Destiny 2 Monte Carlo + Catalyst: How to get them

Monte Carlo was a fan-favorite exotic in Destiny 1, and the same has been true in Destiny 2 since its re-release in Shadowkeep. And now that it has a fancy new catalyst, this auto rifle excels in nearly all areas of the game.

Today, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Monte Carlo: how to obtain the base weapon and its catalyst, possible synergies, and more.

Name: Monte Carlo

Type: Auto Rifle Archetype: Exotic

Ammo: Primary Element: Kinetic

Craftable: No Released: Season 8

Source: Exotic Engram Requires: Shadowkeep Pack

How to get the Monte Carlo Catalyst

The Catalyst for Monte Carlo can drop at the end of any core activity, such as Crucible, Gambit, or Vanguard Ops. And as of Destiny 2’s Patch 7.3.5, Comp matches have an increased Exotic Catalyst drop rate:

Competitive matches will also have an increased chance to drop Exotic weapon catalysts on victories.

Monte Carlo’s Catalyst, Destiny 2

The Catalyst adds the following effects and Exotic Perks:

• Stochastic Vengeance: At 5 stacks of Markov Chain, landing a bayonet melee hit grants melee energy.

Once you have obtained the catalyst, you’ll need 700 weapon kills to unlock it. Using typical farming methods such as the Shuro Chi Wish or the opening section of Grasp of Avarice will speed things along.

Catalyst: Monte Carlo

Ammo: Primary Element: Kinetic

Source: Strikes, Crucible, and Gambit Requires: Shadowkeep Pack

How to Unlock: ► 700 kills Released: Season 22

How to get the Monte Carlo Exotic

Monte Carlo isn’t tied to any specific exotic quest, meaning you can obtain it from any random exotic engram. On weekends, Xur has the chance to sell it directly for Legendary Shards, so keep an eye on him. We keep track of Where is Xûr here.

Alternatively, visiting Ikora should prompt you with the “Timeline Reflection” quest, which asks you to complete all three missions available via the Timeline on the top right of the director. After doing this and talking to Ikora once more, you’ll earn Monte Carlo directly, vastly reducing the grind compared to older methods.

How to get Monte Carlo, Destiny 2

How good is Monte Carlo?

Monte Carlo features the following Exotic perks:

• Monte Carlo Method: Dealing damage with this weapon reduces your melee cooldown and grants a chance to fully charge your melee ability with each kill.
• Markov Chain: This weapon gains increased damage from melee kills and kills with this weapon. Melee kills grant ammo for this weapon.

Plus, Season of the Witch gave Monte Carlo a shiny new catalyst, allowing it to excel at an even higher level. This catalyst enables you to utilize the bayonet prominently featured at the tip of the weapon.

Regardless of whether or not you have the catalyst unlocked, Monte Carlo excels in a variety of scenarios, especially in PvE. While it can fall a little flat if you’re not utilizing your melee ability to its full potential, Monte Carlo allows any melee build to thrive in virtually any PvE content.

Best Monte Carlo Build: All Melee

Melee builds and Monte Carlo offer outstanding synergy. From topping off generic melee abilities like Gunslinger’s throwing knives to utilizing more powerful and unique ones like Weavewalk or Consecration, Monte Carlo allows many of Destiny 2’s builds to function more smoothly.

And, even if you’re not outright building into your melee ability, Monte Carlo is still extremely potent. For no additional setup whatsoever, you effectively get constant and infinite melee charges.

Before you go…

Are you looking for other top-tier Exotics worth chasing? We cover How to get the Dragon’s Breath here.