Best Destiny 2 PvP weapons: Meta weapons for Competitive and Trials of Osiris in Season of Deep

The newest season for Destiny 2 is well underway and the meta has evolved once again. That means it’s time to check out the best Destiny 2 PvP weapons for Crucible, Competitive, and Trials of Osiris.

One of the things that keeps Destiny 2 players engaged with the hit looter-shooter is obtaining powerful gear, and then taking their hard-earned armaments into the Crucible to test them out against other Guardians.

With hundreds of weapons on offer, the Destiny 2 meta can be tough to get a handle on, and that’s continued in Season of the Deep. Between seasonal artifact mods, new weapon releases, and sandbox changes courtesy of Bungie, there is always something new and exciting to try out in PvP.

Now, with the help of the tried-and-true community tool Destiny Tracker, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular weapons across all of Destiny 2’s competitive PvP modes — including Trials of Osiris.

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Destiny 2 best PvP weapons for Season of the Deep

10. Ammit AR2

Auto Rifles aren’t in the best spot in PvP but the Ammit AR2 is a rare exception to that rule. This Solar Precision Frame AR is an excellent weapon with access to top-tier PvP perks like Tap the Trigger, Surplus, and Dynamic Sway Reduction.

Its popularity then is no surprise, especially as Ammit AR2 is one of the easiest guns to crafting in Destiny. Simply complete a handful of the crafting tutorial missions and you’ll be free to make it, level it up, and have your very own God Roll.

9. Centrifuse

New to Season of the Deep, Centrifuse has proven itself a popular choice for players who prefer fast-paced gameplay. The Exotic Auto Rifle reloads itself and charges up as you sprint and slide around giving it excellent synergy with passive PvP armor like FR0ST-EE5.

Due to its low fire rate of 450 RPM, the Centrifuse is unlikely to be dominating Trials anytime soon, but it’s a fun weapon that can get some real work done in the right hands with the right build.

8. Rose

Nothing says Destiny quite like a Hand Cannon, and none are arguably as iconic as Rose. Rose is a classic that has seen new life after being reissued in Season of the Seraph and has long since established itself as the best legendary Hand Cannon.

It can roll with some impressive perks. Using Hammer-forged Rifling and Accurized Rounds massively increases the Rose’s effective range whilst Perpetual Motion is a staple in just about every PvP meta

7. Mercurial Overreach

Mercurial Overreach is a Sniper Rifle that gets access to Snapshot Sights and Opening Shot. With this combination and its impressive stats, this is a wonderfully well-rounded sniper perfect for playing more aggressively in Crucible.

At the end of the day, Mercurial Overreach is a sniper and does a lot of the same things every other sniper does. However, it gets an edge over its competition thanks to its perk pool, desirable zoom level, and general feel.

6. Graviton Lance

Graviton Lance remains one of the most used guns in Destiny 2. Ever since its buff at the start of Season of the Deep, the exotic void Pulse Rifle has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to its ease of use and impressive TTK.

With its remarkable damage and capability to explode targets into seeking missiles, it’s an extremely potent Pulse Rifle that rewards players who can land precision shots. Although the mid-season nerf has caused it to drop in popularity slightly.

5. The Immortal (Adept)

The Immortal SMG took the PvP world by storm when it was released. Boasting both impressive range and the ever-brilliant Target Lock damage perk on its second column, it doesn’t take a genius to see why this submachine gun is so popular.

However, since that time Bungie has made several balance adjustments and changes to the PvP meta, making The Immortal isn’t quite as strong as it once was. And following the Rangefinder nerf there are signs The Immortal could finally be dethroned as the king of SMGs.

4. Crimson

This unique three-burst round Hand Cannon is often used by Hunters rocking Lucky Pants, but it’s a powerful PvP weapon too. Especially for controller players where aim assist helps keep its otherwise awkward burst spray pattern on target.

This burst Hand Cannon deals impressive damage and causes enemy players hit by it to flinch a ton making it hard for them to return fire. It’s especially powerful when used with the Alhidade ornament that improves visibility when aimed down sights.

3. Cloudstrike

Cloudstrike has re-emerged in the PvP meta as the go-to exotic Sniper. Cloudstrike is capable of creating a lightning strike on precision kill, resulting in some incredibly satisfying multi-kills provided the enemy guardians are grouped up.

On top of its unique ability to inflict area-of-effect damage, the Cloud Strike is just an all-around excellent sniper. It has great handling, a great scope, and more than enough damage to secure consistent one-shot kills.

2. Ace of Spades

Cayde-6’s trusty hand cannon The Ace of Spades has always been quite the powerful weapon in Destiny 2 PvP. The weapon was released in Forsaken, allowing Guardians to load powerful higher damage bullets after a takedown on a target courtesy of Memento Mori.

When a target is defeated by Ace of Spaces, they also explode, dealing damage to anything and everything around them. Even better, precision kills drastically increase reload speed and give those reloaded bullets extra damage turning you into a temporary one-man army.

1. Matador 64

The Matador 64 was added during the 30th Anniversary Pack, and it’s a top-tier shotgun that carries the Threat Detector and Opening Shot perks making it very easy to get a kill when in its surprisingly forgiving effective range.

With the right perks, the Matador 64 edges out most other shotguns as it’s more versatile than many of its competitors. Its ease of use and general effectiveness have helped establish it as Destiny 2’s best close-range weapon in PvP.

Destiny 2 Best PvP weapons: Most popular Destiny 2 PvP weapons (by usage %)

The Competitive PvP meta as of August 3, 2023, as per Destiny Tracker:

1. Matador 64 (2.96%)
2. Ace of Spades (2.33%)
3. Cloudstrike (2.25%)
4. Crimson (2.07%)
5. The Immortal (Adept) (2.05%)
6. Graviton Lance (2.02%)
7. Mercurial Overreach (1.97%)
8. Rose (1.85%)
9. Centrifuse (1.58%)
10. Ammit AR2 (1.53%)

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And there you have it: the best Destiny 2 PvP weapons. Keep an eye on this page to make sure you’re up-to-date on Destiny 2’s best PVP weapons, and check out some other helpful content here:

Deepsight Harmonizers: How to farm, use, and what weapons to convert | How to fish in Destiny 2 | Best Exotic weapons | Best PvP Weapons | Best PvE Weapons | Season of the Deep Season Pass: Rewards & ranks | How to get Epochal Integration | Best Titan Builds | Best Warlock Builds | Best Arc 3.0 Builds | Best Solar 3.0 Builds | Best Stasis Builds | Best Void 3.0 Builds