Destiny 2 Best Exotic Weapons 2026: Complete Ranking

TL;DR

• Monument of Triumph is Destiny 2’s final sandbox — this ranking is permanent.
• Three new Exotics were added: Fafnir (Void Linear Fusion), The Turncoat (Void Hand Cannon), and Cull’s Shadow (Poison Fusion Rifle).
• Every Exotic now has a catalyst — 25 new ones added, 9 existing ones reworked with real perks.
• Exotic primaries deal 40% more damage versus minor enemies. Bows deal 20% more versus minors, 40% versus majors.
• Anti-Champion is now intrinsic per weapon frame — no more seasonal artifact dependency.
• Notable reworks and buffs: Vex Mythoclast (PvP S-Tier), The Lament (70% nerf reverted), Anarchy (50% longer traps, 30% more damage), Truth (full rework).
• S-Tier PvE: Fafnir, Witherhoard, Trinity Ghoul, Gjallarhorn, Microcosm, Whisper of the Worm, Buried Bloodline.
• S-Tier PvP: Ace of Spades, The Chaperone, Conditional Finality, Le Monarque, Vex Mythoclast, Cloudstrike.
• Rocket Pulse Rifles dropped significantly — remove them from endgame loadouts.

The Destiny 2 best Exotic weapons 2026 ranking covers every viable Exotic in the final state of the game following Monument of Triumph, Update 9.7.0 (June 9, 2026). Since this is Destiny 2’s last live-service update, the sandbox will receive no further balance changes — the weapons ranked here are permanently ranked. This guide covers all three ammo slots across both PvE and PvP with individual breakdowns of every S-Tier and A-Tier pick, explains what changed with the new Exotic additions and sandbox overhaul, and tells you exactly how to acquire each weapon. Get Destiny 2 free on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, or the Bungie website.

What Changed for Exotic Weapons in Monument of Triumph?

Before the rankings, here are the changes that directly affect which Exotics you should be running:

• Three new Exotic weapons: Fafnir (Void Linear Fusion Rifle from Tenet of Bravery), The Turncoat (Void Hand Cannon from Triumphant Rewards Pass), and Cull’s Shadow (Poison Fusion Rifle from the Oblation Bloodline mission chain).
• Every Exotic now has a catalyst. 25 new catalysts added, 9 old stat-only catalysts reworked with actual perks. Notable new catalysts include Jade Rabbit gaining improved handling perks, Crimson gaining To the Pain, and Merciless gaining Heal Clip. This meaningfully improved many previously niche Exotics.
• Exotic primaries deal 40% more damage versus minor enemies. All primaries deal 30% more. Bows deal 20% more versus minors and 40% more versus majors. Forgotten Exotic primaries like Graviton Lance, Sunshot, and Trinity Ghoul are dramatically stronger in general PvE than before this update.
• Anti-Champion is intrinsic per weapon frame. No more seasonal Artifact mod dependency. Every weapon archetype now innately counters a Champion type, freeing your loadout from Champion-driven weapon choices.
• Major Exotic reworks and buffs: Vex Mythoclast now fires at 400 RPM with ignitions on LFR precision kills and an improved catalyst with near-unlimited Rewind Rounds — a massive PvP buff. The Lament had approximately 70% of its previous nerf reverted. Anarchy received 50% longer trap lifetime and 30% increased trap damage. Truth was fully reworked — landing all rounds in a magazine now buffs the next with dramatically increased rate of fire, tracking strength, and cluster bombs. Divinity’s Penance activation window was tightened.
• Rocket Pulse Rifles nerfed hard. Damage, blast radius, and Super generation all reduced. Drop them from endgame loadouts.
• Radiant and Volatile Rounds no longer stun Barrier Champions — they now apply a 10% damage bonus against Champions instead. Use them as damage amplifiers, not Champion counters.

New Exotic Weapons in Monument of Triumph

Fafnir (Void Linear Fusion Rifle — Tenet of Bravery)

Fafnir is the best new Exotic weapon from Monument of Triumph and one of the best Heavy weapons in the entire game in 2026. It is a Void Linear Fusion Rifle purchased directly from the Tenet of Bravery vendor in the Tower Courtyard for Legendary Marks — no RNG, no quest chain, just buy it once you have the Marks.

