Destiny 2 Catalysts: Overview

Exotic Catalysts in Destiny 2 provide powerful upgrades for Exotic weapons, enhancing their stats, granting new perks, or improving overall efficiency. These upgrades can significantly boost performance in PvE and PvP, making your weapons deadlier and more versatile. To fully activate a Catalyst, Guardians must first acquire it — often through Strikes, PvP, Raids, or special quests—and then complete a set of upgrade requirements, such as 500–700 kills with the weapon.

What Are Exotic Catalysts?

Exotic Catalysts are upgrades designed to improve Exotic weapons in various ways:

• More range – Boosts accuracy and damage at a distance.
• Faster reload – Speeds up weapon handling in fights.
• New perks – Unlocks powerful abilities like Serious Business or Deeper Pockets.
• Bigger ammo reserves – Expands mag size or improves reloads.
• Special effects – Adds auto-reload, overcharge, or elemental blasts.

Not every Exotic weapon has a Catalyst, but for those that do, the bonuses are significant, making them a priority for any serious player. What if you could unlock and complete Catalysts effortlessly? Exotic Catalysts Boost lets you enhance your arsenal without the grind—unlock new perks and maximize your weapon’s potential with ease!

How to Earn Exotic Catalysts

Destiny 2 Catalyst drop from a variety of sources, depending on the weapon. Some Catalysts drop randomly, while others are tied to specific activities.

Once acquired, Catalysts require completing specific tasks, such as:

• 500–700 kills with the weapon.
• Precision final blows spawn additional effects.
• Defeating multiple enemies grants bonus range or reload speed.
• Landing rapid precision hits increases stability.

Some Catalysts take only a few hours to complete, while others require long-term grinding in different game modes. Discover the best Exotic weapons in our Destiny 2 Exotics: Tier List, including top Catalysts!

Primary Exotic Destiny 2 Catalysts

Primary weapons with Catalysts receive stat boosts, reload speed improvements, and unique perks that enhance their damage output and handling. If you’re looking to extend range, increase stability, or activate unique effects, Primary Exotic Catalysts are a must-have.

