly, it can apply a huge debuff on everything, weakening enemies and creating a giant crit spot on them. Divinity may have the lowest DPS on this list, but the huge benefits it can bring to a fireteam more than make up for it.	Trace Rifle	Energy	Raid	Shadowkeep
Cloudstrike | Sniper Rifle	Exotic Quest ❘ Average	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: NA Exotic Perk: "Precision final blows generate a lightning bolt at the target's location. Rapid precision hits create a lightning storm at the point of impact.." ► Cloudstrike is currently so good, it basically puts every other sniper rifle to shame. The thing is, we all expected it to be a good ad clear weapon thanks to its lighting storms. But Cloudstrike is also an excellent weapon for boss encounters and generally inflicting a lot of DPS to single targets. And as a bonus, its lighting bolts and storms look spectacular and will make you will gooooood...	Sniper Rifle	Energy	Exotic Quest	Beyond Light
Seventh Seraph CQC-12 | Shotgun	World Drop ❘ Average	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: Season 14-15 Seventh Seraph CQC-12 PVE God Roll: Perk 1: Auto-Loading Holster (also good: Slideshot) Perk 2: Vorpal Weapon (also good: Trench Barrel) ► As a Lightweight frame shotgun, the Seventh Seraph CQC-12 is one of the highest DPS legendary shotguns in the game. And on top of the damage, the faster handling, and movement speed, it also features excellent perks. For example, auto-loading holster with trench barrel or Vorpal Weapon can result in insane burst DPS. Last but not least, this is an incredibly easy to farm weapon via the Umbral engrams system. Good Alternative: IKELOS_SG_v1.0.2.	Shotgun	Energy	World Drop	Free-to-Play
IKELOS_SR_v1.0.2 | Sniper Rifle	World Drop ❘ Average	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: Season 15 IKELOS_SR_v1.0.2 PVE God Roll: Perk 1: Fourth Time's The Charm (also good: Triple Tap) Perk 2: High Impact Reserves ► The IKELOS sniper used to be fan-favorite back when static rolls were the norm. It's, therefore, a relief to see it come back stronger than ever with random rolls. The IKELOS_SR_v1.0.2 has good base stats but what sets it apart is the great PVE perk selection it has. If you manage to find a God roll, you'll have potentially the strongest legendary sniper in the game. Good Alternative: Distant Tumulus.	Sniper Rifle	Energy	World Drop	Free-to-Play
Heritage | Shotgun	Deep Stone Crypt Raid ❘ Hard	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: Season 16 PVE God Roll: Reconstruction (also good: Auto-Loading Holster) + Recombination ► Heritage is hands down the best PVE shotgun in the game. Slug shotguns have in general good DPS potential, but Heritage also benefits from both top-tier perks from the Deep Stone Crypt and excellent base stats. With Recontruction and Redirection, Heritage can do massive DPS consistently, easily outperforming the vast majority of Special weapons in the game.	Shotgun	Kinetic	Raid	Beyond Light
Deafening Whisper | Grenade Launcher	Wrathborn Hunts ❘ Easy	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: Season 16 PVE God Roll: Ambitious Assassin + Wellspring ► Wave frame grenade launchers are a rare breed in Destiny 2. Until now, we only had Martyr's Retribution, a perfectly capable weapon. But Deafening Whisper ups the ante. With great base stats and excellent perks, Deafening Whisper is one of the best ad clearing weapons in the entire game. And on top of being efficient, it's extremely fun to use and good change from the usual running and gunning..	Grenade Launcher	Energy	Wrathborn Hunts	Season 12
Succession | Sniper Rifle	Deep Stone Crypt Raid ❘ Hard	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: Season 16 PVE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Full Auto Trigger) + Kill Clip ► Just like the Heritage precision shotgun, Succession also benefits from all of the best perks from the Deep Stone Crypt. And that is a big deal for a sniper rifle. With perks such as Reconstruction and Vorpal Weapon, Succession is hands down the best PVE sniper rifle in Destiny 2, especially when facing Majors and Bosses in endgame content where keeping your distance is crucial. Good Alternative: Long Shadow.	Sniper Rifle	Kinetic	Raid	Beyond Light
First In, Last Out | Shotgun	World Drop ❘ Average	Slot: Energy | Ammo: Special | Sunsets: Season 15 PVE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Full Auto Trigger) + Kill Clip ► First In, Last Out quickly took the spotlight when slug shotguns received a massive PVE damage buff a few seasons ago. With good stats and all the best PVE perks, Last In, Last Out remains one of the best PVE Special weapons in the game. The only reason you don't hear more about it is because Heritage exists...	Shotgun	Energy	World Drop	Free-to-Play

