Short for Damage per Second, DPS dictates how much damage you can deal to Bosses or Majors per second. Combining burst damage, rate of fire, and reload speeds, DPS is the best indicator of a weapon’s lethality in PvE.

For the sake of clarity, DPS in Destiny 2 is calculated per archetype and not per weapon (excluding some Exotics). For example, all adaptive Sniper Rifles deal the same damage per bullet at the same rate of fire and, therefore, do the same DPS.

Destiny 2 DPS Chart: Spreedsheet

Updated as of Season of the Wish (S23).

In this section, DPS refers to the average damage per second a weapon can inflict. You can read more about the methodology used here. We will keep things simple and focus on the Sustained DPS values of every weapon archetype in the game, therefore excluding Damage perks.

The table below also includes examples of the most popular weapons per archetype.

Destiny 2 Highest DPS Weapons: Heavy ammo

Weapon Type	Archetype	Sustained DPS	Mag DPS	Total Damage	Specs	Best in Class	Change?	Ammo
Combat Bow	Exotic	38636	38636	780645	/w Catalyst	Leviathan's Breath	Buffed	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Exotic	37425	37425	791532	-	Deathbringer	Same	Heavy
Sniper Rifle	Exotic	36113	36113	1023196	/w Catalyst	Whisper of the Worm	Buffed	Heavy
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	32139	32139	467950	x20 Averaged	Parasite	Same	Heavy
Fusion Rifle	Exotic	31862	35866	525080	-	One Thousand Voices	Same	Heavy
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	31433	49979	346771	-	The Prospector	Same	Heavy
Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	29717	34498	703216	/w Catalyst	Sleeper Simulant	Buffed	Heavy
Grenade Launcher	Adaptive	27019	37692	358074	-	Memory Interdict	Same	Heavy
Glaive	Exotic	26729	28310	641699	-	Winterbite		Heavy
Sniper Rifle	Exotic	25884	37128	587922	With "Personal Assistant"	D.A.R.C.I.	Nerfed	Heavy
Grenade Launcher	Rapid-Fire	25569	37715	346978	-	Berenger's Memory	Same	Heavy
Shotgun	Exotic	23248	29425	609900	-	Legend of Acrius	Buffed	Heavy
Machine Gun	Exotic	22457	33064	562088	-	Xenophage	Same	Heavy
Machine Gun	Exotic	22235	136514	1378482	-	Grand Overture	Same	Heavy
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	22014	32618	251622	-	The Colony	Same	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Exotic	21665	21665	604460	-	Two-Tailed Fox	Same	Heavy
Machine Gun	Exotic	21247	30971	1994829	-	Thunderlord	Buffed	Heavy
Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	20901	25186	483576	With "Marksman Sights"	The Queenbreaker	Buffed	Heavy
Grenade Launcher	Compressed Wave	20777	33600	319200	With Spike Grenades	Dimensional Hypotrochoid	Same	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Exotic	20179	29058	363220	-	Gjallarhorn	New	Heavy
Linear Fusion Rifle	Aggressive	19866	21459	712188	-	Stormchaser	New	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Exotic	19536	25267	284256	-	Truth	Same	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Adaptive	19003	19003	401913	-	Apex Predator	Same	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Aggressive	19003	19003	401913	-	Hezen Vengeance	Same	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Exotic	18761	18761	609720	-	Eyes of Tomorrow	Same	Heavy
Machine Gun	Exotic	18721	23640	945600	-	Heir Apparent	Buffed	Heavy
Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	18490	20453	500066	-	Reed's Regret	Buffed	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Exotic	17752	17752	433152	-	The Wardcliff Coil	Same	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Precision	17346	17346	354382	-	Ascendancy	Same	Heavy
Rocket Launcher	Hakke Precision	16096	16096	365390	-	Palmyra-B	Same	Heavy
Shotgun	Exotic	15949	18136	285642	After debuff	Tractor Cannon	Same	Heavy
Sword	Lightweight	703286		703288	-	Quickfang	Same	Heavy
Sword	Aggressive	694000		694000	-	Crown-Splitter	Same	Heavy
Sword	Exotic	693680		667667	-	Worldline Zero		Heavy
Sword	Exotic	589995		576998	-	Heartshadow		Heavy
Sword	Adaptive	545216		550614	-	Half-Truths	Same	Heavy
Sword	Exotic	468225		485568	-	Black Talon	Same	Heavy
Sword	Caster	444176		453432	-	Sola's Scar	Same	Heavy
Sword	Vortex	437262		439574	-	Falling Guillotine	Same	Heavy
Sword	Exotic	63051		917118	-	The Lament	Same	Heavy
Machine Gun	Rapid-Fire	13880	18930	779916	-	Recurrent Impact	Buffed	Heavy
Machine Gun	Exotic	12771	18204	1074280	-	Deterministic Chaos		Heavy
Machine Gun	Adaptive	12124	16290	977400	-	Commemoration	Buffed	Heavy
Machine Gun	High-Impact	11837	15060	1104400	-	THE SWARM	Buffed	Heavy
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	10630	10630	1013420	-	Anarchy	Same	Heavy
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	3410	3922	70596	-	Salvation's Grip		Heavy

