Best grenade launcher in Destiny 2

Key Takeaways

• Destiny 2's grenade launcher offers a variety of utility and powerful boss damage potential.
• Koraxis' Distress, Wilderflight, and Forbearance are top choices for a variety of scenarios.
• Cataphract GL3, Edge Transit, and Bitter/Sweet are recommended heavy grenade launchers.

Grenade launchers are one of the most popular types. Destiny 2. From the recently nerfed Wave Frame to the Heavy Grenade Launcher that has finally seen proper use in the endgame boss damage meta, this category has some great weapons for players to discover.

What makes this archetype so good is that it comes with tremendous utility. Some grenade launchers are fantastic for denying areas and clearing out ads, while others can be more focused on a single target or even help propel players upwards for increased mobility. With all the changes from Lightfall to The Final Shape in mind, here are the essential grenade launchers: Destiny 2.

Updated on November 19, 2024 by Anastasia Maillot: The great era of the grenade launcher in Destiny 2 is far from over. With the introduction of Aerial Denial frames in The Final Shape and a major nerf to Wave Frames, it was time to move into the grenade launcher meta, but we didn't move away from it. In terms of heavy slots, there are some very strong competitors challenging Edge Transit's long-standing dominance since the release of Revenant, and they are undoubtedly at the top of the pyramid in terms of DPS.

12 Koraxis' Torment

A powerful DPS option if the Surrounded Perk works.

• sour roll: Surrounded and jealous assassin

When Koraxis's Distress first came out, there wasn't much to see. Now that the meta has shifted and shifted a bit, he's managed to carve out a place for himself. Most notable is the presence of the siege perk if the player can take advantage of nearby enemies while damaging the boss. This may make it somewhat less versatile and more niche, but it makes up for its lack of flexibility with its high damage potential.

Koraxis' Torment can be obtained from Neomuna's Nightmare Roots raid.

11 wildernessflight

Excellent addition to optimal DPS rotation

• sour roll: Self-Loading Holster and Vorpal Weapon

Wilderflight was introduced with the Vex-themed Wardenspire dungeon. A void grenade launcher that fires dual rounds thanks to its Double Fire frame. While a weapon can be great on its own, its primary utility comes during DPS rotation.

The autoloading and Vorpal Weapon perk combo make it a great fit for DPS rotations that rely on Envious Assassin or Bait and Switch activations. PVE players looking for minimal end-game damage will definitely want to farm this in dungeons. Unfortunately, it is not possible to produce it.

10 patience

Even after the nerf, it still destroys enemies.

• sour roll (Onslaught): Demolitionist & One for All
• god roll (Oath of Disciple): Aspiring Assassin & One for All

​​​​​​Forbearance is one of the legendary wave frame grenade launchers first introduced in Vow of the Disciple. Even after extensive nerfs at the release of The Final Shape to balance it out, it's still a very powerful weapon. Even if the Chain Reaction perk gets nerfed, it won't necessarily be the end of the world if a player happens to have a roll that includes it.

However, those looking for something new for their patience should try One For All, which is available in both versions. In Onslaught, Demolitionist is a very cool perk to try instead of Aspiring Assassin if players are leaning more towards a spammy grenade build meant to destroy ad groups in the blink of an eye.

9 Witherhard

An exotic powerhouse that still works

• Can be obtained from Exotic Archives

Witherhoard has long held the top spot as one of the best Exotics. Around Lightfall, that spot is starting to get contested due to conditional finality offering huge single target, champion, and mini-boss destruction damage. That said, Witherhoard is still surprisingly good. Even though the duration was nerfed a long time ago, both direct and AoE-denied hits to the ground are powerful.

If there's one exotic choice here that's the most versatile, it's definitely the Witherhoard. Grinding catalysts is a must as it adds an autoloading holster as a perk.

8 parasite

One of the best burst DPS heavy weapons

You'll need the Witch Queen expansion pack to get the Hive Worm-themed grenade launcher that literally chases away high-damage Hive Worms. On the surface this may seem gimmicky, but the sheer amount of damage it packs is nothing to scoff at. Players must score kills to charge Worm's Hunger up to 20 stacks. After that, the next projectile deals massive damage to enemies.

This is one of the strategies players use with bosses that have a short damage range, such as Atraks in Deep Stone Crypt.