Destiny 2 Best PVE Heavy weapons

In this section, we cover the best Heavy PVE weapons. In other words, weapons that use “heavy” ammo, aka, purple ammo boxes:

Weapon Type	Tier	Role ❘ Current State
Swords	Best ❘ S	► Main roles: Add Clear & Single Target damage (i.e. Boss damage). ► Current State: Swords are incredibly strong right now. After several buffs and a huge rework during Season of the Worthy made them much more usable. They are now safer to use, have a better ammo economy, and can deal much more damage. Swords are as high risk / high reward as it gets. If used right, a top-tier sword can basically delete any enemy, even on higher difficulties.
Rocket Launchers	Strong ❘ A	► Main role: Burst Damage (Secondary role: Add Clear) ► Rocket launchers went through a rough patch that relegated to the least preferred Heavy weapon in the entire game. Bungie has been hard at work at making them relevant again, and after two noticeable buffs, Rocket launchers are making a huge comeback. With great DPS potential and bigger magazines, they are among the best tools at your disposal, no matter the content.
Linear Fusion Rifles	Strong ❘ A	► Main role: Single Target damage (Secondary role: Burst Damage) ► Current State: Linear fusion rifles have been in the middle of an identity crisis for a while, but that should finally change this season. With increased damage to critical hits, Linear Fusions are now much more lethal and rewarding, provided you hit your shots. It's still too early to tell how meta they can become, but keep an eye on Sleeper Simulant, or a Threaded Needle with Vorpal Weapon. These will be among your top DPS options this season.
Machine Guns	Average ❘ B	► Main role: Add Clear ► Current State: Machine guns are not what they used to be, not for PVE at least. While a god-rolled Commemoration or a Thunderlord will definitely get the job done at clearing ads, they remain the shadow of their former selves. Bungie itself has confirmed they need to be fine-tuned, but that could take a while... To be fair, they still have their place and have proven to be excellent to deal with elemental shields in Grandmaster Nightfall: The Ordeals.
Grenade Launchers	Average ❘ B	► Main role: Add Clear (Secondary role: Single Target Damage). ► Current State: Grenade launchers went from the indisputable PVE choice to just an average, situational weapon type, in a matter of months. To be fair, they remain viable, especially when getting too close to the enemy is impossible. Otherwise, they have been replaced by Swords as the go-to damage-dealing Heavy weapon type in the game.
Exotic Sniper Rifles	Weak ❘ C	► Main role: Single Target damage ► Current State: Finally, we have Exotic Sniper rifles, a very niche choice represented by only 2 weapons, D.A.R.C.I and Whisper of the Worm. Heavy Exotic Snipers are far from being meta right now. D.A.R.C.I is one of the most underwhelming Exoticsin the entire game, while Whisper of the Warm is the shadow of its former self due to the blanket nerf all snipers received a few seasons ago.

If you’re looking for a video with the best PVE weapons you should farm before Beyond Light arrives, this video from Jarv is a must-see:

Destiny 2 PVE Meta (as of September 2020)

Every sandbox change comes with a new meta. And while we love to criticize Bungie for not changing the meta often enough, the last few seasons have significantly altered the hierarchy of PVE weapon types in Destiny 2.

PS: If you’re looking for the complete rundown of the state of the current Meta for PVP and PVP, check out our Destiny 2 Meta weapons guide.

We covered the absolute best PVE weapons before, but if you’re interested in other weapons, it’s important to understand how the different weapon types compare with each other.

PS: Meta refers to the most used weapons for a particular activity. Generally, these weapons are the most used because they are the most powerful/efficient.