Destiny 2 Best DPS Weapons: Special ammo

Weapon Type	Archetype	Sustained DPS	Mag DPS	Total Damage	Specs	Best in Class	Change?	Ammo
Shotgun	Exotic	29183	134242		/w Catalyst	The Fourth Horseman	Buffed	Special
Sniper Rifle	Exotic	28226	34280		-	Cloudstrike	Same	Special
Shotgun	Exotic	26229	25858	620587	-	Conditional Finality		Special
Shotgun	Exotic	25204	35055		/w Catalyst, "Release the Wolves"	Lord of Wolves	Buffed	Special
Shotgun	Exotic	24772	44011	225078	With "Roadborne"	The Chaperone	Same	Special
Shotgun	Exotic	24202	24202		/w Catalyst, aiming down sights	Duality	Same	Special
Fusion Rifle	Exotic	23413	24551	451119	-	Merciless	Same	Special
Sniper Rifle	Exotic	22200	22200		/w Catalyst, 4x "Honed Edge"	Izanagi's Burden	Same	Special
Sidearm	Exotic	19321	25653	669552	-	Forerunner	Same	Special
Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	18170	20574	488819	-	Arbalest	Same	Special
Fusion Rifle	Exotic	17963	20882	701631	-	Bastion	Same	Special
Sniper Rifle	Rapid-Fire	16778	23240	368520	-	IKELOS_SR_v1.0.3	Same	Special
Fusion Rifle	Exotic	16156	18956		/w Catalyst	Jötunn	Same	Special
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	16027	16027		Max "Enrage"	Ex Diris		Special
Linear Fusion Rifle	Exotic	15800	17891	425063	-	Lorentz Driver	Same	Special
Sniper Rifle	Aggressive	15391	19722	302404	-	Succession	Same	Special
Hand Cannon	Exotic	15272	17801	474680	With "First Glance"	Eriana's Vow	Same	Special
Trace Rifle	Exotic	15195	18525	685425	-	Ruinous Effigy		Special
Sniper Rifle	Adaptive	15140	19307	386136	-	Uzume RR4	Same	Special
Sniper Rifle	Exotic	15140	19307	386136	-	Borealis		Special
Fusion Rifle	Exotic	15126	16859	546240	-	Delicate Tomb		Special
Sidearm	Rocket-Assisted	14188	14595	595476	-	Indebted Kindness		Special
Fusion Rifle	Exotic	14047	15491	470316	/w Catalyst	Telesto	Same	Special
Fusion Rifle	Aggressive	14030	14867	318752	-	Coriolis Force	Same	Special
Shotgun	Rapid-Fire	13985	24052	319704	-	Dead Weight	Buffed	Special
Fusion Rifle	High-Impact	13961	15043	431585	-	Glacioclasm	Same	Special
Trace Rifle	Exotic	13819	16638	410868	At Max charge	Coldheart	Buffed	Special
Fusion Rifle	Rapid-Fire	13440	14519	360954	-	Cartesian Coordinate	Same	Special
Fusion Rifle	Adaptive	13236	14607	388850	-	Trinary System	Same	Special
Sidearm	Exotic	13024	14760	761616	-	Buried Bloodline		Special
Glaive	Exotic	12964	15327	379335	-	Vexcalibur		Special
Shotgun	Pinpoint Slug	12889	17718	343455	-	Heritage	Nerfed	Special
Fusion Rifle	Exotic	12711	14853	406525	-	Tessellation		Special
Shotgun	Lightweight	12628	18816	297065	-	Wastelander M5	Buffed	Special
Shotgun	Aggressive	12411	15708	398559	-	Found Verdict	Buffed	Special
Shotgun	Precision	11686	15912	358006	-	Matador 64	Buffed	Special
Trace Rifle	Exotic	11265	13585	543400	Average	Wavesplitter	Buffed	Special
Fusion Rifle	Precision	10334	11331	334026	-	Deliverance	Same	Special
Trace Rifle	Exotic	10295	11388		With "Judgement"	Divinity	Same	Special
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	9779	9779		-	Witherhoard	Same	Special
Glaive	Rapid-Fire	9719	11237	261268	-	Greasy Luck		Special
Grenade Launcher	Double Fire	9490	9490	322854	-	Wilderflight	Same	Special
Glaive	Adaptive	9159	9829	332413	-	Ecliptic Distaff		Special
Glaive	Exotic	9159	9829	310967	-	Edge of Action		Special
Glaive	Aggressive	8905	9169	366750	-	Albedo Wing		Special
Glaive	Exotic	8650	11237	261268	-	Edge of Concurrence		Special
Trace Rifle	Adaptive	8489	10170	407478	-	Appetence		Special
Trace Rifle	Exotic	8389	10170	394596	-	The Navigator		Special
Glaive	Exotic	7913	9776	430155	-	Edge of Intent		Special
Grenade Launcher	Lightweight	7757	7757	289041	-	Ignition Code	Same	Special
Trace Rifle	Exotic	7413	8940	298000	-	Prometheus Lens	Buffed	Special
Grenade Launcher	Wave	6741	6741	251160	-	Forbearance	Same	Special
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	6741	6741	251160	-	Dead Messenger		Special
Trace Rifle	Exotic		27587	354947	/w Catalyst	Ager's Scepter	Same	Special

