The next exotic weapon quest for Destiny 2 arrived this week and while it is significantly more complicated than the Leviathan’s Breath quest, many have already got their hands on the Xenophage exotic heavy machine gun. But because there is a lot more effort involved in getting Xenophage, Destiny 2 players might be wondering whether the exotic heavy machine gun is worth the commitment. More specifically, since the quest involves the new Pit of Heresy dungeon, is Xenophage worth getting a fireteam together for a few hours?
On paper, Xenophage’s perks sound like they could make it a top tier DPS option. Although the Destiny 2 weapon can hold a limited amount of bullets compared to normal heavy machine guns, each of those bullets is supposed to pack a wallop. Thanks to the gun’s Pyrotoxin Rounds, the Xenophage fires high-powered explosive ammunition.
Is Xenophage Good in PvE?
However, because the Xenophage exotic heavy machine gun fires explosive rounds it does not deal precision damage on PvE targets. As a result, Xenophage loses a lot of potential damage when it comes to single target DPS. Compared to the Leviathan’s Breath, another power weapon that didn’t put a heavy emphasis on precision hits, Xenophage trails well behind.
Limited ammo and an inability to land precision hits make Xenophage a really disappointing exotic for PvE when it comes to boss damage. But, when it comes to clearing out enemies it can handle groups easily. Even majors will fall in one or two bullets because of how strong the Pyrotoxin Rounds are. However, plenty of other heavy machine guns, like 21% Delirium from Gambit for example, are capable of clearing grunts and they have a lot more ammo.
Strictly focusing on PvE, Xenophage cannot compete with some of the other popular choices when it comes to either single target DPS or general add clear. Destiny 2 players would be better served sacrificing their exotic weapon slot on something like Izanagi’s Burden if they want to deal a ton of damage.
Is Xenophage Good in Crucible?
For PvP, Xenophage doesn’t fare much better. Picking up power ammo off of a Crucible spawn only grants three shots, but it takes two shots to kill a Guardian. If the exotic heavy weapon was a one shot kill that limited ammo might make sense, but 3 shots is only capable of killing 1 and a half Guardians.
Interestingly, if players equip heavy machine gun ammo finder perks and pick up a power ammo brick from a fallen Guardian they will gain more ammo. It’s a weird discrepancy but such a small use case that it’s hardly worth changing one’s opinion on Xenophage. Compared to last week’s Leviathan’s Breath, which could kill any target, even Destiny 2 players in their Super, with a single shot, Xenophage lags well behind.
If a power ammo brick gave something like 6 shots and each of those shots could kill a Guardian in one bullet then Xenophage might be a worthwhile PvP exotic. But with the miniscule ammo allotment and disappointing damage, no one should take it into Crucible.
Xenophage is a Disappointment
While some Destiny 2 players are calling the Xenophage heavy machine gun one of the worst Destiny 2 exotics of all time, the verdict is still out on that claim. The gun is no doubt disappointing, but feedback from the community could help Bungie make it more viable. If the damage was higher and the exotic could land precision shots then maybe it could compete. Right now, though, it’s a cool looking weapon that isn’t very useful.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.