Destiny 2 Weapon sunsetting
The Complete List + Good ReplacementsBy Ric (aka Prim) | Updated Mar 20, 2021
After months of speculation and opposition from the community at large, Bungie implemented weapon retirement, aka weapon retirement, in Destiny 2. In a nutshell, this is how it actually works:
‼️ What is sunsetting in Destiny 2? Legendary weapons and armor now have a Max Power Level that can be reached through infusion. That Max Power Level will be set at the Player Power Cap attainable 3 Seasons after their release.
This definition comes from Bungie’s May 14, 2020, TWAB, a post that also gave us more information about their plans for the game. Yet my biggest question remained:
When is this going to impact our favorite weapons?
Today we answer that question as we dive deep into weapon sunsetting in Destiny 2. We will also cover armor retirement and explain how sunsetting, in general, works now.
Destiny 2 sunsetting list: Weapons impacted [per Season]
The following chart should help you better visualize what weapons have already been affected by sunsetting. For Season 9 weapons, the list is exhaustive and includes every Season of Dawn weapon lost to sunsetting. For Seasons 1 through 8, the list focuses on all the Pinnacle weapons, Rituals, and the most popular weapons overall.
PS: If you’re interested in the Legendary weapons that are not sunset and therefore still viable this Season, this guide is for you.
Destiny 2 sunsetting chart
Weapon | Weapon Type | Source | Sunsets | Max Power Level | Good Replacement | Drops from | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Komodo-4FR | Linear Fusion Rifle | Linear Fusion Rifle | Crucible Ritual | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Threaded Needle | Linear Fusion Rifle | Season Pass |
![]() | Python | Shotgun | Shotgun | Gambit Ritual | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Felwinter's Lie | Shotgun | Exotic Kiosk |
![]() | Infinite Paths 8 | Pulse Rifle | Pulse Rifle | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | The Third Axiom | Pulse Rifle | Playlist: Strikes |
![]() | Patron of Lost Causes | Scout Rifle | Scout Rifle | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | The Guiding Sight | Scout Rifle | Iron Banner |
![]() | Pyroclastic Flow | Rocket Launcher | Rocket Launcher | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Code Duello | Rocket Launcher | Battlegrounds |
![]() | Perfect Paradox | Shotgun | Shotgun | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Seventh Seraph CQC-12 | Shotgun | Gunsmith |
![]() | Steelfeather Repeater | Auto Rifle | Auto Rifle | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | The Forward Path | Auto Rifle | Iron Banner |
![]() | Traveler's Judgment 5 | Sidearm | Sidearm | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | The Keening | Sidearm | Playlist: Crucible |
![]() | Jack Queen King 3 | Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Bottom Dollar | Hand Cannon | Playlist: Gambit |
![]() | Martyr's Retribution | Grenade Launcher | Grenade Launcher | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Deafening Whisper | Grenade Launcher | Wrathborn Hunts |
![]() | Gallant Charge | Fusion Rifle | Fusion Rifle | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Hollow Words | Fusion Rifle | World Loot Pool |
![]() | Trophy Hunter | Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Succession | Sniper Rifle | Deep Stone Crypt Raid |
![]() | Breachlight | Sidearm | Sidearm | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | High Albedo | Sidearm | Europa |
![]() | Line in the Sand | Linear Fusion Rifle | Linear Fusion Rifle | Season of Dawn | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Threaded Needle | Linear Fusion Rifle | Season Pass |
![]() | Buzzard | Sidearm | Sidearm | Vanguard Ritual | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | High Albedo | Sidearm | Europa |
![]() | Elatha FR4 | Fusion Rifle | Fusion Rifle | World Loot Pool | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Hollow Words | Fusion Rifle | World Loot Pool |
![]() | Mos Epoch III | Rocket Launcher | Rocket Launcher | World Loot Pool | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Code Duello | Rocket Launcher | Battlegrounds |
![]() | Last Hope | Sidearm | Sidearm | World Loot Pool | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Brass Attacks | Sidearm | Season Pass |
![]() | Hawthorne's Field-Forged Shotgun | Shotgun | Shotgun | World Loot Pool | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Heritage | Shotgun | Deep Stone Crypt Raid |
![]() | The Old Fashioned | Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | World Loot Pool | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | The Steady Hand | Hand Cannon | Iron Banner |