Destiny 2 DPS Weapons:Primary ammo

Weapon Type	Archetype	Sustained DPS	Mag DPS	Specs	Best in Class	Change?	Ammo
Auto Rifle	Exotic	16561	18221	-	Tommy's Matchbook	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	15788	15788	w/ Catalyst, Rounds + Rockets	Quicksilver Storm	Same	Primary
Combat Bow	Exotic	15706	15706	w/ Catalyst, "Guidance Ring"	Hierarchy of Needs		Primary
SMG	Exotic	15700	22425	With "Ravenous Beast"	Tarrabah	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Exotic	14607	18390	Laser mix	Final Warning		Primary
Scout Rifle	Exotic	14153	14153	"TOM"	Touch of Malice		Primary
Pulse Rifle	Exotic	11328	14573	With x5 "nanites"	Outbreak Perfected	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	10943	13668	/w Catalyst	Malfeasance	Same	Primary
Combat Bow	Exotic	10741	10741	-	Wish-Ender	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	10723	12702	Precision damage DPS	Cerberus+1	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	10678	15274	/w Catalyst	Hawkmoon	Same	Primary
SMG	Exotic	10666	14300	-	Osteo Striga	Same	Primary
Pulse Rifle	Exotic	9843	9843	4-burst, Rounds + "Hunter's Trace"	Revision Zero		Primary
Sidearm	Exotic	9749	11841	-	Devil's Ruin	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	9614	11814	-	Vex Mythoclast	Same	Primary
Combat Bow	Exotic	9370	9370	w/ Catalyst and x6 "Causality Arrows"	Ticuu's Divination		Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	9313	11022	Average per mag	Sweet Business	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Exotic	8560	11022	With "Rat Pack x2"	Rat King	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Exotic	8022	8022	With "Perfect Fifth"	Polaris Lance	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Exotic	7748	9640	/w Catalyst	Traveler's Chosen		Primary
Sidearm	Omolon Adaptive	7718	9084	High stability, decent elsewhere	The Vision	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Adaptive (3-burst)	7718	9084	High aim assist, decent elsewhere	Drang	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Exotic	7588	8396	When aiming down sights	Skyburner's Oath	Same	Primary
Grenade Launcher	Exotic	7555	7555	/w Catalyst	Fighting Lion	Same	Primary
SMG	Exotic	7460	11124	"Ride the Bull" average	The Huckleberry	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Exotic	7270	10770	/w Catalyst	Dead Man's Tale	Same	Primary
Sidearm	SUROS Rapid-Fire	7250	9128	Good recoil, very low range & aim assist	Punching Out	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Precision	7079	8441	Excellent aim assist, low stability & handling	A Swift Verdict	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Lightweight	7031	9054	High handling, very low range	Redback-5si	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Aggressive Burst	6973	7860	High aim assist, low stability & handling	Brass Attacks	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Exotic	6551	8441	-	Cryosthesia 77K		Primary
SMG	Exotic	6498	9540	w/ "Arc Conductor"	Riskrunner	Same	Primary
SMG	Lightweight	6463	9255	High aim assist and handling, low range	Funnelweb	Same	Primary
Combat Bow	Exotic	6389	6389	-	Le Monarque	Same	Primary
SMG	Exotic	6359	9255	Grounded	The Manticore		Primary
SMG	Aggressive	6293	8904	High range, low aim assist	Unforgiven	Same	Primary
Pulse Rifle	Exotic	6285	7117	-	Graviton Lance	Same	Primary
SMG	Precision	6149	8180	Excellent range & aim assist, low handling	Shayura's Wrath	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Exotic	6115	8471	-	Wicked Implement		Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	6098	7022	"Soul Devourer"	Thorn	Same	Primary
Sidearm	Exotic	6075	9084	-	Trespasser		Primary
SMG	Adaptive	6065	8685	High stability & range, poor recoil	The Hero's Burden	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Exotic	5623	5623	-	The Jade Rabbit		Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	5616	6023	-	Centrifuse		Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	5513	9803	-	The Last Word	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Rapid-Fire	5456	6216	High aim assist, low range	Chroma Rush	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	5435	6840	-	Necrochasm	Same	Primary
