The best Destiny 2 PvP weapons 2024

Dominating the competition in Bungie's FPS is no mean feat, so we've got a list of the best Destiny 2 PvP weapons to help you out.

best destiny 2 pvp weapons

What are the best Destiny 2 PvP weapons? After some smart changes from the game’s PvP team, activities like Iron Banner, Crucible, and Trials of Osiris feel much more balanced than they were under the linear fusion rifle meta that took hold over much of 2022.

Recent changes to the free PC game also mean PvP feels more competitive, and the addition of several PvP-focused weapons is part of that. Despite the emphasis on balance, some guns in Destiny 2 still stand out from the pack. Below, we list the PvP weapons you’ll want to track down to use in advance of the Destiny 2 The Final Shape release date rolling around.

The best Destiny 2 PvP weapons in the current meta

The best Destiny 2 PvP weapons are:

  • Dead Man’s Tale
  • No Time to Explain
  • Revision Zero
  • BxR-55 Battler
  • Rose

It’s worthwhile to note that with weapon perks, crafting, and weapon mods, there will not be a single loadout that works for every play style like there might be in some other popular FPS games. However, some weapons are certainly getting more play than others.

Generally, your loadout should include a powerful, close-range weapon such as a shotgun for quick kills, a medium-range, hard-hitting gun such as a hand cannon or pulse rifle, and either a longer-distance weapon that does focus damage like a sniper rifle or linear fusion rifle or an area-of-effect weapon such as grenade launcher. However, no single loadout will work for every player, so players should experiment with all different types of guns to determine what works best with their play style.

However, there are several weapons currently dominating the PvP meta at the moment in Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris, Crucible, and special events like Destiny 2 Iron Banner.

The best weapons for Destiny 2 PvP: An image of the Dead Man's Tale exotic kinetic scout rifle.

Dead Man’s Tale exotic kinetic scout rifle

With a name like Dead Man’s Tale, it’s only fitting that this weapon would be a top-tier PvP weapon – it’s a scout rifle that shoots like hand cannon but reloads like a shotgun, it’s also an all-around fun gun to use as it can take out a player in as few as two shots, given that precision hit chains grant additional target acquisition and range. If you don’t have this weapon, it’s worth tracking down the weekend’s Destiny 2 Xur location to pick up one from him.

No Time to Explain exotic kinetic pulse rifle

If Dead Man’s Tale isn’t your go-to, No Time to Explain is a powerful alternative. It can kill an opponent with two bursts, and precision hits can return bullets to the magazine, eliminating the need to reload. It inherently comes with balanced stats, rendering it a weapon with an overall smooth feel, too. And, if it has the Feeding Frenzy perk, players who can’t manage always to land precision hits can still earn a reload speed buff whenever they kill an enemy Guardian.

Revision Zero exotic kinetic pulse rifle

The second pulse rifle on this list, the new addition to the game, is proving to be a valuable PvP weapon. It’s third in usage only to Dead Man’s Tale and No Time to Explain in both Crucible and Trials of Osiris. Perpetual Motion (gains bonus stability, handling, and reload speed while in motion) or Moving Target (increases movement speed and target acquisition when moving while aiming down sights) are helpful for PvP, as is the Pressurized Refit catalyst that improves stability and accuracy as the magazine gets lower, or Outlaw, which decreased reload time on prevision hits.

BxR-55 Battler legendary solar kinetic pulse rifle

As the third pulse rifle on this list, the BxR Battler is an excellent option for players who want a pulse in their loadout but prefer to use a personal favourite exotic weapon, thereby rendering them unable to use Revision Zero or No Time to Explain.

Usage stats for the Halo-inspired weapon show players are using it in both Trials of Osiris and Crucible, though it’s slightly more popular in Trials. Like the Revision Zero, this weapon is popular at least in part because it’s craftable, meaning players can assign perks of their choosing to the weapon once they’ve extracted five weapon patterns.

You can get this weapon by opening Xur’s treasure chest in Dares of Eternity, but you will need to own the Bungie 30th Anniversary content pack and earn keys by competing in Dares activities to get it. The S-tier version can have perks like Killing Wind (final blows grant increased mobility, range, and handling) and Eye of the Storm (becomes more accurate and boosts handling as health gets lower).

The best weapons for Destiny 2 PvP: An image of the Rose hand cannon

Rose legendary void kinetic hand cannon

Players were thrilled to see this hand cannon from the original Destiny added to the loot pool as a reward for participating in the newly-introduced Ranked Crucible. Suffice it to say Bungie made this weapon for PvP. Its handling and ease of use are what make it so popular among competitive players.

It’s a 140 RPM hand cannon with a lightweight frame, so it feels light and quick. When it drops with perks like Moving Target, Perpetual Motion, and Eye of the Storm, it’s easy to see why it’s a solid pick in both Crucible and Trials of Osiris.

Honourable mentions

A handful of other weapons are seeing a lot of action in Destiny 2 PvP. They are:

  • Glacioclasm legendary energy fusion rifle – A strong energy weapon with excellent range.
  • The Messenger (Adept) legendary kinetic pulse rifle – A potential reward for completing a Flawless Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris run.
  • Beloved legendary solar energy sniper rifle – Another craftable weapon, which players can earn Season of the Haunted activities and can craft by extracting patterns from focused engrams that produce red border weapons at the Crown of Sorrow.

Now that you have insight into the current PvP meta weapons, be sure to check out our guides to the best Destiny 2 Warlock builds, best Titan builds, and best Hunter builds to match your weapons with a powerful loadout to ensure you dominate anything that dares stand in your way.