Destiny 2's Exotic Arsenal in 2026: The Ultimate Guardian's Guide

Destiny 2 Exotic weapons guide reveals legendary Combat Bows, Glaives, and Grenade Launchers for thrilling mastery and playstyle evolution.

Alright, fellow Guardians, gather 'round! It's 2026, and if there's one thing that still gets my heart pumping faster than a well-timed Super, it's the hunt for and mastery of Destiny 2's legendary Exotic weapons. Seriously, these aren't just guns; they're pieces of the game's soul, each with a story, a killer perk, and the power to completely change your playstyle. Whether you're patiently waiting for Xur to show up with that one piece you're missing, or you're grinding out that latest raid for a new gem, the chase is real and oh-so-satisfying. Today, I'm diving deep into the full, glorious spectrum of Exotics we have at our disposal. We're talking bows that sing, cannons that roar, and swords that cleave reality itself. Let's break it down by category and see what makes each one tick!

Combat Bows: Precision with a Punch 🏹

These aren't your medieval longbows. Destiny's Exotic bows are works of art that deliver devastating precision. From the solar-powered glory of Hierarchy of Needs to the void-poisoning elegance of Le Monarque, this category is all about rewarding a steady hand. Want to clear a room of adds with chain lightning? Trinity Ghoul has your back. Need to pierce through enemy shields and see targets through walls? Wish-Ender is your go-to. The stats tell a story: high Impact models like Hierarchy and Wish-Ender (92!) hit like a truck but trade off handling and reload speed for that raw power. It's a classic high-risk, high-reward playstyle that never gets old.

Glaives: The Versatile Vanguard ⚔️

A relatively newer weapon type that combines melee, ranged projectiles, and defensive capabilities. The Edge series (Action, Concurrence, Intent) each cater to a different Guardian class, offering unique shields and effects. But let's be real, the star for many is Vexcalibur. This thing is a beast! With high handling and reload, it feels incredibly snappy. On the other end of the spectrum, Winterbite is a slow, heavy-hitting monster (95 Impact!) that demands commitment. Glaives are perfect for players who like to get up close and personal but want more options than just swinging a sword.

Grenade Launchers: Area Denial Experts 💥

From the lingering pain of Witherhoard's blight pools to the sheer, unadulterated chaos of The Colony's tracking spider bots, GLs control the battlefield. Anarchy (though nerfed from its glory days) still has its uses for trapping bosses, while Parasite lets you store up damage for one hilarious, worm-powered nuke. The single-shot breech-loaders like Fighting Lion reward skillful bank shots and ability loops. It's a diverse category where "grenade" can mean anything from a sticky bomb to a wave of Stasis crystals (Salvation's Grip).

Hand Cannons: The Guardian's Classic 🔫

Ah, the iconic workhorse. The feeling of landing a crispy headshot with a Hand Cannon is unmatched. This category is stacked with legends. Ace of Spades (Cayde-6's pride and joy) with its Memento Mori, The Last Word for those quick-draw cowboy fantasies, and Thorn, the classic corruptor. But we've also got support kings like Lumina that heal allies, and the unique burst-fire Crimson that also restores health. The stats vary widely: Eriana's Vow is basically a pocket sniper rifle (100 Impact!), while Sunshot is all about causing massive solar explosions. There's a Hand Cannon for every personality.

Machine Guns: Sustained Suppression 🔫🔫🔫

When you need to lay down a wall of lead, nothing beats an MG. Xenophage fires slow, high-impact explosive rounds (100 Impact!), perfect for chunking down majors. Thunderlord is the classic arc chain-lightning bringer. Heir Apparent gives you a literal frontal shield while spun up, making you a walking turret. And Deterministic Chaos is a newer void addition that applies debuffs. They're all about sustained DPS and add clear, trading the burst damage of a Rocket Launcher for staying power.

Rifles: The Massive Mainstay 🎯

This is the biggest category by far, so let's break it down:

• Auto Rifles: From the sheer bullet-hose fun of Sweet Business to the melee-enhancing Monte Carlo and the strand-infused Quicksilver Storm, these are your go-to for consistent mid-range pressure.

