Destiny 2 Exotics: Tier List

Exotic weapons in Destiny 2 define the meta across PvE and PvP, offering game-changing perks that outshine standard Legendaries. With over 120 Exotics available, knowing which ones to chase is crucial. This Destiny 2 Exotics Tier List ranks the best Primary, Special, and Heavy Exotic weapons, helping you choose the top-tier options for raids, Nightfalls, Crucible, and Gambit.

What Are Exotic Weapons in Destiny 2?

Exotic weapons are the highest rarity tier of weapons in Destiny 2, known for their unique perks, powerful effects, and distinct designs. These weapons often introduce game-changing mechanics, such as self-healing, AoE explosions, infinite ammo generation, or high burst damage. Unlike Legendary weapons, you can only equip one Exotic weapon at a time, making it essential to choose wisely based on your build and activity.

Understanding the Destiny 2 Exotics Tier List

Not all Destiny 2 Exotics are created equal — some dominate the meta, while others are situational picks. Below is the tier breakdown:

• S Tier (Meta-Defining): The best Exotic weapons that dominate both PvE and PvP. Strong, high-performing Exotics, essential for raids, Nightfalls, and Crucible.
• A Tier (Strong but Not Meta): Excellent weapons that require specific builds to shine.
• B Tier (Situational Picks): Decent choices with niche uses, but generally outclassed.

With balance changes in The Final Shape, certain Exotics have risen in power, making this updated Destiny 2 Exotics Tier List essential for Guardians looking to maximize their loadout. Want to wield the most powerful Exotics without the grind? With Destiny 2 Weapons Boost, you can skip the hassle and unlock top-tier weapons effortlessly.

Destiny 2 Exotics Weapons Tier List (2025 Meta)

Exotic weapons in Destiny 2 represent the highest tier of firepower, featuring unique perks, special effects, and game-changing mechanics that set them apart from Legendary weapons. Due to their immense power, players can only equip one Exotic weapon at a time, making the choice of which Exotic to use critical in both PvE and PvP.

The following Tier Lists are divided into three categories based on weapon type:

• Primary Exotic Weapons: These weapons provide sustained damage, ammo efficiency, and utility, making them essential for horde clearing and subclass synergy.
• Special Exotic Weapons: Focused on burst damage, crowd control, and unique effects, these weapons are ideal for precision eliminations and supporting abilities.
• Heavy Exotic Weapons: These weapons define boss fights, high-DPS phases, and support strategies in high-end content such as raids, dungeons, and Nightfalls.

Each tier list ranks Exotics from S Tier (meta weapons) to B Tier (good option), ensuring you know which weapons to prioritize in Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy.

Best Primary Exotic Weapons Tier List

Primary Exotic weapons are the backbone of any Guardian’s loadout, as they provide consistent damage, ammo efficiency, and special abilities that can clear hordes of enemies, support teammates, or enhance ability uptime. These weapons are divided into Kinetic, Energy, and Strand/Elemental slots and are essential for sustained damage in PvE and precision eliminations in PvP.

S	Khvostov 7G-0X Red Death Reformed Graviton Lance Sunshot Trinity Ghoul Wish-Ender Malfeasance Outbreak Perfected Rat King Ace of Spades Thorn Hawkmoon Dead Man’s Tale
A	Lumina No Time to Explain Final Warning Riskrunner Polaris Lance Cryosthesia 77K Quicksilver Storm Revision Zero Necrochasm Alethonym
B	Le Monarque Devil’s Ruin Traveler’s Chosen Vex Mythoclast Trespasser Wish-Keeper The Huckleberry Tarrabah Bad Juju Monte Carlo Osteo Striga Collective Obligation Touch of Malice The Manticore Verglas Curve Centrifuse Wicked Implement Fighting Lion Crimson SUROS Regime The Last Word

Best Special Exotic Weapons Tier List

Special Exotic weapons in Destiny 2 offer a balance between precision damage, crowd control, and unique utility effects, making them crucial for high-level PvE encounters and PvP engagements. Unlike Primary Exotics, which focus on sustained firepower, Special Exotics typically have limited ammo but deal significantly higher damage per shot or provide powerful utility effects like freezing enemies, debuffing targets, or granting ability energy.

S	Ergo Sum Witherhoard Forerunner Conditional Finality Izanagi’s Burden The Navigator Still Hunt Euphony The Chaperone
A	Cloudstrike Merciless Divinity Bastion Ager’s Scepter Buried Bloodline Duality
B	Vexcalibur Coldheart Wavesplitter Eriana’s Vow The Fourth Horseman Tessellation Arbalest Edge of Action

Best Heavy Exotic Weapons Tier List

Heavy Exotic weapons in Destiny 2 are game-changers when it comes to boss DPS, clearing waves of enemies, and providing unique support abilities. Unlike Primary and Special Exotics, Heavy weapons have limited ammo but deliver the highest burst damage in the game. Some provide massive AoE explosions, while others boost team damage output or offer unmatched sustained DPS for raid bosses and Nightfalls.