These are the different Tier levels used for these Tier lists:

• S Tier – Best: Highest ranking weapon types.
• A Tier – Strong: Very strong weapon types, but not on the same level as S Tier Choices.
• B Tier – Average: Decent choices that can be lethal in the hands of a skilled player.
• C Tier – Weak: The middle of the pack, somewhat mediocre.
• D Tier – Worst: Lagging behind the competition, these don’t have much to offer.

The list starts with S Tier and moves down until it reaches the bottom Tier:

PVE Primary weapons meta

Weapon Type	Tier	Current State
Auto Rifles	Best ❘ S	Auto rifles received a significant buff with Season of the Worthy, especially 600 RPM variants. They are undeniably the most lethal and easy to use primaries right now, as they have good range and large magazines. They do have one drawback: You have to be out of cover to do the max possible damage (unlike a hand cannon or pulse), which makes them riskier in endgame content. Lastest "meta change": Auto rifles were buffed with Season of the Worthy, receiving increased base and precision damage.
Sidearms	Best ❘ S	Sidearms have been some of the most slept on weapons in Destiny 2 for too long. But ever since they were buffed and Recluse nerfed, the larger player base has realized their potential. They do some of the highest DPS in the game while having a decent magazine size. Their only drawback is the fact they have limited range, making them a little risky in Master and Grandmaster content. Lastest "meta change": Sidearms were buffed with Season of Dawn, receiving "increased target acquisition".
Hand Cannons	Strong ❘ A	Hand Cannons were the top tier choice for PVE content for years, but after a nerf to their effective range last year, they are no longer the go-to primaries they used to be. Don't get me wrong though, hand cannons are still extremely strong and efficient. They are definitely viable for Master and Grandmaster content, and although their range suffered, they are still great at hiding behind cover in-between shots. Lastest "meta change": Hand cannons were nerfed with Shadowkeep, receiving a reduced effective range.
Pulse Rifles	Strong ❘ A	Pulse rifles have been quite stable for a while now with most sandbox changes focusing on other weapon types. And that's a good thing, as Pulse rifles are in a good place. They do reasonable damage, have a good range, and are, overall, safe and easy to use in Master and Grandmaster content. Lastest "meta change": Pulse rifles haven't received any noticeable PVE changes in a long time.
Combat Bows	Average ❘ B	Combat bows may not be very popular, but they can truly excel in some niche situations. Namely, in very difficult content in which you want to stay as far away from enemies as possible (namely, solo flawless dungeon attempts). With virtually infinite range, bows can deal good damage from insane distances. Granted, their damage is not as good as other weapon types, but they do offer a lot of safety. Lastest "meta change": Bows were buffed with Season of Arrivals, receiving +10% PvE damage VS minors.
Submachine Guns	Average ❘ B	The Recluse reigned supreme as the best PVE primary for a very long time, but it was an exception. Because in general, SMGs are not bad, but they aren't great either. They can do decent damage but now that auto rifles are so strong, it's hard to recommend an SMG over a good 600 RPM auto rifle. And even if you don't care about having more range, a sidearm will do better DPS too. Lastest "meta change": SMGs haven't received any noticeable PVE changes in a long time.
-	Weak ❘ C	-
Scout Rifles	Worst ❘ D	Where to begin with scout rifles? Scout rifles have been in a sorry state for a long time. They offer good range but their damage is simply abysmal compared to other weapon types. To be fair, some Scouts can get the job done, namely the re-issued Night Watch. But there's no reason why you should use a scout when auto rifles and pulse rifles are so much more lethal and consistent. Lastest "meta change": Scouts haven't received any noticeable PVE changes in a long time.

PVE Special weapons meta

For the sake of clarity, all weapon categories consisting of only 1 or 2 exotics have been excluded. Weapons such as Divinity or Eriana’s Vow are too unique to be representative of an entire weapon type.

If you’re particularly interested in these unique exotics, check out our Exotic Tier list including every exotic weapon currently in the game.