Weapon	Drop Source	Upgrade Requirement	Catalyst Effect
Ace of Spades	Strikes, Nightfalls	Get 500 kills	Funeral Pyre: Firefly deals more damage while Memento Mori is active.
Alethonym	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 500 kills	One for All: Hitting three separate targets in a short period grants a 35% damage buff for 10 seconds.
Bad Juju	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 500 kills	Unending Curse: Extends the duration of String of Curses by one second.
Centrifuse	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 700 kills	Static Buildup: While Amplified, this weapon gradually gains overcharge.
Cerberus+1	PvE Combatants	Get 500 kills	Focused Fire: After a final blow, hold the reload button to swap to a tighter, close-ranged spread that deals increased damage.
Crimson	PvE Combatants	Get 500 kills	+20 Range
Cryosthesia 77K	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 700 kills	Cold Efficiency: Shattering a frozen target refills this weapon's magazine from reserves.
Dead Man's Tale	Presage (Expert)	Reforge at the Enclave	Dark-Forged Trigger: Increased hipfire rate of fire and removes hipfire accuracy penalties.
Fighting Lion	PvE Combatants	500 kills; complete 100 bounties	Chimera: +30 reload speed; after this weapon fires, equipped Kinetic and Power weapons gain a brief period of increased handling and accuracy.
Final Warning	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	String Theory: Hits against marked targets deal increased damage and have a chance to refund ammo to the magazine.
Graviton Lance	Strikes, Nightfalls	Get 500 kills and 100 Cosmology kills	Hidden Hand: +20 range; better target acquisition (grants +15 aim assist).
Hard Light	Strikes, Nightfalls	Get 1,000 kills	+25 Stability
Hawkmoon	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Hunter's Trance: +1 magazine size; gain increased handling, reload speed, and weapon range based on the number of stacks of Paracausal Charge.
Hierarchy of Needs	Spire of the Watcher (Master)	Get 700 kills	Panoptic Tessellation: Deploying a Guidance Ring or striking a target with a seeking projectile improves draw time and reload speed for a moderate duration.
Wish-Keeper	Starcrossed (Exotic Mission)	Reforge at the Enclave	Pick one perk: Enduring Snare Refit (longer Snarewaever traps), Multi-Threaded Snare Refit (traps suspend more targets), Vorpal Weapon (+20% damage to bosses and Champions), or Hatchling Refit (precision kills spawn a Threadling).
Red Death Reformed	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 700 kills	Helping Hand: Final blows charge the weapon. Once charged, the next kill creates a healing burst and leaves a restoration remnant for allies.
Revision Zero	Operation: Seraph’s Shield	Reforge at the Enclave	Pick one perk: Feeding Frenzy, Under Pressure, Outlaw, or Fourth Time’s the Charm.
Winterbite	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 500 kills	Icy Wrath: Final blows with Winterbite freeze nearby enemies. Additionally, frozen enemies take increased melee damage.
Quicksilver Storm	Post-Lightfall Quest	Get 700 kills	Nano-Entanglement: This weapon’s damage type becomes Strand. Final blows with grenades from this weapon create Tangles.
The Huckleberry	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 500 kills	Kinetic Tremors: Sustained damage emits shockwaves, damaging nearby enemies.
Monte Carlo	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Stochastic Vengeance: At x5 Markov Chain, hold reload to charge the bayonet. Melee hits restore melee energy.
Le Monarque	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Unrelenting: Boosts reload speed (+18) and stability (+27); rapid eliminations trigger health regeneration.
Hawkmoon	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Hunter's Trance: +1 magazine size; gain increased handling, reload speed, and weapon range based on the number of stacks of Paracausal Charge.
Collective Obligation	Zero Hour (Expert)	Reforge at the Enclave	Disease Vector: Nanite damage increases. Defeated enemies spread additional nanites.
Touch of Malice	King’s Fall Raid	Get 700 kills	Rapid Hit: Rapid precision hits improve stability and reload speed.
The Last Word	Crucible	Get 700 kills	Boosts hip-fire precision and reduces recoil.
Sunshot	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	500 kills + 100 Sun Blast kills	+30 Range, +20 Stability.
Dead Man's Tale	Presage (Expert)	Reforge at the Enclave	Dark-Forged Trigger: Increased hipfire rate of fire and removes hipfire accuracy penalties.
Outbreak Perfected	Zero Hour (Expert)	Reforge at the Enclave	Disease Vector: Nanite damage increases. Defeated enemies spread additional nanites.
Polaris Lance	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	500 kills + 50 The Perfect Fifth kills	Dragonfly: Precision kills cause an elemental explosion.
Ticuu’s Divination	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 700 kills	Causality Quiver: Perfectly drawn arrows boost damage up to +100%.
The Manticore	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 500 kills	Flying Monster: While airborne, final blows provide damage resistance.
Monte Carlo	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Stochastic Vengeance: At x5 Markov Chain, hold reload to charge the bayonet. Melee hits restore melee energy.
No Time to Explain	Exo Stranger Quest	Get 700 kills	Blast from the Side: Time portal projectiles fire more frequently.
Osteo Striga	Level up to 10+	Reforge at the Enclave	Poison final blows restore ammo to the magazine.
Devil’s Ruin	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Unrelenting: Boosts reload speed (+18) and stability (+27); rapid eliminations trigger health regeneration.
Vex Mythoclast	Crota’s End	Acquire 35 Oversoul Essence	One For Thrall: Hitting three separate targets boosts damage, range, handling, and aim assist.
SUROS Regime	Crucible	Get 300 kills	SUROS Ascendance: Increased health regeneration on kills. +50 Recoil & Bounce Intensity.
The Last Word	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 500 kills	Kinetic Tremors: Sustained damage emits shockwaves, damaging nearby enemies.
Thorn	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Final blows create a lingering poison cloud that damages enemies over time.
Rat King	Strikes, Nightfalls	Get 1,000 kills while you or a fireteam member use Rat King	Infestation: Enhances aim assist & recoil direction. Health regenerates when Vermin invisibility activates.
Sweet Business	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 250 multikills	Serious Business: While fully spun up, flinch from incoming damage is reduced.
Touch of Malice	King’s Fall Raid	Get 700 kills	Rapid Hit: Rapid precision hits improve stability and reload speed.
Tommy’s Matchbook	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 700 kills	Heat of the Moment: Ignition Trigger causes faster health regeneration and Scorches enemies.
Traveler’s Chosen	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Grants increased reload speed and ability regeneration on final blows.
Trinity Ghoul	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 700 kills	Lightning Rod: Precision kills grant a chain-lightning shot on the next attack.
Verglas Curve	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 700 kills	Final blows generate Stasis crystals.
Vex Mythoclast	Vault of Glass Raid	Get 700 kills	Temporal Unlimiter: Increases fire rate and charge efficiency.
Wish-Ender	Shattered Throne Dungeon	Get 700 kills	See through walls and deal increased damage to shielded enemies.
Wicked Implement	Exotic Mission	Get 500 kills	Final blows slow enemies and create Stasis shards.