Its Exotic perk Subatomic Distortion fires compressed quantum particles that decompress inside the target after a short delay, lacerating them. The Quantum Nova alternate action consumes reserves to over-pressurise the weapon, causing it to dramatically Weaken targets for a duration that scales with ammo consumed. Weaken reduces enemy damage output and increases damage they take from all sources — it is the most universally valuable debuff in endgame PvE. No other Exotic Heavy weapon brings Weaken this reliably in a damage phase.

The No Distractions perk reduces flinch while aiming after a short period, which matters for a linear fusion where sustained precision is required. Its catalyst adds enhanced precision targeting. In any endgame fireteam where applying Weaken to a boss significantly increases total team damage, Fafnir is the Heavy slot recommendation above all other options. See the Fafnir guide for full acquisition and build details. Tier: S — PvE, A — PvP.

The Turncoat (Void Hand Cannon — Triumphant Rewards Pass)

The Turncoat is a Void Exotic Hand Cannon available at Level 1 on the paid Triumphant Rewards Pass or Level 35 on the free track. It is a primary weapon that builds Latent Power stacks through precision hits and kills. Holding Reload enters Empowered Mode, which increases rate of fire, hip-fire accuracy, and causes every shot to Weaken targets. Power Surge causes rapid hits to charge your next shot into an explosive round that deals additional damage. The Void Mastery catalyst — unlocked at Level 70 on the free track — grants a Void Overshield when empowerment ends, its strength scaling with how long you stayed empowered.

The Turncoat is genuinely fun to use and its Weaken application makes it a strong primary for Void builds. It pairs naturally with the Phantom Surge Hunter build that uses Weaken to trigger bonus melee damage. The downside is the self-damage mechanic during Overwhelming Power — staying empowered too long damages you over time. Manage that risk and The Turncoat is a top-tier primary. See the full Turncoat Exotic guide and Turncoat Catalyst guide for how to upgrade it. Tier: A — PvE, B — PvP.

Cull’s Shadow (Poison Fusion Rifle — Oblation Bloodline Mission)

Cull’s Shadow is the hardest of the three new Exotics to obtain — it requires completing the secret Oblation Bloodline Exotic mission chain. It is a Fusion Rifle dealing Poison damage, a type that saw limited use before Monument of Triumph but benefits significantly from the sandbox overhaul. Its bolts apply Poison stacks on hit, and targets near a Poisoned enemy take splash Poison damage. Multiple nearby targets sharing Poison amplify the total damage significantly. The Oblation questline unlocks four separate Catalysts: Succor (partial reload and more Soulfire charges), Soulfire Crystals (extra damage and explosions), Potent Corruption (enhanced Poison spreading), and a healing catalyst for sustained survivability. See the Cull’s Shadow guide and all Cull’s Shadow catalysts guide for the full acquisition path. Tier: A — PvE (dense encounters), B — PvP, B — solo endgame.

Best Exotic Primary Weapons in Destiny 2 PvE 2026

S-Tier Exotic Primaries

Trinity Ghoul (Arc Bow — Exotic Engram / Kiosk): The best Arc add-clear Exotic in the game. Its Lightning Rod perk triggers on any Arc kill near a Lightning Rod-affected target, chaining Arc lightning across entire groups. With the Monument of Triumph bow buff — 20% more damage versus minors, 40% versus majors — Trinity Ghoul’s chain kills clear entire rooms faster than almost any other primary in the game. Its catalyst further extends the Lightning Rod chain and is mandatory to obtain before using the weapon in endgame content. Free to acquire from the Exotic Kiosk. How to get: Exotic Kiosk or Exotic Engrams.

Graviton Lance (Void Pulse Rifle — Exotic Kiosk): Received a meaningful catalyst overhaul in Monument of Triumph. Cosmology now creates Black Holes that chain-explode and pull nearby enemies into the detonation. The Void damage type synergises with Nightstalker, Volatile Rounds, and Weaken debuffs. With the 30–40% primary damage buff to minors, Graviton Lance’s chain explosions one-shot standard enemies in most endgame content and apply consistent Volatile spreading when your subclass supports it. The catalyst adds Vorpal Weapon for bonus damage against bosses and Champions. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Khvostov 7G-0X (Kinetic Auto Rifle — Exotic Quest): Completely reworked perk in Monument of Triumph. Every seventh shot deals bonus damage and returns bullets to the magazine. Kills with the seventh shot reset the counter and buff the next cycle. With the 30% primary damage buff, Khvostov 7G-0X’s seventh shot chains can one-shot red bars consistently and deal competitive DPS against elite enemies. No Exotic slot tax for armor since it is a weapon Exotic. Best Kinetic primary for builds that need elemental freedom in the Energy and Heavy slots. How to get: Exotic quest starting with Zavala in the Tower.