Weapon Type	Tier	Current State
Shotguns	Strong ❘ A	Shotguns are in a great place right now, and that's mainly due to the buff to slug shotguns but also the many new shotguns recently released with great stats and insane damage-dealing perks such as Reconstruction, Vorpal weapon, one-two punch, etc. Overall, shotguns are finally hitting that sweet spot between risk and reward. Slug shotguns, in particular, are among the best shotguns in the game.
Sniper Rifles	Average ❘ B	Up until Season of Dawn, snipers were the best PVE special weapons in the game. They were extremely lethal and safe to use in endgame content, as they allowed players to deal insane DPS from afar. But Bungie decided to nerf them hard because they were "too safe", bringing them back to pre-Shadowkeep values. Except, they were buffed with Shadowkeep because they were too average...
Fusion Rifles	Average ❘ B	Fusion rifles were recipients of a significant nerf some time ago, making them technically weaker than before. That said, fusion rifles deserve more love, because even if they were nerfed, they are still powerful. They are capable of dealing more damage than snipers while being safer to use (due to having more range) than shotguns.
Grenade Launchers	Weak ❘ C	Special ammo Grenade launchers used to be Top tier, but that was only because of the Mountaintop. Technically, the Mountaintop is still one of the best (if not THE best) special weapon for PVE. Thing is, Mountaintop will be retired with Beyond Light and won't be viable for endgame content anymore. And as much as people keep saying Truthteller will replace it, no other grenade launcher will be nearly as good as the Mountaintop.

PVE Heavy weapons meta

Same as before, weapon categories consisting of only 1 or 2 exotics have been excluded. In this case, snipers, shotguns, and fusion rifles have been excluded:

Weapon Type	Tier	Role ❘ Current State
Swords	Best ❘ S	► Main roles: Add Clear & Single Target damage (i.e. Boss damage). ► Current State: Swords are incredibly strong right now. Several buffs and a huge rework during Season of the Worthy made them much more usable. They are now safer to use, have a better ammo economy, and can deal much more damage. Swords are as high risk / high reward as it gets. If used right, a top-tier sword can basically delete any enemy, even on higher difficulties. No wonder The Lament and Falling Guillotine are still some of the best Power weapons available.
Rocket Launchers	Strong ❘ A	► Main role: Burst Damage (Secondary role: Add Clear) ► Rocket launchers went through a rough patch that relegated to the least preferred Heavy weapon in the entire game. Bungie has been hard at work at making them relevant again, and after two noticeable buffs, Rocket launchers are making a huge comeback. With great DPS potential and bigger magazines, they are among the best tools at your disposal, no matter the content.
Linear Fusion Rifles	Strong ❘ A	► Main role: Single Target damage (Secondary role: Burst Damage) ► Current State: Linear fusion rifles have been in the middle of an identity crisis for a while, but that should finally change this season. With increased damage to critical hits, Linear Fusions are now much more lethal and rewarding, provided you can hit your shots. It's still too early to tell how meta they can become, but keep an eye on Sleeper Simulant, or a Threaded Needle with Vorpal Weapon. These will be among your top DPS options this season.
Machine Guns	Average ❘ B	► Main role: Add Clear ► Current State: Machine guns are not what they used to be, not for PVE at least. While a god-rolled Commemoration or a Thunderlord will definitely get the job done at clearing ads, they remain the shadow of their former selves. Bungie itself has confirmed they need to be fine-tuned, but that could take a while... To be fair, they still have their place and have proven to be excellent to deal with elemental shields in Grandmaster Nightfall: The Ordeals.
Grenade Launchers	Average ❘ B	► Main role: Add Clear (Secondary role: Single Target Damage). ► Current State: Grenade launchers went from the indisputable PVE choice to just an average, situational weapon type, in a matter of months. To be fair, they remain viable, especially when getting too close to the enemy is impossible. Otherwise, they have been replaced by Swords as the go-to damage-dealing Heavy weapon type in the game.
Exotic Sniper Rifles	Weak ❘ C	► Main role: Single Target damage ► Current State: Finally, we have Exotic Sniper rifles, a very niche choice represented by only 2 weapons, D.A.R.C.I and Whisper of the Worm. Heavy Exotic Snipers are far from being meta right now. D.A.R.C.I is one of the most underwhelming Exoticsin the entire game, while Whisper of the Warm is the shadow of its former self due to the blanket nerf all snipers received a few seasons ago.

As you can see, the Meta can completely change in a heartbeat. You can rest assured, though, as this overview is up to date with the current Season of Arrivals sandbox and will be updated as soon as a new meta arrives.