Pulse Rifle	Exotic	5394	5394	w/ Catalyst; "Time-skip Portal"	No Time to Explain	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	5382	6630	-	Monte Carlo		Primary
Pulse Rifle	Exotic	5330	6316	-	Vigilance Wing	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	5306	7223	Spinning Up mode	SUROS Regime	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Precision	5172	6023	High range, low aim assist	Shadow Price	Same	Primary
Auto Rifle	Adaptive	5115	6030	High handling	Gnawing Hunger	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Rapid-Fire	5055	5889	High stability, very low range	Aisha's Embrace	Buffed	Primary
Auto Rifle	Exotic	4991	6030	-	Hard Light		Primary
Auto Rifle	High-Impact	4823	5436	Excellent range, low stability	Age-Old Bond	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Exotic	4780	5717	-	MIDA Multi-Tool		Primary
Scout Rifle	Precision	4672	5307	High stability, decent elsewhere	Vision of Confluence	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	4636	6418	"Momento Mori"	Ace of Spades		Primary
Scout Rifle	High-Impact	4627	5113	Excellent range, low aim assist	The Scholar	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	4552	6730	-	Crimson	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Lightweight	4493	5197	Excellent aim assist & handling, low range	Night Watch	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Precision	4336	5244	High stability, poor handling	Posterity	Buffed	Primary
Hand Cannon	Lightweight	4327	5215	-	Rose		Primary
Combat Bow	Precision	4318	4318	680 ms Draw time	Under Your Skin	Same	Primary
Combat Bow	Exotic	4207	4207	-	Trinity Ghoul		Primary
Combat Bow	Lightweight	4179	4179	640 ms Draw time	Arsenic Bite-4b	Same	Primary
Pulse Rifle	Rapid-Fire	4152	4788	High aim assist, low range	Piece of Mind	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	4071	5120	-	Sturm		Primary
Pulse Rifle	Adaptive	4039	4589	High handling, decent range	The Third Axiom	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	4018	5215	-	Lumina		Primary
Hand Cannon	Aggressive	3992	4654	High range, low stability and handling	Igneous Hammer	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Exotic	3985	5363	-	Sunshot		Primary
Pulse Rifle	High-Impact	3983	4465	High range & recoil, low aim assist	The Messenger	Same	Primary
Pulse Rifle	Aggressive Burst	3943	4418	Excellent range, low aim assist	Insidious	Same	Primary
Hand Cannon	Adaptive	3934	4741	Good stability, decent range	Eyasluna	Same	Primary
Combat Bow	Exotic	3896	3896	-	Verglas Curve		Primary
Hand Cannon	Double Fire	3884	4902	-	Warden's Law		Primary
Pulse Rifle	Exotic	3883	4589	-	Collective Obligation		Primary
Scout Rifle	Exotic	3872	4085	x5 Revolution mix	Symmetry		Primary
Pulse Rifle	Lightweight	3839	4455	Excellent handling, low range	Ogma PR6	Same	Primary
Pulse Rifle	Legacy PR-55	3804	4455	Excellent handling, low range	BxR-55 Battler	Same	Primary
Scout Rifle	Aggressive	3449	4656	-	Long Arm		Primary
Pulse Rifle	Exotic	0	9810	String of Curses x5	Bad Juju		Primary

These are important things to understand when reading these tables:

Damage perks will significantly change maximum DPS values

Just as the Destiny 2 Meta and TTK values, DPS values can dramatically change from season to season. Make sure you revisit this page at least once per season. Also, these tables use the excellent data from the Destiny 2: Quantum Damage-ics spreadsheet. A big thank you to XboxUser123 for a great job.

About the Destiny 2 DPS Meta: Power Weapons

Keep in mind that the top Power weapons are not only defined by their raw DPS or Total Damage. Many other things come into play. Some of them are almost as important as raw damage.