S	Gjallarhorn Tractor Cannon Whisper of the Worm Dragon’s Breath Microcosm
A	Legend of Acrius Sleeper Simulant Xenophage Leviathan’s Breath The Lament Parasite
B	Deathbringer Two-Tailed Fox One Thousand Voices Thunderlord Heartshadow Winterbite

Destiny 2 Exotic Weapons Tier List Explained

Understanding the current Destiny 2 Exotics meta ensures you're always using the best weapons for Raids, Grandmaster Nightfalls, PvP, and high-end activities. Let’s dive into the rankings and see which Exotics are shaping the game in 2025!

Primary Exotic Weapons

Primary Exotics are essential for consistent damage output, ammo efficiency, and utility in both PvE and PvP. The best ones excel due to high ad-clear potential, synergy with subclass abilities, or strong perks that give them an edge over Legendary weapons.

S-Tier

Why Khvostov 7G-0X is Meta (S+ Tier)

• Best Primary Exotic for both PvE and PvP: Extremely versatile and fits any loadout.
• Shoot to Loot perk: Makes it perfect for ammo sustain.
• Ricochet bullets: Allow for easy multi-kills, especially in tight spaces.
• Easy to use: One of the strongest weapons in endgame PvE and PvP.

Why These S-Tier Weapons Stand Out

• Red Death Reformed (Pulse Rifle, Solar): One of the best self-sustaining weapons in the game. Getting kills heals the user, making it near-unkillable in PvE and very powerful in duels for PvP.
• Graviton Lance (Pulse Rifle, Void): Void explosions make it one of the best AoE primary weapons. Pairs well with Void builds.
• Sunshot (Hand Cannon, Solar): Solar explosions make it an ad-clear monster. Even after nerfs, it’s one of the most efficient PvE primaries.
• Trinity Ghoul (Combat Bow, Arc): Arc chain-lightning makes this THE ad-clear bow. Kills feed into ability-based Arc builds, making it a must-have for PvE.
• Wish-Ender (Combat Bow, Kinetic): Anti-Barrier capabilities and multi-target piercing make it indispensable for Grandmaster Nightfalls.
• Malfeasance (Hand Cannon, Kinetic): Stacks explosive slugs, making it one of the highest burst-damage primary weapons. Amazing in Gambit and against Taken enemies.
• Outbreak Perfected (Pulse Rifle, Kinetic): Nanite swarms scale its damage, turning it into a top-tier ad-clear and sustained DPS weapon. Excellent for raids and dungeons.
• Ace of Spades (Hand Cannon, Kinetic): Memento Mori makes it the best dueling hand cannon in PvP, and the explosive precision kills make it solid for PvE.
• Thorn (Hand Cannon, Kinetic): Damage-over-time effect and Remnants allow it to snowball fights, making it great for dueling and aggressive playstyles.
• Hawkmoon (Hand Cannon, Kinetic): Paracausal Charge lets it two-tap enemies, making it one of the most rewarding skill-based weapons in PvP.

The best Primary Exotic weapons offer either strong AoE, high burst damage, or game-changing perks that enhance ability uptime, team synergy, or raw power. Many also synergize with subclass perks, making them superior to any Legendary Primary weapon.

Special Exotic Weapons

Special Exotics are powerful single-shot or burst weapons that focus on utility, high burst damage, or unique effects that Legendary Special weapons can’t replicate.

S-Tier

Why Ergo Sum is Meta (S+ Tier)

• The best sword in the game: Every roll can have a unique Exotic perk.
• Customizable playstyle: Can be built for raw damage (DPS) or utility support.
• Top-tier boss phase weapon: Best-in-slot for boss DPS phases, especially with the right rolls.
• Replaces The Lament: Fully overtakes The Lament in the DPS meta.