A-Tier Exotic Primaries

Sunshot (Solar Hand Cannon — Exotic Kiosk): Sun Blast causes Solar kills to explode and spread Scorch. The 40% primary damage buff versus minors pushes Sunshot back into genuine endgame viability for Solar builds. The tradeoff is using your Exotic weapon slot, which means no Exotic Heavy. For casual Solar builds and patrol farming it remains the zero-effort option. For serious endgame, Zaouli’s Bane from King’s Fall frees the Exotic slot for armor. How to get: Exotic Kiosk or Engrams.

Outbreak Perfected (Kinetic Pulse Rifle — Exotic Mission): Nanites swarm from precision kills and spread to nearby targets. Its catalyst returns Nanites to the magazine on precision kills, creating effectively unlimited precision ammo in sustained fire. Strong in any content where sustained mid-range precision fire is the primary kill method. How to get: Zero Hour Exotic mission, available through Pinnacle Ops rotation.

The Turncoat (Void Hand Cannon — Triumphant Rewards Pass): Detailed above in the new Exotics section. Best new Exotic primary for Void builds with consistent Weaken application. See the Phantom Surge Hunter build for the ideal build pairing.

Le Monarque (Void Bow — Exotic Kiosk): Precision shots with a fully drawn bow apply Poison to targets. Nearby enemies catch Poison on the death of a Poisoned target. With the Monument of Triumph bow buffs, Le Monarque’s Poison now spreads faster and deals more total damage than before. Best for Void builds where passive Poison spreading supplements your ability damage loop. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Dead Man’s Tale (Kinetic Scout Rifle — Exotic Kiosk): Hip-fire kills buff the damage and rate of fire of the next shot, stacking up to five times. The Monument of Triumph catalyst rework gave it Headstone, spawning a Stasis crystal on precision kills. Now viable in Stasis builds as a primary that feeds Headstone interactions while maintaining the aggressive hip-fire playstyle it was designed around. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Hawkmoon (Solar Hand Cannon — Exotic Kiosk): Paracausal Charge stacks on precision hits for massive crit damage on the charged shot. Remains a skill-expression weapon — very high ceiling, inconsistent floor. Best for experienced players who land every precision shot. Its Monument of Triumph catalyst adds Elemental Capacitor, giving variable handling and stability bonuses depending on your subclass. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

B-Tier Exotic Primaries

Ace of Spades (Kinetic Hand Cannon — Exotic Kiosk): Memento Mori loads high-damage bullets into the magazine on kills. Strong for burst windows in PvP and comfortable in PvE farming. Outclassed by Khvostov 7G-0X and Graviton Lance for primary DPS in serious PvE but remains excellent in PvP. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Jade Rabbit (Kinetic Scout Rifle — Exotic Kiosk): The Monument of Triumph reworked catalyst finally gives Jade Rabbit genuine viability. Chaining precision hits now builds a stackable damage bonus that transfers to the next magazine. Comfortable at extreme long range where most other primaries fall off. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Best Exotic Special Weapons in Destiny 2 PvE 2026

S-Tier Exotic Specials

Witherhoard (Kinetic Grenade Launcher — Exotic Kiosk): The most versatile Special weapon in Destiny 2 regardless of era. Blight pools deal persistent damage over time that continues while you swap weapons. This enables simultaneous Blight chip damage and Heavy weapon DPS rotations that significantly boost total boss damage output. Requires no DLC and is available free from the Exotic Kiosk. Its catalyst adds Silent Alarm for improved handling. Mandatory in most serious PvE loadouts. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Buried Bloodline (Void Sidearm — Warlord’s Ruin Dungeon): The best survivability Exotic in the Special slot. Devour — which heals you on every kill — activates when hitting Weakened targets. In Void builds where Weaken is consistently applied, Buried Bloodline keeps you alive indefinitely in endgame content without needing external healing sources. Its unique combination of Devour and Weaken application in a single weapon is unmatched. How to get: Warlord’s Ruin dungeon boss drop.