For example, just as damage numbers and ease of use are extremely important, a weapon’s role is critical too. This is especially true for Heavy weapons:

Role	Explanation	Target Weapon types
Add Clear	Clearing weaker enemies faster than you could with a primary ammo weapon. For most content, primaries do the add clear job perfectly well, so this is most useful in high-difficulty PvE.	Main: Machine Guns, Grenade Launchers, Swords Secondary: Rocket Launchers
Single Target Damage	Burning down a boss.	Main: Linear Fusion Rifles, Exotic Snipers, Swords Secondary: Grenade Launchers, Machine Guns
Burst Damage	Burning down a champion quickly, or for bosses with multiple damage phases, clearing a phase quickly.	Main: Rocket Launchers Secondary: Linear Fusion Rifles

Based on that, when choosing a Power weapon, always keep in mind the type of damage you need.

DPS Chart: Methodology

About the DPS numbers: As mentioned before, the DPS figures used for this Tier list come from the excellent Destiny 2: Quantum Damage-ics database.

As explained in that document:

Mag DPS or “True DPS” > The amount of DPS without considering reloading or of a single magazine. It is the same in both the DPS of a single magazine and the DPS of omitting reloads entirely and focusing solely on damage and fire rate. Note that some weapons have a unique 1-mag DPS compared to their theoretical “True DPS” counterpart due to how they work (ex. The Fourth Horseman).

Sustained DPS > The amount of DPS while also considering reloading. This is the DPS you would expect to have for DPS phases, assuming you had infinite reserves. Note that this also assumes you reload the frame you finish firing the weapon, with the combat loop of: shoot > shoot > … > shoot > shoot last round & reload > repeat.

The Last Word

Seasoned PVE players have a good understanding of the current PVE meta, and by extension, DPS values. However, if all of this is new to you, the chart above will help you better decide what weapons to bring to your next PVE challenge.

And by the way, even if you’re a veteran, it’s always good to have these figures at hand!

About The Author

Ric Molina

I've been covering gaming since 2012, and some of my work has been featured by large brands, including MSN.com, Forbes, Rock Paper Shotgun, and more. I've been obsessed with Destiny 2 (and now Diablo 4) for years now, and I hope to provide new and returning players with the guides and resources I wish I had when I first started.

17 Comments

blueberry on August 8, 2021 at 5:00 am

Seems to be broken for me? All 3 sections show heavy weapons.
Reply
- Ric (aka Prim) on August 8, 2021 at 9:45 pm
  
  That was a bad bug… Thanks a lot for letting me know, that bug would have stayed up there for a while if you hadn’t altert me. Cheers
  Reply
berry of blue on October 26, 2021 at 5:48 am

thunderlord and heir apparent thumbnails are switched
Reply
- Ric (aka Prim) on November 5, 2021 at 11:29 am
  
  Thanks for the heads up! It is now corrected!
  Reply
  - COld on January 17, 2022 at 4:09 pm
    
    What outbreak dps
    Reply
vaio on November 21, 2021 at 5:17 pm

seems like Tarrabah is missing from the primary weapon list.
Reply
Friend on March 7, 2022 at 7:49 am

Can you update this to the Witch Queen changes.
Reply
🙁 on April 4, 2022 at 7:06 am

There is no way promethous lens deals 285k burst damage :/
Reply
- Ric "Prim" Molina on April 4, 2022 at 10:19 am
  
  You’re absolutely right. That was an error on my database (it was showing the same as Total damage). Corrected now, thanks for the heads up!
  Reply
Oz on April 4, 2022 at 11:57 pm

No witch queen legendary or crafted weapons are top of their class? Was curious how a crafted weapon at level 20 would stack up.
Only witch queen exotics made the cut?
Reply
Oz on April 5, 2022 at 12:06 am

Sorting by average dps on heavy weapons section shows the top 5 results out of order
Reply
Nathanael on October 18, 2022 at 1:56 pm

Can we please add Element to the chart?
Reply
Joseph King on November 21, 2022 at 7:58 pm

Where is Touch of Malice?
Reply
kowiii on March 1, 2023 at 6:40 pm

can you try testing the bequest, it has the highest impact of all adaptive swords, and i want to know if that makes a diference
Reply
nemo on April 27, 2023 at 8:56 am

are those value aligned to season 20
Reply
Veggies on August 20, 2023 at 11:31 pm

Can we get an update on this?
Reply
Litch on January 17, 2024 at 2:00 pm

Why isnt dragons breath in the heavy weapons, yet its considered the king of launchers by most end game level players?
Reply