Destiny 2's Season of Arrivals is in full swing and players are certainly finding their favorite weapon loadouts. Here are the best weapon types to bring into PvE activities in season 11.
What weapons stand out in a given season definitely depends on balance changes and new loot added to the pool. However, since the introduction of artifact and seasonal mods, certain weapons have risen above the rest.
S tier
Swords finally made a comeback with Season of the Worthy's buffs and they are just as good, if not better, now. Season of Arrivals essentially saw the return of two fan-favorite exotic Destiny swords, but in legendary form. Temptation's Hook and Falling Guillotine operate the same as their counterparts all the way from The Taken King.
Falling Guillotine in particular is a top tier weapon right now since its special attack can burst out incredible damage in 1-2 seconds. The Sword Scavenger mod (which increases sword ammo) is also available in the artifact, like last season, and the Lucent Blade mod (which boosts sword damage) can be acquired from the Prismatic Recaster.
Grenade launchers have been a great choice for many seasons. Anarchy and Mountaintop are go-to weapons right now but with Destiny 2: Beyond Light, the latter will be sunset and the former may go away for a while before a new path to acquire it is implemented. Thus, Witherhoard has become a substitute for Anarchy as a damage-over-time weapon. And Truthteller has risen in popularity as the next best special ammo grenade launcher. Interference VI from last season is still competitive and easy to acquire and offers rare perks such as Clown Cartridge (boosts magazine size) and Full Court (increases damage over long distances).
A tier
Season of the Worthy made auto rifles very potent and they continue to be a strong, well-rounded option. Gnawing Hunger and False Promises are the highlights from this season. Gnawing Hunger comes almost exclusively with damage traits, which are the best type of trait for PvE activities, generally speaking. False Promises has unique utility perks that were introduced with Season of Arrivals and can be a great pick to revitalize a loadout.
For more aggressive and fast-paced playstyles, sidearms and submachine guns are good choices. Sidearms in particular have deceptively good range and are some of the highest damage-dealing primary weapons. They accept overload mods this season as well. Lonesome (sidearm) and Death Adder (SMG) got reintroduced this season, which means they will not be sunset in the near future. And the latter can even be a substitute for the excellent but soon to be outdated Recluse.
B tier
A year ago the best shotgun perks such as Trench Barrel and One-Two Punch were rare but nowadays they are available on so many more shotguns. With close range primary weapons being competitive, shotguns can slot easily into many loadouts. Slug shotguns in particular got a massive 30% damage buff this season which makes them viable at dealing with tanky enemies. Chaperone in particular is surprisingly good at chaining kills and burst damage.
C Tier
Pulse rifles deserve a shout-out here since they are the first weapon type that can deal with champions without having a champion mod on the weapon itself. The "Unstoppable Pulse Rifle" artifact mod goes on the arms slot and grants any pulse rifle the player is holding Unstoppable bullets. This means the rifle's mod slot isn't occupied by a champion mod, and exotic pulses can be used to deal with Unstoppable Champions. Outbreak Perfected is a standout due to the nanites it produces because the nanites themselves can stagger an enemy if the player is simply aimed down sights.
Hand cannons have traditionally been a safe pick, they are the bread and butter of Destiny. In almost all of year 3's seasons hand cannons were given not one but two champion mods and they are great in high-risk high reward situations since they deal damage in chunks.
Honorable mentions
Any weapon type not listed above isn't necessarily bad but they don't generally stand out over any other. However, some weapon types will always be good in niche situations since they fulfill a role no other can. Snipers, for example, were nerfed this year but they're still the obvious choice in encounters where the boss is very far away or keeping a distance is crucial to a fight. Machine guns on the other hand are preferable to other heavy weapons at the start of every season when rank-and-file enemies are harder to kill. Lastly, rocket launchers are worth mentioning since they may someday return to player inventories thanks to the Argent Ordnance seasonal mod, which greatly increases rocket launcher damage.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.