![]() | Uriel's Gift | Auto Rifle | Auto Rifle | World Loot Pool | Season 13 | Feb 9, 2021 | 1260 | ![]() | Gnawing Hunger | Auto Rifle | World Loot Pool |
![]() | Galliard-42 XN7568 | Auto Rifle | Auto Rifle | Black Armory | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | The Summoner | Auto Rifle | Trials of Osiris |
![]() | Stryker's Sure-Hand | Sword | Sword | Black Armory | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Falling Guillotine | Sword | Umbral Engrams |
![]() | Hammerhead | Machine Gun | Machine Gun | Black Armory | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Seventh Seraph SAW | Machine Gun | NA |
![]() | Kindled Orchid | Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Black Armory | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Nation of Beasts | Hand Cannon | Last Wish Raid |
![]() | Blast Furnace | Pulse Rifle | Pulse Rifle | Black Armory | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Sacred Provenance | Pulse Rifle | Garden of Salvation Raid |
![]() | Randy's Throwing Knive | Scout Rifle | Scout Rifle | Crucible Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Night Watch | Scout Rifle | Umbral Engrams |
![]() | Luna's Howl | Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Crucible Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Dire Promise | Hand Cannon | World Drop |
![]() | The Mountaintop | Grenade Launcher | Grenade Launcher | Crucible Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Truthteller | Grenade Launcher | World Drop |
![]() | Revoker | Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Crucible Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Eye of Sol | Sniper Rifle | Trials of Osiris |
![]() | Redrix's Broadsword | Pulse Rifle | Pulse Rifle | Crucible Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Cold Denial | Pulse Rifle | Umbral Engrams |
![]() | Recluse | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun | Crucible Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.2 | Submachine Gun | Umbral Engrams |
![]() | Not Forgotten | Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Crucible Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Dire Promise | Hand Cannon | World Drop |
![]() | 21% Delirium | Machine Gun | Machine Gun | Gambit Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Thunderlord | Machine Gun | Exotic Engram |
![]() | Hush | Combat Bow | Combat Bow | Gambit Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Point of the Stag | Combat Bow | Iron Banner Ritual |
![]() | Breakneck | Auto Rifle | Auto Rifle | Gambit Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | The Forward Path | Auto Rifle | Iron Banner |
![]() | Exit Strategy | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun | Gambit Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.2 | Submachine Gun | Umbral Engrams |
![]() | Austringer | Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Menagerie | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | The Old Fashioned | Hand Cannon | World Drop |
![]() | Drang (Baroque) | Sidearm | Sidearm | Menagerie | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Buzzard | Side Arm | Vanguard Ritual |
![]() | Beloved | Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Menagerie | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Omniscient Eye | Sniper Rifle | Garden of Salvation Raid |
![]() | Mindbender's Ambition | Shotgun | Shotgun | Nightfall | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Felwinter's Lie | Shotgun | Hidden Quest |
![]() | Spare Rations | Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Reckoning | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Dire Promise | Hand Cannon | World Drop |
![]() | Wendigo GL3 | Grenade Launcher | Grenade Launcher | Vanguard Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Interference VI | Grenade Launcher | World Drop |
![]() | Edgewise | Machine Gun | Machine Gun | Vanguard Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Seventh Seraph SAW | Machine Gun | NA |
![]() | Loaded Question | Fusion Rifle | Fusion Rifle | Vanguard Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | Elatha FR4 | Fusion Rifle | World Drop |
![]() | Oxygen SR3 | Scout Rifle | Scout Rifle | Vanguard Pinnacle | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ![]() | The Scholar | Scout Rifle | Trials of Osiris |
![]() | ► All Year 2 IB weapons. | Iron Banner | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ||||
![]() | ► All Shadowkeep weapons. | Moon Destination | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 | ||||
![]() | ► All Year 1 EP weapons. | Escalation Protocol | Season 12 | Nov 10, 2020 | 1060 |
If a weapon is listed within a particular season, it means it will be retired at the beginning of that season. Example: Recluse was sunsetted in Season 12. This means Recluse can only go as high as Season 11’s Max Power Level.