7 lost signal

Legendary version of Witherhoard

• god roll: Autoloading and Detonation Expert

The first episode, Echoes, introduced some very interesting and experimental weapons to the game, including the new Area Denial Frame legendary grenade launcher Lost Signal. It's basically a Witherhoard in that it fires a ball of energy that deals damage when enemies enter the puddle. In this case, the lost signal deals Stasis damage.

What's even better about this weapon is its Origin perk. If the player quickly defeats an enemy, it explodes into a pool of radiolaria that deals additional damage to nearby enemies. It's fantastic for clearing rooms of enemies. Even better, unlike Witherhoard, it is craftable and can be easily obtained by playing seasonal content.

6 The Mountain Top

The Return of the King—And It Still Matters

• god roll: Self-loading holster and reassembly

Mountaintop may not be as overpowering as it was in the game, but it definitely showed its claws after returning from Onslaught during the free Into the Light update. It's now a great tool to have in the box, and it's been overshadowed by rocket secondary weapons being so powerful.

Not only can it recombine to deal massive damage, but it also provides additional mobility thanks to the micro-missile frame that players can climb onto. They cannot be crafted, and once The Final Shape is released, players will have to diligently grind their Onslaught to get their hands on their favorite rolls.

5 VS Velocity Baton

Wilderflight's challenger in DPS rotations

• sour roll: Demolition Expert & Bait and Switch

Another air-denying frame grenade launcher, the VS Velocity Baton, like the Lost Signal, can best be described as a legendary class Witherhoard. This is a Void Grenade Launcher that can be obtained in the Vesper's Host dungeon introduced in Episode Revenant.

What makes this grenade launcher great in terms of perks is that it comes with a bait and switch. This grenade launcher fits well into any DPS loadout that requires players to use all three weapons to deal damage in order to bait and switch with heavy weapons. Now imagine if other weapons also had a damage increase effect. That's why you shouldn't leave this grenade launcher unattended. Use with Demolitionist to quickly reload when throwing grenades. This is a must-have item.

4 Cataract GL3

A clear top contender for damage

• god roll: Envious Assassin & Bait and Switch

On top of the grenade launcher are two heavy weapon options ideal for DPS. One of them is the Cataphract GL3, a Strand weapon that can be obtained by playing Trials of Osiris. It has slightly improved stats compared to the Edge Transit, which may make it a preferred weapon for some players.

However, Void weapons are currently favored in Relics, so Cataphract GL3 may be pushed to Edge Transit based on the meta of this first episode. Time will tell if something that favors Strand weapons will be able to surpass its Void competitors. It's also not the easiest to obtain for players who avoid PVP.

3 edge transit

The Best and Most Accessible Heavy Grenade DPS Weapon

• sour roll: Envious Assassin & Bait and Switch

Edge Transit returns to the game as a hero rather than the meme he was when he first appeared. This weapon has been used extensively in DPS rotations since its re-release in Into the Light, and remains decent even when rockets are still on. The God Roll is the same as the Cataphract, but the difference is that players don't have to PVP to get it. Edge Transit cannot be crafted, so you'll have to spend a long time in Onslaught to get it.

Currently, it reigns supreme as a Void weapon thanks to its Expanding Abyss artifact trait, but this is bound to change as the meta changes and progresses. For now, if in doubt, just use Edge Transit.

2 bitter/sweet

Arc Competitor to Edge Transit

• god roll: Enviable Arsenal & Bait and Switch

Edge Transit has been in the spotlight for a long time, culminating in the heavy grenade launcher introduced in the Revenant episode. Bitter/Sweet is an Arc heavy and can be earned by playing the new Onslaught activity that comes with Revenant. This time around, however, players won't be able to craft new Revenant weapons, so they may be a little harder to obtain.

But if you're lucky enough to have the right perks, it's definitely worth it. Because Envious Arsenal combined with Bait and Switch delivers a real damage punch. These two perks are a match made in heaven, as they work very similarly, requiring players to deal damage with different weapons. If not for how powerful Stasis is in many scenarios this season, this would likely be at the top of the pyramid.

1 VS cooling suppressant

The current king of Stasis DPS grenade launchers

• sour roll: Enviable Arsenal & Bait and Switch

VS Chill Inhibitor is the weapon everyone seems to be talking about in Episode The Revenant. That's because farming revealed an issue deep in the game's code that caused some perks to be weighted without Bungie being aware of them. So how good is this weapon really?

With Envious Arsenal and Bait and Switch, it's as good as it's currently available, easily making it the DPS king of Revenant. Those wishing to obtain this weapon must travel to Vesper's Host Dungeon for a chance to obtain it.