Destiny 2's Season of the Deep launches with an aquatic theme that introduces, in true seasonal fashion, yet another set of seasonal weapons. The theme this time is very clearly around the darkness sub-classes, with most weapons available being either Stasis or Strand and one weapon in the Void category.
All of these weapons come with a cool Taken aesthetic, and they roll with a new Origin Trait called Unsated Hunger, which boosts reload, handling, and stability when players have expended all their ability cooldowns. It's a pretty niche Origin Trait in an era where ability spamming is the norm in Destiny 2. Moreover, the archetypes seem a little weak this season 21 (especially for PVE), but keep in mind that this list is only based on initial impressions and that these weapons may find more use as the season progresses.
These weapons can be crafted once patterns are unlocked, and their perks can be enhanced.
6 Thin Precipice Sword
It's no secret that swords still need a serious amount of help in Destiny 2, and that's why the new Thin Precipice Strand sword falls to the bottom of the list. Swords see very little use in challenging PVE content, save for those that come with the Eager Edge perk.
That said, those looking for a good roll on this unique Strand sword have a few options to pick from. From the first column, players can pick Valiant Charge for that extra lunge distance, and in the second column, there are a bunch of interesting options, from Hatchling to Adrenaline Junkie to even Golden Tricorn.
5 Targeted Redaction Hand Cannon
Hand cannons still need a bit more help as an archetype, particularly on the PVE side of things. Targeted Redaction doesn't come with the most encouraging of stats, and because of its Aggressive Frame, the recoil can be offputting for a lot of players.
Luckily, the perk pool is pretty decent for this Void hand cannon. The first column comes with Outlaw, which is a huge favorite for hand cannons in general and would arguably triumph over the other perks available. Explosive Payload, Destabilizing Rounds and Frenzy are great options for PVE, as is the new Collective Action perk that takes advantage of elemental pickups.
4 Rapacious Appetite Submachine Gun
SMGs got a slap on the wrist in the most recent patch, which doesn't do Stasis SMG Rapacious Appetite any more services. It has a high recoil—a trait that is incredibly undesirable for SMGs in general, both in PVE and PVP and significantly hampers its effectiveness. There are simply far better options available already.
Still, if players are relying on it as their only Stasis SMG, these are the perks to pick: Target Lock (as learned from the Immortal craze last season), Frenzy, or even Headstone for those Stasis-oriented builds. In the first column, Perpetual Motion wins over Fourth Time's the Charm simply because of the impressive recoil.
3 Different Times Pulse Rifle
Another new Strand weapon this season, pulse rifles are in a precarious position because of the resurgence of auto rifles. The barrel and magazine perks don't do much in the way of improving the somewhat underwhelming starting stats. However, where Different Times shines is its perk pool.
Given that it can roll with Subsistence, Moving Target, Heating Up, and Outlaw in the first column, as well as Hatchling, Headseeker, and Golden Tricorn in the second, it could be a solid pickup for any players who can't get their hands on a Strand auto rifle, or just prefer the fast-firing bursts of this rapid-frame pulse.
2 Until Its Return Shotgun
Shotguns are seeing a moderate rise in use, thanks to the Root of Nightmares raid which introduced Nessa's Oblation and Conditional Finality. Both are incredible shotguns and while Until Its Return Strand shotgun doesn't quite reach the same heights, it's still an okay pickup this season.
Its Rapid-Fire Frame grants it an increased reload speed when empty, and good ammo. If players go for Smoothbore and Accurized Rounds, it might even be okay in PVP thanks to Overflow and Trench Barrel as perks. For those favoring PVE, good old Auto-Loading is available, or Threat Detector for up-close-and-personal engagements. In the second column, Vorpal Weapon and Surrounded are both fantastic PVE choices, too.
1 A Distant Pull Sniper Rifle
A sniper at the top of a weapon list may seem unheard of and perhaps that's true, this ranking could be based on pure hope. However, given how many improvements Bungie has introduced as of late for sniper rifles, A Distant Pull Stasis sniper rifle might just be on to something.
It's by no means the best sniper rifle available in the game, but the perks are looking good for this one: the first column has Triple Tap, and the second column comes with great precision weapon perks like Opening Shot, Focused Fury, and Explosive Payload. Headstone is also alright for those who want to stand out from the crowd and try something completely different. With snipers dealing overall 10% more damage to PVE enemies, it remains to be seen whether this weapon can do something, or if it'll fizzle out.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.