It is worth noting that weapon retirement only affects endgame content where Power Level matters. That said, the community believed this would only affect a few activities such as Nightfall: The Ordeals, Trials of Osiris, and the like. But since Beyond Light increased the Max Power Level by 200, sunsetted weapons are essentially useless for most things except “normal” PVP and Playlist: Strikes.
Unsurprisingly, weapon sunsetting is significantly shifting the game’s meta and the current top PVE and PVP weapons are very different from what they were just 3 months ago. If you’re serious about endgame content, replacing your retired gear should become your top priority.
About re-issued weapons…
Re-issued Weapons: Some weapons in the list above were re-issued. Re-issued weapons remain exactly the same as before but have a higher Power level cap. However, whatever god roll you already had will keep the same old Power Level Cap, not the new re-issued one.
I’m not one to rant, but the way Bungie keeps re-issuing weapons is worrisome. Many warned this could happen:
“Bungie is retiring our weapons to force us to grind for the same thing all over again”.
Bungie keeps saying weapon sunsetting will give them more freedom to create amazing weapons without having to worry about keeping them balanced forever (and then be forced to nerf them, as was the case for several Pinnacle weapons).

Pinnacle weapons: The ones we will miss the most…
I want to believe Bungie, but re-issuing weapons as they did with Gnawing Hunger is not a good sign: Absolutely nothing was changed.
No new perks, fine-tuned stats, or anything. They simply slapped a different logo to the thumbnail and increased the Power Cap. This is not what weapon sunsetting should be. I do hope this was an exception and that Bungie will indeed surprise us with amazing new weapons this Fall…
Destiny 2 Sunsetting: Exotics remain untouched
Some of our favorite Legendary weapons will be retired soon, but fortunately, Exotic weapons will not be subject to sunsetting. Not yet at least…

Anarchy shall remain one of the best PVE weapons for a little longer
This means you will be able to continue using your favorite Exotic weapons in end-game content and challenging activities for the foreseeable future. This makes the Top Tier Exotics even more relevant, and a priority, if you don’t have them yet.
The state of Combat bows is a great example. Most of the best bows in Destiny 2 were retired with the release of Beyond Light, and that makes the Exotics, such as Trinity Ghoul, even more appealing.
The same goes for hand cannons. The most popular hand cannon for PVP, Spare Rations, was sunset with Beyond Light. Granted, other legendary hand cannons have appeared, but the best alternatives are, for the most part, exotic hand cannons.
And this is an excellent move from Bungie. Losing all those difficult to obtain Pinnacle weapons was hard to swallow. By excluding Exotics, Bungie is telling players that they somewhat respect their time and dedication. After all, some of the best Exotic weapons and Catalysts are locked behind difficult quests that can take several hours to complete.
Armor sunsetting in Destiny 2: The exceptions
Unfortunately, Sunsetting will also impact armor. This means all the armor pieces you spent massive resources to Masterwork will also only have a one-year lifespan.
The decision to sunset weapons has been criticized. But the decision to sunset armor, however, has been widely rejected by the community. It simply makes less sense. In fact, it seems like the only real reason to sunset armor is to push players to have to re-acquire and re-masterwork new armor.

A Masterworked piece of armor down the drain
There is one exception to this rule:
- Weapons from the Last Wish and Garden of Salvation raid will have a longer lifetime and won’t be sunsetted until Season 14.
- Armor from all raids, including legacy raids going away this Fall, will have a longer lifetime and won’t be sunsetted until Season 14.
Also, from a pure cosmetics perspective, the effects of armor sunsetting should be somewhat limited by the upcoming ability to transmog the looks of your favorite armor pieces into newer gear.
Destiny 2 Sunsetting rules: How will it work, exactly?
Bungie’s May 14, 2020, TWAB is a must-read if you want to know everything there is to know about weapon retirement, but these are the key “rules” you need to know:
- Each Legendary weapon and piece of armor now has a Max Power Level it can reach through infusion.
- Exotics do not have a Max Power Level.
- The Max Power Level for these items is set at the player Power Cap attainable 3 Seasons after its release Season (4 Seasons total).
- This means all Legendary gear has a one-year span of time during which it can be used in activities where being at or near the player Power Cap is important (difficult and Power-enabled activities).
- The Max Power Level for these items is now visible in-game.

