As a looter shooter, a large portion of Destiny 2 is focused on farming weapons, with many players working to flesh out their exotic weapon collection. Each weapon brings a special perk to the table, making them desirable for different situations. While some exotic weapons in Destiny 2 do outshine others on a regular basis, for the most part, they each are unique enough to be picked up by players based on their playstyle. Generally, the only exceptions to this rule are exotic weapons that have intrinsic Champion Mods.

The Champion Mods in Destiny 2 make up a significant portion of the endgame meta. They often help to decide which weapons will be the most useful from season to season, with certain guns that have mods built-in performing better than those without. This means weapons like Eriana’s Vow, which has the Anti-Barrier Champion Mod as part of its basic kit, will see more action regularly than other exotic weapons like Hawkmoon or Skyburner’s Oath. While it might be cool to have a few specific exotic weapons with Champion Mods, it’s fair to say the PvE meta could benefit if all exotic weapons were reworked to have one of the three perks intrinsically.

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Exotic Weapons with Champion Mods

Destiny 2 Eriana's Vow Bound by Oath Ornament

There’s already a precedent for some exotic weapons being reworked and receiving Champion Mods. Arbalest was singled out for having a rather low usage rate compared to other exotic weapons in Destiny 2, despite it being a potentially useful option and will have a rework coming out with the 30 Anniversary update. As part of the changes being made to Arbalest, the weapon will be given the Anti-Barrier Champion Mod much like Eriana’s Vow has. This will likely make the weapon much more desirable, especially since Arbalest is also one of the only secondary linear fusion rifles in Destiny 2.

This same approach could help a lot of other weapons perform even better as well. While some of Arbalest’s upcoming usefulness will come from Destiny 2’s seasonal mods for the Season of the Lost the rework is still something that should be considered for every exotic weapon in the game. The weapons themselves are powerful, but they can often feel limited when going into endgame content. The need to have the perks Anti-Barrier, Overload, or Unstoppable ready can force some players to implement weapons that don’t compliment the builds they want to use.

Adding intrinsic Champion Mods to every exotic weapon could change this and offer players a lot more flexibility. Mods have already made otherwise obscure weapons completely viable in the past. One Thousand Voices packs a lot of power as a heavy fusion rifle, but the seasonal mod that grants fusion rifles Unstoppable, along with Particle Deconstruction in Season of the Lost, has finally given fusion rifles their due. While keeping the benefits of Particle Deconstruction would completely alter how the game is played, adding Champion Mods to all exotic weapons could help make the player experience more enjoyable.

It would open up new avenues to endgame builds and give players a lot more choice. In a game like Destiny 2, being able to think through builds and decide what gear a Guardian has farmed for is best can be the difference between what’s enjoyable or a chore. While the Vex Mythoclast’s super low drop rate is a hindrance right now, if an exotic fusion rifle like Merciless had the Overload Champion Mod as an intrinsic perk, it might not feel like as much of a requirement to have.

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The Benefits of Champion Mods on Exotic Weapons

From left to right a Hunter, Warlock, and Titan from Destiny 2 in the Thorn-themed armor from the Bunge 30 Anniversary DLC. The Warlock(center) is holding a Gjallarhorn exotic rocket launcher.

Even though the idea of Champion Mods being added to every exotic weapon would primarily benefit players that want to do the Grandmaster Nightfall strike for any given week, it could also be a great way to start introducing New Lights to the concept of Champion Mods. Right now, it can be confusing to try and start Destiny 2 and work towards its more difficult activities. Much of the game can be played without any Champion Mods equipped, and as a result, newer players can go a long time without ever needing them or learning about how to use them.

Introducing Champion Mods through exotic weapons would not only help the weapons themselves stand out, but also give New Light players a visual key to how important they become. If a new player gets an exotic to drop and sees that it has that intrinsic Champion Mod, despite never doing an activity where it’s necessary, they’d probably begin to seek answers. Looking for support from the community or online could lead to them picking up on some of the endgame mechanics that Destiny 2 uses and prepare them for activities like raids and Nightfall strikes.

This could only help to grow the game’s community and would likely be as beneficial as adding matchmaking to all activities in Destiny 2. The mods themselves are necessary for endgame content and keeping them on only a select few feels disruptive. If they’re more accessible and available some content would get easier, but the enjoyment that many players get out of Destiny 2 would also increase. A good way to look at it is probably through the effects mods have had in Season of the Lost.

Season of the Lost has pushed fusion rifles into the meta but its choices, or lack thereof, for Overload Champions has also highlighted why adding intrinsic champion mods would be beneficial. The enemies are notorious, and Destiny 2 fans want Overload Champion nerfs already. While the mechanics behind the champions would likely still feel unfair to some if they had a wider range of options, Overload Champions might not feel as problematic.

It would still be difficult to have multiple Champions spawn as a fireteam clears one room like they can in versions of the Hollowed Lair strike, but it would feel more balanced in the end. This should also be what ultimately motivates changes like this. Difficult content isn’t bad, and some of the best experiences in Destiny 2 come from the struggles of solving a complicated jump puzzle or having to strategize around certain bosses, but Champions often pose as disruptive obstacles. Each exotic weapon having an intrinsic Champion Mod could change this, and also encourage more players to take on the most difficult activities that Destiny 2 has to offer.

Destiny 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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