Conditional Finality (Solar/Stasis Shotgun — Root of Nightmares): Fires two shots — Stasis then Solar. The first Freezes, the second Ignites. The simultaneous Freeze and Ignite on Champions and major enemies deals massive burst damage and staggers almost everything in the game. The best close-range burst damage Exotic for the Special slot. Its Monument of Triumph catalyst adds Heal Clip, making it self-sustaining in hybrid PvE/PvP play. How to get: Root of Nightmares raid boss encounter drop.

Wish-Ender (Kinetic Bow — Exotic Quest): Pierces Barrier Champion shields and lets you see enemies through walls while fully drawn. The intrinsic Anti-Barrier stun now works without any Artifact mod dependency. Best long-range safe damage option for solo endgame content and dungeon encounters where repositioning between shots is critical. How to get: Wishing Wall wish and associated Exotic quest inside Last Wish. See the Wishing Wall guide for setup.

A-Tier Exotic Specials

Heirloom (Solar Crossbow — Equilibrium Dungeon): Destiny 2’s first Special-ammo Exotic crossbow, introduced in the Renegades expansion and further tuned in Monument of Triumph. Its Big Game Hunter perk charges the next bolt when you aim down sights — fully charged shots deal damage comparable to rocket launchers while using Special ammo and have an enlarged explosion radius. Bolt Thrower gives it intrinsic anti-Unstoppable capability. The catalyst (unlocked via The Way Between quest inside Equilibrium) adds Scorch on direct charged hits and bonus damage against Scorched targets, turning Heirloom into a Solar ignition engine. Particularly strong in Grandmaster Nightfalls, high-end Pantheon encounters, and dungeon boss phases where Unstoppable Champion coverage and sustained Solar pressure both matter. See the full Heirloom guide for drop rate improvement tips and catalyst acquisition. For all Exotic crossbow options in the game, the all crossbows in Destiny 2 guide covers the full list. How to get: Equilibrium dungeon final encounter (Dredgen Sere) — RNG drop, up to +10 permanent drop chance improvement via Equilibrium Triumphs.

Cull’s Shadow (Poison Fusion Rifle — Oblation Mission): Best Exotic Special for dense add-clear encounters where Poison spreads between tightly packed enemies. Less effective in single-target scenarios but capable of extraordinary output against groups. Four Catalyst options let you tune it toward damage, survivability, or Soulfire Crystal generation. How to get: Complete the Oblation Bloodline mission chain. See the Oblation Bloodline mission guide.

Divinity (Arc Trace Rifle — Garden of Salvation): Creates a cage around targets that makes all shots deal precision damage and applies a 15% debuff. In six-player raids, one Divinity user can enable the entire fireteam to hit critical damage on any target without requiring precise aim. Not a personal DPS weapon — a force multiplier for your fireteam’s total damage output. How to get: Garden of Salvation raid encounter drop.

Izanagi’s Burden (Kinetic Sniper — Exotic Kiosk): Honed Edge condenses four bullets into one extremely powerful shot. Best for burst damage windows against single targets where you need maximum damage in a short time. Competes with Defiance of Yasmin for sniper DPS in short damage phases where firing multiple shots is not possible. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Choir of One (Solar Shotgun — Encore Exotic Mission): Exceptional burst damage that benefits from Solar Radiant and Scorch synergies. One of the best close-range DPS options in the Special slot for Solar builds. Works as a standalone burst tool during damage phases against mobile targets. How to get: Encore Exotic Mission dungeon encounter drop.

Ice Breaker (Kinetic Sniper — Vesper’s Host Dungeon): Returned in Monument of Triumph through Vesper’s Host. Now generates ammo from other weapon or ability final blows rather than passively over time. Precision or Shatter kills cause targets to explode. Strong for Stasis builds where Shattering crystals constantly proc the ammo generation. The catalyst improves the ammo return rate significantly. How to get: Vesper’s Host dungeon final encounter drop.

