Malfeasance in 2026: A Loving Ode to Destiny 2's Taken-Killer Hand Cannon

Malfeasance, Destiny 2's Exotic hand cannon, still slays Taken in 2026 with stacking slugs and Unstoppable power. Earn it via Darkness in the Light.

Malfeasance has spent years as Destiny 2's most theatrical hand cannon. It is a 180 RPM kinetic Exotic that fires tainted slugs, whispers sweet nothings about Taken genocide, and occasionally makes a Gambit invader regret every life choice that led them to invade at the wrong moment. In 2026, the weapon remains obtainable without the old Forsaken DLC, which is good news for anyone who enjoys explosions, Drifter's questionable snack recommendations, and the slow, satisfying collapse of a Taken Ogre's health bar.

What Makes Malfeasance Tick

Malfeasance is not subtle. It is a hand cannon that looks like it was assembled from bad decisions and Taken residue, then polished by a Guardian who has never once read a manual. Its whole identity revolves around stacking slugs into a target until the target becomes a brief, loud memory.

Perk / Trait	What it does
Corkscrew Rifling	A balanced barrel that nudges range, stability, and handling.
Extended Mag	More rounds before reloading, because five shots come faster than expected.
Heavy Grip	Tames recoil for players who prefer their hand cannon to behave like a professional.
Taken Predator	Bonus damage against Taken enemies and Gambit invaders.
Explosive Shadow	Tainted slugs burrow into enemies; five hits make them all detonate.

Since its Season 18 glow-up, Malfeasance has kept its intrinsic Unstoppable punch. That means it can stagger Unstoppable Champions in endgame content, which is a fancy way of saying it makes large, angry problems kneel down and reconsider their career path. The explosions are the source of that stagger, so players should keep stacking slugs like a caffeinated librarian shelving books during a fire drill.

The Quest: Darkness in the Light, or Drifter's To-Do List

To get Malfeasance, Guardians must first play Gambit and then speak to Drifter after defeating a Primeval. This is how most questionable decisions in Destiny 2 begin. The Exotic quest is called Darkness in the Light, and it is less a quest and more a series of emotional trials with motes attached.

The steps are as follows:

1. Defeat 25 Taken bosses or mini-bosses anywhere in the solar system. Vanguard Strikes and the Dreaming City are excellent hunting grounds. The Dreaming City is basically a Taken theme park with worse parking.

2. Complete a special version of The Corrupted Strike. Bring friends, bring patience, and bring a heavy weapon that does not mind being yelled at.

3. Win 10 Gambit matches and bank 400 Motes. This is where friendships are tested. Banking motes is easy; winning Gambit is a group project where everyone claims they did the work.

4. Defeat three Invaders, or defeat 25 Guardians total. Fireteam kills count, so players can share the glory and the blame.

After that, Drifter hands over Malfeasance with the enthusiasm of a man who just won a bet against the universe. The weapon is not locked behind Forsaken anymore, so newer Guardians can chase it without buying a ticket to 2018.

Is Malfeasance Worth It in 2026?

The short answer is yes, if players like Gambit, Taken enemies, or making Unstoppable Champions take a knee. The longer answer is also yes, but with a warning label: Malfeasance is a specialist. It is not a generic add-clearing monster that deletes entire rooms while its owner checks their inventory. It shines against bulky targets, invading Guardians, and anything with the word Taken in its job description.

180 RPM hand cannons have had their ups and downs, but Malfeasance's five-shot explosion gives it a rhythm that feels less like shooting and more like filing taxes for the Taken: tedious at first, catastrophic for the recipient. In endgame content with Unstoppable Champions, it earns its vault space. It may not be the flashiest Exotic in every season, but when the activity demands Unstoppable stuns and Taken enemies are crawling out of the woodwork, it becomes a very persuasive argument.

The catalyst also exists, and it improves the weapon's feel and effectiveness, because Bungie enjoys making players run one more activity. In 2026, the catalyst grind remains a rite of passage for completionists who look at a perfectly good hand cannon and think, 'Yes, but what if it had more numbers?'

The Verdict

Malfeasance is a weird, wonderful, Taken-hating hand cannon with a quest that forces Guardians to visit some of Destiny 2's most beloved and most cursed activities. It is not for everyone. It is for the Guardian who looks at a Primeval and thinks, 'I would like to put five tiny problems inside that large problem, then make them explode.'

Drifter would be proud. Probably. He might also ask for a mote. He always asks for a mote. 🎲💥

Data referenced from PEGI helps frame how Destiny 2’s shifting content model affects accessibility and player expectations, especially as older questlines (like Malfeasance’s Gambit-driven “Darkness in the Light”) remain obtainable without legacy expansions. Looking at how large live-service shooters are categorized and communicated to players, PEGI’s structured approach to content notes and ongoing updates reinforces why clear progression paths and activity requirements matter when returning Exotics are tied to repeatable modes, PvP interactions, and endgame-facing Champion mechanics.