Special Exotic Destiny 2 Catalysts

Special weapon Catalysts add functionality like increased ammo reserves, automatic reloading, or enhanced precision perks. These weapons are critical in high-level PvE where burst damage and special effects are key.

Weapon	Drop Source	Upgrade Requirement	Catalyst Effect
Ager’s Scepter	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 1,000 kills	Will Given Form: Holding reload drains Super energy, granting bonus damage and allowing the beam to slow & freeze targets until the magazine is empty or stowed.
Arbalest	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 500 kills	Genesis: Breaking shields with this weapon reloads its magazine from reserves. +1 magazine size.
Borealis	PvE Combatants	Get 150 Arc, Solar, and Void kills	+20 Reload Speed.
Buried Bloodline	Warlord’s Ruin	Get 500 kills	Splitvein Lineage: While Devour is active, this weapon applies a weakness debuff to targets.
Cloudstrike	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 400 kills	Triple Tap: Rapid precision hits return one round to the magazine. +25 Handling.
Coldheart	PvE Combatants, Nightfalls	Get 300 kills	+20 Reload Speed & Stability.
Dead Messenger	Vox Obscura (Expert)	Reforge at the Enclave	Turnabout: Breaking an enemy shield or damaging a Super-active Guardian grants an Overshield.
Delicate Tomb	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 700 kills	Ionic Interment: Collecting an Ionic Trace reloads a portion of the magazine.
Duality	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 400 kills	+20 Range, +2 Magazine Size.
Ergo Sum	Excision (Grandmaster)	Get 500 kills	Transcendent Steel: Landing damage with a Transcendent Grenade replenishes Ergo Sum ammo.
Eriana’s Vow	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 400 kills	More to Give: +3 magazine size. Stowing the weapon automatically reloads it after a short delay.
Ex Diris	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 400 kills	Berserk Rush: Weapon activates Berserk faster while Amplified. Final blows grant Amplified status.
Forerunner	Xur’s Treasure Hoard	Get 700 kills	The Rock: For a short time after a final blow, hold reload to convert ammo into a fragmentation grenade.
The Fourth Horseman	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 400 kills	And Its Name Was Death: +1 Magazine Size and +40 Reload Speed.
Izanagi’s Burden	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 500 kills	Peerless Edge: Increases Honed Edge damage bonus by 20% when four rounds are loaded.
Jötunn	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 500 kills	Cornered: Faster charge/draw time when surrounded by enemies. Incandescent: Defeated targets explode, spreading Scorch to nearby enemies.
Lord of Wolves	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 500 kills	Fang and Claw: Faster reload while Release the Wolves is active; increased stability when it is not active.
Lorentz Driver	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 400 kills	Jump Driver: Enhanced radar. Anomaly detonations no longer require precision hits at max telemetry stacks.
Merciless	Strikes, Nightfalls	Get 500 kills	+40 Range, +40 Stability.
The Navigator	Ghosts of the Deep	Get 500 kills	Grapple Tangle Generator: Reload & fire to create a Strand Grapple Tangle.
Prometheus Lens	Strikes, Nightfalls	Get 500 kills	+20 Stability, +20 Handling.
Ruinous Effigy	PvE Combatants	Get 700 kills	Deconstruction: This weapon deals bonus damage against enemies damaged by Transmutation Spheres.
Telesto	Expert Lost Sectors	Get 300 kills	Deeper Pockets: Increases ammo reserves. +3 Magazine Size.
Tessellation	Final Shape Quest	Get 400 kills	Property: Unavoidable: Nearby enemies hit by its explosion are inflicted with an elemental status matching your grenade’s damage type.
Witherhoard	Banshee-44 Quest	Get 400 kills	Silent Alarm: Boosts handling. Holstering automatically reloads the weapon after a brief delay. +40 Handling.