Why These S-Tier Special Weapons Stand Out

• Witherhoard (Grenade Launcher, Kinetic): Fire-and-forget DoT damage makes it essential for high-end PvE. Dominates raid bosses and Grandmasters.
• Forerunner (Sidearm, Kinetic): High-precision burst damage with Halo nostalgia. One of the best PvP weapons, also great for dealing with high-priority PvE targets.
• Conditional Finality (Shotgun, Stasis): Freezes enemies with Stasis pellets or ignites them with Solar pellets, making it a top-tier PvP and PvE weapon.
• Izanagi’s Burden (Sniper Rifle, Kinetic): The best sniper for boss DPS. Combining shots into one high-damage shot makes it a raid staple.
• The Navigator (Trace Rifle, Strand): Provides Woven Mail support and is essential for Strand builds. High-end teams rely on it for damage resistance buffs.
• Still Hunt (Sniper Rifle, Solar): Allows Hunter Celestial Nighthawk builds to break DPS charts. Incredible swap-rotation potential.
• Euphony (Linear Fusion Rifle, Strand): Deals insane damage and spawns Threadlings. Synergizes perfectly with Strand Warlocks.
• The Chaperone (Shotgun, Kinetic): One of the highest one-shot kill distances in PvP. Rewarding precision-based gameplay makes it a Crucible favorite.

The best Special Exotics provide elite burst damage, ad-clear dominance, or unmatched support capabilities. Many of them have intrinsic Champion counters, making them essential for endgame PvE.

Heavy Exotic Weapons

Heavy Exotics are game-changers for boss fights, raids, and high-end PvE. The best ones are either meta DPS picks or provide unique utility. Some Heavy Exotics excel at dealing with high-health enemies, such as Leviathan’s Breath for Champions or Microcosm for Major enemies.

S-Tier

Why Gjallarhorn is Meta (S+ Tier)

• Best Exotic Rocket Launcher for team play: Buffs all non-exotic rockets.
• Wolfpack Rounds: Allows all Rocket Launchers to deal more damage.
• Essential for coordinated DPS phases: No team running rockets should go without it.

Why Tractor Cannon is Meta (S+ Tier)

• Strongest debuff weapon: The easiest and most effective way to weaken enemies.
• 30% debuff: Significantly boosts team DPS during damage phases.
• Must-have for high-end content: Essential for Grandmasters, dungeons, and challenging encounters.

Why These S-Tier Heavy Weapons Stand Out

• Whisper of the Worm (Sniper Rifle, Solar): Unrivaled sustained DPS, provided you hit precision shots.
• Dragon’s Breath (Rocket Launcher, Solar): Highest burst DPS Rocket Launcher. Pairs perfectly with Solar subclasses.
• Microcosm (Trace Rifle, Kinetic): Best Trace Rifle for ad-clear and major-killing. Easy to use, high damage output.

The best Heavy Exotics provide either top-tier burst damage (Rocket Launchers, Grenade Launchers, Swords) or support team DPS (Tractor Cannon, Gjallarhorn). Weapons like Whisper of the Worm and Dragon’s Breath dominate for raw damage, while Gjallarhorn and Tractor Cannon define team-based play.

How to Get Exotic Weapons in Destiny 2

Exotics are powerful weapons with unique perks. Here’s how to obtain them:

• Exotic Engrams (Random Drops): Drop from enemies, activities, or vendors. Higher drop chances in Nightfalls, Raids, and Legend/Master Lost Sectors.
• Exotic Quests: Some of the best Exotics require long questlines (e.g., Wish-Ender, Final Warning).
• Monument to Lost Lights (Exotic Kiosk): Buy vaulted Exotics using Exotic Ciphers, Ascendant Shards, and Glimmer. Includes weapons like Izanagi’s Burden and Outbreak Perfected.
• Xûr (Weekend Vendor): Appears every Friday-Tuesday, sells one Exotic weapon & an Engram. You can find the latest weekly details on Xur's permanent location and his new items in our guide: Destiny: Xur Location, Items for Sale.
• Season Pass Rewards: Every season includes one new Exotic, plus Exotic Engrams in reward tiers.
• Vendor Rank Resets: Resetting Zavala, Shaxx, Drifter, or Banshee-44 grants Exotic Engrams.
• Nightfalls & Grandmaster Nightfalls: Best method for high-drop-rate Exotic Engrams and Nightfall-exclusive Exotics.
• Raid & Dungeon Exclusives: Some of the strongest Exotics drop only in Raids/Dungeons (e.g., Euphony, Buried Bloodline).

Upgrading Exotics: Catalysts

• Catalysts boost perks, damage, or add mechanics (e.g., Thorn, Ace of Spades).
• Some drop randomly, others require completing activities.

Conclusion

Destiny 2 Exotics weapons define the game’s meta, offering unparalleled perks and unique mechanics that set them apart from Legendaries. With frequent balance updates and new Exotics introduced each season, staying informed on the best weapons in the game is key to maintaining an optimal loadout.

As The Final Shape unfolds and future patches arrive, the meta will continue to shift, so be sure to check back for regular updates on the most effective Exotics.If you’re looking to maximize your Destiny 2 experience, Destiny 2 Boost Services can help you conquer the toughest content without the grind.

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Change Log

• 06.03.2025 - Destiny 2 Exotics: Tier List published.