Best Exotic Heavy Weapons in Destiny 2 PvE 2026

S-Tier Exotic Heavies

Fafnir (Void Linear Fusion Rifle — Tenet of Bravery): Detailed above in the new Exotics section. Best new Heavy weapon in Monument of Triumph. Weaken application during damage phases raises total team damage by 30% — no other Heavy weapon matches that utility-to-damage ratio. How to get: Purchase from Tenet of Bravery with Legendary Marks.

Gjallarhorn (Solar Rocket Launcher — Exotic Kiosk): Wolfpack Rounds buff every Guardian’s legendary rocket launcher with tracking projectiles that deal bonus damage. One Gjallarhorn user in a six-player raid raises the entire team’s sustained rocket DPS by 20–30%. Irreplaceable in team compositions. Loses most value in solo play. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Whisper of the Worm (Solar Sniper — Exotic Quest): White Nail refills three bullets from reserves on three rapid precision hits. Against stationary bosses with large crit spots, Whisper of the Worm effectively never runs out of ammo. Its sustained DPS ceiling in optimal conditions is still among the highest of any Heavy weapon. Best for raid bosses with long, uninterrupted damage windows. How to get: The Whisper Exotic mission, available through Pinnacle Ops rotation.

Microcosm (Solar Linear Fusion Rifle — Exotic Quest): Builds Paracausal Charge on rapid precision hits. At full charge, shots deal significantly more damage and bypass damage resistance on Champions. Best sustained linear fusion for Grandmaster Nightfalls where Champions interrupt damage phases — Microcosm continues dealing boosted damage against them while other linears would fall off. How to get: Exotic quest from Clovis Bray’s journal entries across the Cosmodrome and Mars.

Still Hunt (Solar Sniper — Exotic Quest): Builds Golden Gun charges on precision kills and majors/Champions deaths. At full charges, fires a powered Golden Gun shot that deals exceptional burst damage. In Hunter Solar builds with Golden Gun uptime, charges generate nearly continuously. Best paired with a Gunslinger build where Golden Gun is also active for double Golden Gun damage in the same window. How to get: Exotic quest starting in the Pale Heart destination.

A-Tier Exotic Heavies

The Lament (Solar Sword — Exotic Kiosk): Received approximately a 70% revert of its previous nerf in Monument of Triumph, returning it to near its original damage output. Revved blade attacks deal sustained Solar damage with built-in Healing on kills. One of the highest personal DPS options in the game against stationary targets when animation-cancelling is used. Best for solo dungeon boss phases where you can safely remain in melee range. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Tractor Cannon (Void Shotgun — Exotic Kiosk): Not a personal damage weapon. Pushes enemies back and applies a 30% Weaken debuff. In coordinated teams, one Tractor Cannon user plus one Fafnir user can apply stacking debuffs during a damage phase that collectively raise total fireteam damage above any alternative configuration. Essential for min-maxed team compositions in raid and Grandmaster content. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Two-Tailed Fox (Exotic Rocket Launcher — Exotic Kiosk): Fires three rockets of different elements — Arc, Solar, and Void. Each applies Jolt, Scorch, and Suppress respectively. Its Monument of Triumph catalyst adds Volatile Rounds. No other weapon applies three simultaneous elemental debuffs, making it uniquely useful for activating multiple subclass reactions in a single shot. Best for mixed-subclass fireteams where different elements synergise with different player builds. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Truth (Void Rocket Launcher — Exotic Kiosk): Received a full rework in Monument of Triumph. Landing all rounds in a magazine now buffs the next with dramatically increased rate of fire, tracking strength, and cluster bombs. No longer just a tracking rocket — Truth is now a reward-over-time weapon that gets more deadly the longer you fire it in a damage window. Best in encounters where you can land sustained volleys against a large boss hitbox. How to get: Exotic Kiosk. See the Truth catalyst guide for full upgrade details.

Euphony (Strand Linear Fusion Rifle — Salvation’s Edge): Fires Threadling projectiles on kills that seek nearby enemies. In Strand Warlock builds with Threadling synergy, every Euphony kill generates multiple Threadlings that independently target additional enemies. Best Exotic Heavy for Strand add-clear in high-density encounters. See the Euphony guide for acquisition. How to get: Salvation’s Edge raid encounter drop.