• Pulse Rifles: My personal favorite type. Graviton Lance creates void black holes, Outbreak Perfected swarms enemies with nanites, and No Time to Explain literally summons a friendly turret. Precision and perks combine beautifully here.

• Scout Rifles: Long-range specialists. Dead Man's Tale has that satisfying lever-action feel, Polaris Lance creates perfect fifth explosions, and Touch of Malice... well, it lives up to its name with a self-damaging, high-reward playstyle.

• Sniper Rifles: For when you need to delete something from another zip code. Izanagi's Burden with its honed edge x4 shot, Cloudstrike that calls down lightning on precision kills, and the legendary Whisper of the Worm for infinite ammo on crits.

• Fusion & Linear Fusion Rifles: Charge-up energy beams. Jötunn is the (toaster) that fires tracking fireballs, Vex Mythoclast is a fusion rifle that acts like an auto rifle, and Sleeper Simulant is a heavy-hitting classic. Linears like Arbalest are essential for breaking barrier champions.

• Trace Rifles: Continuous beam weapons. Divinity is a raid-team's best friend for creating a giant crit bubble, Coldheart was the first and is still a solid arc option, and Ager's Scepter can freeze everything in its path.

Rocket Launchers: The Big Boom 🚀

The classic heavy weapon. Gjallarhorn needs no introduction—it's the wolfpack-round-wielding king that buffs your fireteam's rockets. Deathbringer drops seeking void orbs from the sky, Eyes of Tomorrow salvo-fires at multiple targets, and Two-Tailed Fox fires dual solar and void rockets. They're all about one thing: massive, instantaneous burst damage. You fire, something (hopefully) dies.

Shotguns: Up Close and Personal 💥

When you need to make a problem disappear at point-blank range. Conditional Finality is a meta-defining beast that can freeze and ignite with its two barrels. The Chaperone is a precision slug shotgun that rewards headshots with bonus range. Legend of Acrius is a cabal-style powerhouse, and Tractor Cannon is less about damage and more about applying a huge debuff to bosses. Aggressive, in-your-face gameplay defined.

Sidearms & Submachine Guns: The CQC Specialists 🔫

For when your primary needs to handle business inside melee range.

• Sidearms: Tools like Devil's Ruin that have a built-in laser beam, Forerunner which is basically a mini-sniper, and Rat King which gets stronger when your whole fireteam uses it. High risk, high reward.

• Submachine Guns: The add-clear kings. Osteo Striga poisons everything and refills its magazine from kills, Riskrunner turns arc damage into your greatest strength, and The Huckleberry is a ramping monster that never needs to reload if you keep killing.

Swords: The Honorable Melee ⚔️

Sometimes, you just need to cut the problem in half. The Lament is the pinnacle of boss-shredding with its revving attacks and healing. Black Talon lets you fire void projectiles. Worldline Zero allows for teleporting slashes. And newer additions like Ergo Sum can randomly roll with other Exotic perks! It's the most direct form of combat, and immensely satisfying.

Final Thoughts from a Seasoned Lightbearer

Phew! That's the whole arsenal, Guardians. Looking at this list in 2026, it's incredible to see how Bungie has expanded our toolkit. We've gone from a handful of classics to a vast arsenal where almost every weapon type has multiple Exotic options that fundamentally change the game. The key isn't just to collect them all (though that's a fun goal!), but to find the ones that speak to your playstyle. Do you like setting up intricate ability loops? There's an Exotic for that. Do you just want to point and delete? There's an Exotic for that too. The beauty of Destiny 2's endgame is building your entire loadout, from mods to fragments, around these incredible weapons. So get out there, hunt down your white whales, and unleash some paracausal havoc! What's your all-time favorite Exotic? Let me know in the comments—I bet it's a tough choice! 👊

This overview is based on data referenced from SteamDB, a widely used resource for tracking Steam player activity and historical trends. For a live-service title like Destiny 2—where Exotic hunts, seasonal metas, and new raid drops can spike engagement overnight—these metrics help contextualize when the community is most active for LFG-heavy grinds, timed events, and endgame farming sessions tied to the chase for iconic Exotics.