The era of subclass 3.0 updates has pushedDestiny 2’spopularity of Kinetic weapons down significantly. Many mods and builds now require players to match their weapon damage with their subclass, which is why it can feel like a punishment to be forced to use a Kinetic weapon in some endgame PVE content.
While there are some clear Exotic winners in this category, namelyWitherhoardandArbalest(even after both received nerfs in season 19), Legendary weapons tend to be somewhat overlooked and there aren’t a huge number of great options compared to the Energy weapon slot’s Legendary weapon selection. Here’s which Kinetic weapons are still worth the grind inDestiny 2.
Updated on Jul 29, 2025, by Anastasia Maillot:Destiny 2’s Into the Light free update had brought back a few popular weapons with new perks worth chasing after. With The Final Shape looming on the horizon, too, after being delayed by several months, the only real grind right now is for players to hop in and make sure they have the arsenal of weapons they need for the conclusion of the Light and Dark saga. The Kinetic slot has always been an important one in the game, now crowded with Stasis and Strand options, which have put simple Kinetic weapons on the back burner. Despite that, there are still severalpowerful Kinetic weapons in Destiny 2that are well worth the chase.
9The Messenger
A PVP Pulse Rifle That Still Has It
Although not currently in rotation, The Messenger continues to be a pretty fantastic pulse rifle for PVP enjoyers who prefer to slaughter their enemies from afar. Although the balance of the sandbox hasn’t been great as of recently, there’s always a place for a bit of pulse rifle gameplay in the right hands.
The Messenger will eventually rotate back into Trials of Osiris' weapon pool. Once it does, a good combination of perks to aim for isRapid Hitand Desperado, for that extra bit of stat boost when getting precision hits and scoring kills.
8Heritage
A Powerful PVE Shotgun For Taking Down Mini-Bosses & Champions
Shotguns in the kinetic slot are often challenged by Exotics, but Heritage is still a very strong contender here for those who haveyet to earn aConditional Finalityfrom the Root of Nightmares. It does require players to hop into another raid, but at least the ideal roll is craftable after five patterns are unlocked.
Here, there’s no question about the ideal perk combination: Reconstruction and Recombination. It’s a fantastic tool to have in a PVE arsenal against those tougher, yellow-bar mini-bosses or even champions that can get tanky depending on the activity difficulty level.
7Succession
A Great Precision Weapon For PVE Boss Damage Checks
Sniper rifles have seen some improvements and buffs throughout the last year, which has brought weapons like Succession back on the menu. Successionis from Deep Stone Crypt, but it can now also be earned in Onslaught if players can’t find a team to raid with.
The old perk combination was Vorpal Weapon and Reconstruction, but the BRAVE version of the weapon leaves room for other options like Focused Fury, if players are confident they can hit their precision shots reliably on a boss. It’s definitely a damage-phase weapon.
6Fatebringer
One Of The Most Iconic Hand Cannons In The Game In Both PVE And PVP
Fatebringer is iconic and timeless. The good news is that it’s still pretty good in both PVE and PVP. In PVE, hand cannons in general have had their stats buffed by Bungie in the last year, so it’s a good time to try and get that Explosive Payload andFireflyrollfrom the Vault of Glass raid.
For PVP,Killing Windand Eye of the Storm appear to be the best bet. to get the Timelost version that allows players to slot in Adept mods, the Master version of the raid needs to be completed.
5Hung Jury SR4
Despite Its Archetype, This Scout Rifle Feels Smooth As Butter To Use
Hung Jury has been around a lot and is weighed down currently by the weakness of its archetype in PVE. Scout rifles are not doing all that great, but despite that, it’s undoubtedly one of the strongest and easiest-to-use weapons in the game right now.
Hung Jury is returning with a BRAVE version in Into the Light, but the original version available in Nightfalls had nice perk combinations likeRapid Hit&Fireflyto satisfy PVE players. Kinetic Tremors is also a decent option.
4Submission
An Extremely Powerful SMG That Won’t Let Players Down
SMGs are incredibly strong, and thisone from the Vow of the Disciple raidis no exception. Submission feels extremely satisfying to use, though has lost a bit of thunder to other weapons like the IKELOS SMG and CALUS Mini-Tool.
Still, those who are curious about this weapon should craft the Subsistence and Frenzy combo for a satisfying burst of damage at close range. An Adept version of it is available in the raid as well, and since it’s craftable after five patterns, chasing it shouldn’t take very long.
3The Supremacy
A Fantastic Precision Option That Contends With Succession
Last year, Last Wish raid weapons became craftable as well,which put Apex Predator as a top-tier rocket launcher. Along with it came The Supremacy, a sniper rifle that could probably contend with the likes of Succession for the top spot as a Legendary sniper in the Kinetic slot.
Classic PVE combination Lead from Gold and Fourth Time’s the Charm is definitely the go-to option here to ensure players will never run out of ammo, and that they can continuously deal more damage over time by hitting a high-health single target. Again, it’s a boss DPS weapon, so it will only really see use in niche encounters.
2Austringer
A PVP Favorite For A Good Reason
Back to hand cannons, Austringer is still a decent choice for PVP enjoyers who have a knack for hitting their shots. An older weapon that was reintroduced during The Witch Queen year, Austringer can be crafted once five patterns have been unlocked. Check Banshee-44 and Xur weekly to see if they happen to be selling it.
For PVP, Eye of the Storm paired with either Opening Shot orRangefinderis a good combination that will tide players over well.
1The Mountaintop
A Beloved Grenade Launcher Returning In Into The Light
The Mountaintop was infamous back in the day and is returning now with a fresh coat of paint and new perks to chase as a result of Into the Light. Players can simply hop into Onslaught for a chance to earn the newer version of the classic grenade launcher.
It’s still early to talk about definitive god rolls, especially since the perk pool for The Mountaintop is so stacked. That said, either Ambitious Assassin or Auto-Loading Holster, paired with either One for All or Recombination seems like the most general, powerful option for now.
