Exotics are Destiny’s – and now the sequel’s – most sought-after loot. They’re harder to get, they look sexier, and they have unique perks that will change your whole playstyle (or are just good fun). Thanks to a leak from the game guide, we now know every Exotic weapon and armour piece in the game (we think). Gameplay details are still incomplete, but we do know quite a lot now.
While Legendary gear is the meat of your build, Exotics are the spice. Their perks shake things up so dramatically that you can only have one Exotic weapon or armour piece equipped at a time, for the sake of balance (or sanity). Some are so impactful that they should be considered the linchpin of your build, alongside your subclass tree.
In Destiny 2, Exotic weapons have only one row of perks. One is intrinsic (the gold one on the left), and will be active right away, whereas the rest will have to be unlocked via experience points and special currencies.
Exotics have two unique perks each; the intrinsic, and the trait, which is the second-to-last to unlock (reading the tree from left to right). Generally, the two work together to define each gun’s gimmick. It’s also notable that all Exotics in the two betas had no weapon mod panel, which means no shaders, no element changes, and no infusion – presumably they’ll all drop at maximum attack.
Through leaks from the official game guide, we now know all the Exotic weapons and armour in Destiny 2 at launch, with the exception of secret Exotics that might be hidden in raids or special activities. MIDA Multi-Tool and Hard Light – not Gjallarhorn – return from Destiny 1,