One Thousand Voices (Solar Trace Rifle — Last Wish): Fires a sustained beam that creates Igniting pools on the ground. Against tightly grouped enemies or large boss hitboxes, the Igniting pools deal continuous damage that accumulates quickly. One of the highest damage-per-shot Exotic Heavies for encounters where you can fire into a fixed position. How to get: Last Wish raid final encounter drop. Check the Wishing Wall guide to increase your drop odds. See also the One Thousand Voices catalyst guide.

Heir Apparent (Arc Machine Gun — Tenet of Bravery): Returns as a purchasable Exotic in Monument of Triumph for the first time since its Guardian Games limited availability. Its Exotic perk gives it an Arc Shield while spinning up the barrel — the Shield absorbs incoming damage and the gun keeps firing through it. In sustained arc fire situations Heir Apparent is one of the most survivable Heavies in the game, keeping you alive through incoming damage that would interrupt other Heavy weapons. How to get: Purchase from Tenet of Bravery with Legendary Marks.

Grand Overture (Arc Machine Gun — Exotic Kiosk): Missiles loaded from Arc kills fire in a volley for massive burst AoE damage. Received a large damage buff in Monument of Triumph. Best Exotic machine gun for burst AoE damage in encounters where missiles can hit multiple enemies simultaneously. Requires no DLC. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

B-Tier Exotic Heavies

Praxic Blade (Exotic Sword — Monument of Triumph Quest): The new Exotic sword from Monument of Triumph. Heavy attacks buff melee damage and generate Restoration stacks, making it a Heavy weapon that feeds your subclass ability loop rather than purely dealing weapon damage. Best for Solar builds where melee and Restoration interact. See the Praxic Blade guide and Praxic Blade upgrades guide.

Leviathan’s Breath (Void Bow — Exotic Kiosk): Fires a massive bolt that staggers unshielded Champions and slows and Weakens targets. With intrinsic anti-Champion now active without Artifact mods, Leviathan’s Breath can stagger Unstoppable Champions at range while applying Weaken — a niche but useful combination for solo endgame content. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.

Best Exotic Weapons for PvP in 2026

PvP Exotic rankings differ significantly from PvE. The factors that matter in Crucible are time-to-kill, flinch application, range, and first-shot accuracy rather than sustained DPS or add-clear. Artifact mods are disabled in Competitive Crucible and Trials of Osiris as of Monument of Triumph.

S-Tier PvP Exotics

• Vex Mythoclast (Solar Auto Rifle / Linear Fusion — Vault of Glass): The biggest PvP winner in Monument of Triumph. Now fires at 400 RPM with ignition effects on Linear Fusion Rifle precision kills and near-unlimited sustained firing through its improved Rewind Rounds catalyst. Its alternate Linear Fusion Rifle mode doubles as a deadly long-range option, making it the most versatile single weapon in Crucible. Especially devastating for Warlocks running Rain of Fire. How to get: Vault of Glass raid drop — see the raids in order guide for entry.
• Ace of Spades (Kinetic Hand Cannon — Exotic Kiosk): Memento Mori gives bonus damage bullets on kills. Its clean 140 RPM precision archetype with high aim assist makes it consistently one of the fastest time-to-kill options for a skilled player.
• Cloudstrike (Arc Sniper — Exotic Kiosk): Precision kills create a lightning storm at the target’s location that damages nearby Guardians. On small maps or objective modes where opponents cluster on control points, a single Cloudstrike headshot can eliminate multiple enemies simultaneously. The AoE element on precision kills is unique in the sniper archetype and makes it the strongest long-range Exotic in Crucible. How to get: Exotic Kiosk.
• The Chaperone (Kinetic Shotgun — Exotic Kiosk): Slug shotgun that rewards a steady hand with near-rifle-range precision shots. Cross-map headshots are genuinely achievable and frequently decisive in Trials and competitive play.
• Conditional Finality (Solar/Stasis Shotgun — Root of Nightmares): Close-range burst damage that Freezes and Ignites simultaneously. The Freeze alone wins most close-range engagements where the opponent cannot dodge out before the Solar follow-up lands.
• Le Monarque (Void Bow — Exotic Kiosk): The only primary Exotic that applies Poison passively in PvP. Landing a precision shot applies Poison that chips health while the opponent hides behind cover, often forcing them into the open for the killing shot. Exceptional in Survival and other objective modes where patience wins.