If you had the perfect Gnawing Hunger before, you now have to farm a re-issued version
- At the start of Season 12, weapons and armor released in Seasons 1-8 will have a Max Power Level at the Season 11 player Power Cap
- Gear from Seasons 9, 10, 11, and 12 will all be infusible to new player Power Caps for 1 year after their release.
- Weapons and armor from the Last Wish and Garden of Salvation raids, will be granted exceptions and will have a higher Max Power Level”.
Frequently Asked Questions
At this point we’ve covered everything there is to know about sunset in Destiny 2. That said, I’ve been asked the following questions so many times, they deserve a dedicated section:
Can I still use gear that has reached its Max Power Level?
Yes. You will always be able to equip and use any piece of gear. Reaching the player Power Cap is beneficial, but not strictly required, for most activities in Destiny. You can continue to equip and use all gear in these activities.
Does this apply to armor as well as weapons?
Yes – all Legendary gear that provides Power will have a Max Power Level.
When gear drops after its debut Season, what will its Max Power Level be? It will have the same Max Power Level as it did in its initial release Season.
Will gear ever have its Max Power Level updated?
Not directly, but gear can be re-issued in future Seasons. These re-issued versions will have a new Max Power Level based on the Season in which it is re-issued.
Is Drang getting Sunset?
We thought it would, but Bungie just revealed that Gunsmith will begin selling a version of Drang on November 10 with no infusion cap. Same for MIDA Mini-Tool.
Is there a Destiny 2 Beyond Light sunsetting list?
Yes, that the first section of the chart above, named “Retiring Season 12”.
Is Revoker getting Sunset?
Yes, it will be sunset on November 10, 2020, with the release of Beyond Light.
Is Redrix’s Broadsword getting Sunset?
Yes, it will be sunset on November 10, 2020, with the release of Beyond Light.
Is Spare Rations getting Sunset?
Yes, it will be sunset on November 10, 2020, with the release of Beyond Light.
Your turn
You now know everything there is to know about weapons and armor sunsetting in D2.
The weapon list above is my take on how sunsetting will impact the most popular (and some of my favorites) weapons in Destiny 2.
But perhaps I missed some. If I did miss your favorites or weapons you consider S Tier, let me know in the comments section below.
waking vigil
Agreed, great choice too.
Great Article, thanks
Thank you for the kind comment, always great to hear from you guys!
I think they’re sunsetting armor simply to lock players out of the new content. Forcing people to buy the new expansion to raise their light cap..
You can still do Powerful and Pinnacle activities to get armor with higher power level. There are more sources if you have the expansions but do not need them to get to Max power level.
I think its so they can get away with adding 6 hours of content and marketing it as a new game….
I loved Gambit…much to most of the playerbase having a different say, when i saw there was a pinnacle shotgun for it, i HAULED ass to get it, 2 days later i had it, kept it on all 3 classes, im sad to see its getting sunsetted- but it will never leave my inventory…
Loved the MoonFang-X7 as well… that armor looks kick-ass…
I dont care much about the sunsetting on my favorite weapons, im 143,926 kills deep for my Python, and you can bet imma still make memories with it in future seasons…
for those who wanna make some memories,
Xbox 1
Shadowette8262
Mine is Gr8Achilles
I might take you up on that.
Personally I truly hope they come out with weapons worth grinding for. I busted my butt to get some truly awesome weapons only to have them go extinct. If they don’t come through with this in an truly epic way it could really hurt them in the end.
Lets make memories
Gr8Achilles if you want to
Great article thanks for the insight into how sun setting works and the list of things going by the side of the road.
I’m not excited to see armor getting sunset. It takes 500 enhancement cores to masterwork an armor set. That’s a lot of grinding. The masterwork progression has to change. They need to remember what they said about valuing players time. For us to invest so much time to masterwork an armor set just to have it get left behind..smh. Bungie if you’re listening make it easier to masterwork armor so we don’t feel so wronged when this armor is obsolete.
With all this going on then why are we still having weapons dropping that are sunsetting? (March 2021) Amongst other weapons I have received weapons’ recently playing Nightfall on Hero where I had Warden’s Law Hand Cannon drop 3 times … 2 being masterworks … Max power level is 1000 Season 11 weapon.