Heavy Exotic Destiny 2 Catalysts

Heavy weapons excel in boss DPS and AoE damage, and their Catalysts provide damage multipliers, ammo reserves, and explosive capabilities.

Weapon	Drop Source	Upgrade Requirement	Catalyst Effect
Black Talon	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 350 kills	Reversal: Blocking an attack immediately before striking boosts Crow’s Wings' damage by 50% for 2 seconds.
The Colony	Crucible	Get 500 kills	Deeper Pockets: Increases total ammo reserves. +1 Magazine Size.
D.A.R.C.I.	PvE Combatants	Get 100 kills	+20 Stability.
Deathbringer	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 400 kills	Dead Weight: Accelerates Dark Descent charge time, allowing faster maximum damage potential.
Gjallarhorn	Grasp of Avarice Dungeon	Get 400 kills	More Wolves: Boosts magazine size. Final blows with Wolfpack Rounds generate a faster, stronger tracking missile at the target's location. +1 Magazine Size.
Thunderlord	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 500 kills	Return Stroke: Causing a lightning strike partially reloads the magazine from reserves.
Whisper of the Worm	The Whisper (Expert)	Reforge at the Enclave	Whispered Breathing: Aiming down sights for a short time grants increased range & precision damage while zoomed. +30 Reload Speed.
Tractor Cannon	PvE Combatants	Get 300 kills	+20 Reload Speed, +2 Magazine Size.
Two-Tailed Fox	Strikes, Crucible, Gambit	Get 350 kills	Third Tail: Fires an additional Arc rocket on the second shot, which Jolts targets.
The Wardcliff Coil	Strikes, Nightfalls	Get 500 kills	Pinpoint Guidance Module: Improved tracking on projectiles.
Whisper of the Worm	The Whisper (Expert)	Reforge at the Enclave	Whispered Breathing: Aiming down sights for a short time grants increased range & precision damage while zoomed. +30 Reload Speed.
Worldline Zero	PvE Combatants	Get 300 kills	Another Dimension: Speeds up Tesseract activation time, allowing for faster teleport slashes.

Heavy weapon Catalysts make some of the strongest Exotics even more deadly, perfect for high-end PvE content like Raids and Nightfalls.

Conclusion

Completing Exotic Catalysts unlocks the full potential of your Exotic weapons, making them more powerful, efficient, and adaptable. This makes you stronger — using Ace of Spades in PvP, Gjallarhorn in Raids, or Osteo Striga in PvE. Catalysts enhance effectiveness with new perks and stat boosts.

Farming Catalysts can be time-consuming, but Destiny 2 Boosting Services allow you to efficiently farm kills, complete Catalyst objectives, and enhance your favorite Exotics without the grind!

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Change Log

• 07.03.2025 - Destiny 2 Catalysts: Overview published.