A-Tier PvP Exotics

• Graviton Lance (Void Pulse Rifle): Cosmology’s chain explosions kill multiple grouped opponents. Rewarding to use in objective modes where enemies cluster on control points.
• The Turncoat (Void Hand Cannon): Hip-fire Weaken application at close range is surprisingly effective in Crucible where the opponent does not expect a primary to debuff them. High skill ceiling.
• Khvostov 7G-0X (Kinetic Auto Rifle): Seventh-bullet bonus damage wins close-range trades where auto rifles normally lose to pulse rifles. The magazine return keeps you firing longer than opponents expect.
• Dead Man’s Tale (Kinetic Scout Rifle): Hip-fire chain bonuses and long effective range. Rewarding for patient players who pick optimal angles rather than rushing engagements.

Exotic Weapons That Dropped in the Rankings in 2026

Several previously strong Exotics lost ground in Monument of Triumph, while others were buffed but remain below the current meta ceiling:

• Telesto (Void Fusion Rifle): Bolt clustering was reduced and its capacity to generate ability energy was capped per activation. Still functional but no longer the ability-generation engine it once was. C-Tier in the current sandbox.
• Vex Mythoclast (Solar Trace Rifle — PvE only): In PvE, the Overcharge kill interaction that previously triggered Radiant in Solar builds was removed, dropping it from its previous prominence. In PvP it is now S-Tier thanks to the 9.7.0 buff (see above). Worth farming from Vault of Glass for PvP regardless of your PvE plans.
• Anarchy (Arc Grenade Launcher): Received a significant buff in 9.7.0 — 50% longer trap lifetime and 30% increased trap damage. It is no longer dropping in the rankings so much as being outpaced by Witherhoard and Cull’s Shadow for persistent damage roles. With the buff, Anarchy is a viable C-Tier choice for Arc builds that want a blight-style damage tool in their Special slot. Its category as the only Arc persistent damage grenade launcher keeps it relevant in specific Champion-heavy content.
• All Rocket Pulse Rifles: The damage, blast radius, and Super generation nerfs removed this entire category from serious endgame consideration. If you previously ran a Rocket Pulse Rifle in your Heavy or Energy slot for Grandmaster content, replace it with a traditional linear fusion or rocket launcher.

Where to Get Exotic Weapons in 2026

Every Exotic weapon source in Destiny 2 remains permanently available in Monument of Triumph:

• Exotic Kiosk (Monument to Lost Lights): In the Tower. Holds every Exotic previously tied to old Season Passes and deprecated quests. Purchase with Exotic Ciphers and Ascendant Shards.
• Tenet of Bravery: Fafnir and Heir Apparent available for Legendary Marks. The most direct way to get two of the best Heavy Exotics in the game.
• Triumphant Rewards Pass: The Turncoat at Level 1 (paid) or Level 35 (free track). No end date — available permanently.
• Exotic Engrams: Random Exotic drops from activities, Xur’s weekly stock, and rank-up packages. Check where Xur is this week for his current Exotic stock every Friday.
• Exotic Missions and Quests: Zero Hour (Outbreak Perfected), The Whisper (Whisper of the Worm), Still Hunt quest, Microcosm quest — all permanently available through Pinnacle Ops or destination-specific quest givers.
• Raid and Dungeon Drops: Conditional Finality (Root of Nightmares), Euphony (Salvation’s Edge), Buried Bloodline (Warlord’s Ruin), One Thousand Voices (Last Wish), Ice Breaker (Vesper’s Host), Heirloom (Equilibrium), Vex Mythoclast (Vault of Glass). These require specific encounter completions and have RNG drop rates improved by completing associated Triumphs. See the all raid loot tables guide for the full list of encounter sources.
• Active Orders (Exotic Orders): Guaranteed Catalysts from Legendary and Exotic Orders through the Seasonal Hub. See the Destiny 2 Exotic Orders guide for full details.

For all Exotic catalysts added or reworked in Monument of Triumph, check the new catalysts Monument of Triumph guide. For the full PvE weapon tier list covering Legendary weapons alongside Exotics, see the Destiny 2 best weapons 2026 PvE tier list. And for Tier 5 weapon farming sources including raid encounters where Exotic drops are improved through Triumph completion, see the Destiny 2 Tier 5 weapons guide.