How to Get Exotics in Destiny 2

Increase your power by acquiring Exotic weapons and armor in Destiny 2.

In Destiny 2, Exotic weapons and armor are the rarest pieces of gear you can find in the game, and as such, they are extremely difficult to actually get your hands on. Thankfully, Bungie have been a bit more lenient in Destiny 2, and have given us many different (and enjoyable) ways to get Exotics.

How to Get Exotics in Destiny 2

Getting Exotics in Destiny 2 is much the same as it was in Destiny, but this time there is no easy way out with the Three of Coins. Instead, Bungie have focused on more story-based means of acquiring new Exotics. You can look at a full list of all Exotic Weapons and all Exotic Armor so you know what item you should be aiming for!

As it stands, there are currently six main ways of getting Exotics:

  • Progressing through the Story
  • Completing Adventures and other Activities
  • Exotic Engram drops
  • Quest Items
  • Cayde's Treasure Caches
  • Xur

At a few places throughout the main story, you will be given the opportunity to choose an Exotic. Sometimes it will be a choice of three Exotic weapons, and other times you can choose one of three Exotic armor pieces.

A few key characters throughout the Destiny 2 story will give the option to choose an Exotic as a reward.
A few key characters throughout the Destiny 2 story will give the option to choose an Exotic as a reward.

Exotic Engrams are another way of getting Exotics in Destiny 2, but they are far less common than other means. In order to get Exotic Engrams, you will need to complete Adventures, Public Events, and other PvE Activities, even Strikes and Nightfalls. Exotic engrams have a low drop chance, but it is still a good method of collecting Exotics.

Then there are certain Quest Items that will lead you to more Exotics. These Quest Items are collected at random as you play Destiny 2. At first, you might not know what they are or understand what they do, as they will simply take up a slot in your inventory. The type of Exotic you receive depends on where this Quest Item is placed: Kinetic, Energy, Power, or Armor. If the Quest Item is in the Power weapon slot, completing the Quest Item will turn it into an Exotic Power Weapon.

After completing the Story missions, you will be able to purchase Treasure Maps from Cayde-6. These maps point you toward his stashes, and these have a chance of dropping an Exotic Engram.

Finally, the last way to get Exotics in Destiny 2 is to purchase them from Xur when he appears in the world. Unlike Destiny, Xur will not appear in the Tower and will instead appear on a world in Patrol mode. It will be up to the community to hunt him down and see what he’s selling!

Take the time to do all Activities in Destiny 2, as the more you do the better your chances of getting an Exotic. Check out our Destiny 2 hub for more guides and tips!

Sam Chandler is the Australian piece of the AllGamers puzzle. Out of all his gaming-related passions, collecting N64 games, speedrunning, and Souls games rank among the most important. You can reach Sam through Twitter, @SamuelChandler, or through his email, sam.chandler@allgamers.com, at any time of the day or night on either side of the globe.

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