Shotguns are the bread and butter of PVP in Destiny 2, and these are the best ones players can get for the Crucible.
Destiny 2 has become a household name among action RPGs; in its second installment, it has defined looter shooters and dominated the genre with its ever-expanding story and lore. In addition, destiny 2 has a prominent PVE and PVP community where players can pick and choose the best parts of the game's gameplay and enjoy it to its fullest extent.
One of the most acclaimed features of Destiny 2 is its gunplay; within the game's PVP sandbox, the most critical aspect is that there are guns to shoot, and that feels good to shoot. A class of weapon that gets a lot of field time is shotguns; there is a large variety in the game but some shine more than others. Here are the best shotguns for PVP in Destiny 2.
The Blasphemer is a legendary weapon belonging to the slug frame archetypes of shotguns in Destiny 2; it deals kinetic damage and does not come with any intrinsic perks. Within Destiny 2’s PVP, the Blasphemer shotgun is celebrated for its range and a wide variety of perk rolls when dropping from in-game content.
The Blasphemer can be obtained from the Altars of Sorrow public event on the moon, which can be done solo or with a Fireteam. Some of the most popular curated rolls for the Blasphemer shotgun are Hammer-forged rifling, Accurized Rounds or High-caliber Rounds, Quickdraw, and Opening Shot.
The Duality exotic shotgun arrived during the season of the hunt in Destiny 2; its exotic perk “compression chamber” allows the weapon to fire a single slug projectile when aiming down the site or a close spread pellet projectile when hip-firing.
The Duality is a solar damage weapon and benefits from the “On Black Wings” perk, which provides a stacking bonus to precision damage and reload speed from pellet projectile final blows; final blows with the slug projectile from the weapon extend the duration of the buff. The Duality shotgun can be purchased from the exotic kiosk by using an exotic cipher obtained from Xur.
Integrated during Destiny 2's Season of the Splicer, the Riiswalker is a legendary shotgun belonging to the lightweight frame archetype. Riiswalker is an Iron Banner weapon that can only be obtained through competing in the Iron Banner event as a random drop or completing the third step of the Iron Banner quest line.
Perks like Slideways and Eye of the Storm considerably improve the weapon's performance, making it a more than a decent weapon to take into the Crucible. While the Riiswalker is not overly exceptional in any field when compared to other shotguns in Destiny 2’s sandbox, it is more than reliable and easy to obtain.
The Xenoclast IV is perhaps the most accessible weapon to obtain on this list; a member of the Lightweight frame archetype of shotguns, the Xenoclast is a high-impact weapon with a wide range of perks available for the perfect partner in crime.
Dual perks like Smallbore, which boosts range and stability, paired with Unrelenting, which regenerates health after defeating opponents, rapidly make it a strong support when mixing it up against guardians with shotguns of their own and sidearms. The Xenoclast IV can be obtained from Strikes and rank-up rewards from Zavala at the tower.
The Heritage shotgun is a high-performance weapon inside Destiny 2’s PVP content; it is a kinetic shotgun belonging to the pinpoint slug frame archetype. The Heritage shines with its excellent range and handling, complementing high-speed movement and run and gun tactics. Matched with special perks such as Corkscrew Rifling and Reconstruction, the Heritage is a top-tier shotgun worthy of praise.
Unfortunately, the Heritage is difficult to farm as it only drops from the Deep Stone Crypt raid. Players must have the Beyond Light campaign, reach the designated light level, and party with five other players for a chance at the weapon.
Found Verdict is a legacy weapon from the original Destiny game that dropped in the Vault of Glass raid. Bungie has recently re-released the raid into Destiny 2, and with it, the weapons and armors that drop as the raid's rewards. Found Verdict is an aggressive frame shotgun that deals arc damage; the weapon excels with its incredibly high impact stats.
Additionally, players can obtain several perk combinations such as Slideshot and Accurized Rounds for maximum performance. However, like the Heritage shotgun, players can only obtain Found Verdict from the legendary Vault of Glass raid by grouping with other players and having a bit of luck.
The Lord of Wolves is an unconventional shotgun in Destiny 2. This exotic weapon does not fire slugs or pellets like most shotguns in the game; instead, the Lord of Wolves fires in short bursts similar to pulse rifles.
The weapons perk, Shrapnel Launcher, pelts players with high solar damage, which can be boosted with its second perk, "Release the Wolves,” which extends the range, boosts the damage, and increases the hits of each burst. The Lord of Wolves shotgun is a random drop within Destiny 2 but can be purchased from Xur via an exotic engram.
Another legacy weapon returning from Destiny 1, Matador 64, is a precision frame shotgun that is highly popular among veteran and new light players alike. The weapon is praised for its accuracy and high-impact stats that are highly effective in PVP modes.
The weapon can roll with several high-performance perks; favorites among players are Perpetual Motion for increased range and Harmony for a reasonable damage boost from final blows with the weapon. Matador 64 is a legendary drop of the Grasp of Avarice Destiny 2 dungeon; while this dungeon can be soloed, it is recommended to attempt with a Fireteam.
Felwinter's Lie is another popular shotgun that dominated PVP in Destiny 1 and reclaimed its glory when it was ported to Destiny 2. Felwinter's Lie belongs to the rare shot package archetype of shotgun and is famous for its amount of impact, specializing in one shot kill potential dealing solar damage.
Felwinter's Lie is a perfect companion with a run and gun play style or a solid secondary option for most players in the Crucible. Originally, Felwinter's was only available via an exotic quest line, it has since been moved to the exotic kiosk where it can be purchased with an exotic cipher.
The Chaperone shotgun stands at the apex of all shotguns, being the best in slot overall in a guardian's loadout. The Chaperone shotgun is a precision slug archetype shotgun known for its massive precision damage numbers and range. With the most range of all shotguns in the game, the Chaperone can boost its capabilities even higher with its perk “The Roadhorn,” which increases range, handling, and damage after a final blow.
The Chaperone comes with Accurized Rounds and Hand-Laid Stock, boosting its accuracy even higher and making it the perfect partner for mixing it up mid to close range. The Chaperone can be obtained as a random exotic drop or purchased from Xur.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia.
C.M Edwards is a writer currently employed by Valnet as a GameRant lists writer. He has been working professionally for the past 7 years in multiple fields including comic books and short fiction.