Destiny 2 Best PVE Exotics: How to get them

We cover every exotic quest in Destiny 2 in this guide, but these are the detailed steps on how to acquire all the top PVE exotics in Destiny 2 mentioned before. Note that exotic quests involve very different steps of varying difficulty:

0. Season Pass: How to get Witherhoard

This one is extremely easy to get. It’s part of your Season Pass and is immediately available in the Paid track of the Season Pass or at Rank 35 in the Free Track.

Witherhoard will probably be available via the Exotic ciphers (read section below) once the season is over, but who knows when. I recommend claiming this weapon right now, just to be safe!

1. Exotic Engrams: How to get Trinity Ghoul and Monte Carlo

Trinity Ghoul and Monte Carlo can be found as random exotic engrams. This is bad news if you don’t already have them as you won’t be able to actively work to get them.

In a nutshell, there are only a few ways you can get exotic engrams in Destiny 2:

• From the Season pass (the Free track offers while the Paid track offers )
• From Xur: Either as his random exotic engram or as his weekly Exotic weapon for sale
• As a random World drop

There isn’t much more that can be said about grinding Exotic engrams, only that they have a higher chance to drop from end-game activities. If finding this exotic is your priority, Nightfall: The Ordeals are for you. And the higher the difficulty (Master level and above), the higher the chance to get one.

2. Exotic Kiosk: How to get Eriana’s Vow, Izanagi’s Burden and Anarchy

With the release of Beyond Light on November 10, 2020, several Exotics became available via the new Exotics kiosk in the tower, called the Monument to Lost Lights. The Monument to Lost Lights includes weapons that used to be part of Exotic quests that are no longer in the game. Nowadays, weapons such as Erian’s Vow, Izanagi’s Burden, and Anarchy can be instantly acquired at the Exotics kiosk, provided you have the necessary materials. We cover all the weapons and materials from the Monument to Lost Lights here.

3. Raid Exotics: How to get Divinity and One Thousand Voices

One Thousand Voices is straightforward to obtain as it an only drop from the Last Wish raid final boss.

And now that Bungie has added drop protection to all raid exotics, you should eventually get it if you put in the work:

💠This is next week.
💠It is not retroactive.
💠Tarrabah already has these cumulative drop chances.

I know my followers already have all of them, though. 😤 pic.twitter.com/xJgge156LJ

— Andrew Hopps (@kingkeoua) June 4, 2020

Divinity on the other hand is more complicated to obtain. It’s part of an exotic quest that eventually takes you to the Garden of Salvation raid. This video guide from Datto has all the details.

4. Exotic Quests: How to get Xenophage

Xenophage is part of a long Exotic quest that will take you to a special boss in the Pit of Heresy dungeon. You can find video guides for all the Exotic quests still in the game here.

The Exotic quests to acquire Outbreak Perfected and Traveler’s Chosen are no longer available. Bungie will probably add new ways to acquire them but it could take a few more months…

Destiny 2 Best PVE loadouts

Up until now, we have split our Top PVE guns into Primaries, Special and Heavy weapons. This makes sense when comparing weapons against each other.

But once you start building towards the ultimate loadout, a weapon’s slot becomes crucial. That’s because you can only carry one Kinetic, one Energy, and one Heavy weapon at a time. For example, if you’re committed to using a Gnawing Hunger as your primary weapon, then your Special weapon will have to be kinetic.

In this section, we’ll share some of the most popular PVE loadouts right now. This is how our Top PVE weapons look like, filtered by slot and not by ammo type:

Destiny 2 Best PVE Kinetic weapons:

Destiny 2 Best PVE Energy weapons:

PVE Loadout examples

If we mix and match the top kinetic and energy weapons, some the potential top PVE loadouts might something like this:

Loadout 1:

Loadout 2:

Your Turn

Hopefully, this list should help you plan and prepare for Beyond Light. We did our best to include both Legendary weapons and Exotics, as well as the top tier, most difficult to obtain weapons, and easier to get, yet still great alternatives.

Did we miss your current favorite PVE weapon? Do you have a particularly good PVE loadout you would like to share? Let us know in the comments section below!

For the record, this list is based on my experience playing the PC version of the game.