Best Machine Guns in Destiny 2 for PvE & PvP

A big magazine means more final blows and DPS without having to stop and reload which is exactly why LMGs have become so prevalent in the meta. These Heavy weapons are easily top-tier and these are the best Machine Guns to use in Destiny 2 for PvE and PvP.

Destiny is a game where both add clearing and consistent DPS are amongst the most important aspects of making a good build. Most Heavy weapons excel at the latter but struggle to deal with adds, but LMGs are the exception to that rule.

This versatility makes them unique among Heavy weapons and one of the best PvE options in Bungie’s looter shooter. Their tremendous upsides are even more evident when using the meta options that these large mag monsters have to offer.

To help you figure out which LMG to use we’ve put together this list of the best Machine Guns in Destiny 2 for PvE & PvP. The rankings for each gun are based on a mix of how effective they are and how easy they are to acquire.

Best Machine Guns in Destiny 2 PvE

Machine Guns excel in PvE as the only Heavy class weapons capable of both effective add clear and competitive boss damage. They are well-rounded guns that can serve a role on any build, but excel when coupled with double Special loadouts.

5. Circular Logic

Introduced alongside Lightfall, Circular Logic is an unspectacular but still solid Machine Gun. It can be farmed from Terminal Overload and comes with a juiced DPS perk in Target Lock. It’s also the best Strand Heavy Weapon in Destiny 2 which is useful for certain builds.

God Roll: Feeding Frenzy/Envious Assassin + Target Lock

4. Corrective Measures

Although not the best for boss damage, Corrective Measures is an excellent Adaptive Frame LMG for add clear and easier content. The combination of Rewind Rounds and Firefly is especially strong for taking out a whole room of enemies without having to reload.

God Roll: Rewind Rounds + Firefly/High-Impact Reserves

3. Retrofit Escapade

With it being a Rapid-Fire Frame, Retrofit Escapade isn’t the easiest Machine Gun to use in Destiny 2, but it is one of the best. A good roll on this Void LMG gives it surprisingly well-rounded stats for the archetype and it has Ambush, an excellent Origin Trait that provides both extra range and damage.

God Roll: Fourth Time’s the Charm + Target Lock

2. Commemoration

Not only is Commemoration an Adaptive Frame which is meta, but it also has excellent stats, a decent Origin Trait in Bray Inheritance, is craftable, and has the outrageous combination of Reconstruction and Killing Tally. This Void Heavy weapon is easily the best Legendary Machine Gun in Destiny 2.

God Roll: Reconstruction + KIlling Tally

1. Thunderlord

The Thunderlord’s rise to prominence is arguably one of the biggest 180s we’ve seen in Destiny. Once forgotten and ignored, this Arc Machine Gun is now unimaginably strong offering excellent DPS, unreal add clear, and a frankly broken catalyst that lets it reload its magazine from reserves as it fires.

God Roll: Curated Roll

Best Machine Guns in Destiny 2 PvP

Although Grenade Launchers and Rocket Launchers are generally preferred in PvP for their instakill potential, Machine Guns are still useful as they have a superb time to kill and a huge magazine, perfect for clutching up against the odds with a game-winning play.

5. Qullim’s Terminus

Due to their average time to kill, High-Impact Frame Machine Guns aren’t recommended in PvP. However, Qullim’s Terminus is a standout in its archetype as its craftable and has access to multiple perks that increase its accuracy making it one of the best long-range automatic weapons.

God Roll: Dynamic Sway Reduction/Slickdraw + Eye of the Storm

4. Unwavering Duty

It’s only natural that an LMG exclusive to Trials of Osiris would perform well in PvP. Similarly to Qullim’s, this gets access to some fantastic stability-increasing perks but also has the added bonus of being an Adaptive Frame and therefore having a much more competitive time to kill.

God Roll: Dynamic Sway Reduction + Tap the Trigger

3. Heir Apparent

No, the minigun isn’t just a joke weapon. This unique Exotic is incredible for locking down objectives thanks to its 900 RPM fire rate and huge magazine. The best part of this gun is that it provides an Arc shield when spun up making you tanky, which is still amazing even after it was nerfed in Season 16.

God Roll: Curated Roll

2. Thunderlord

The Thunderlord is best known for its PvE capabilities, but this Arc Heavy weapon excels in PvP too. Much like Cloudstrike, this Machine Gun produces lightning strikes on final blows which can chain multikills together. That coupled with Thunderlord’s great overall feel makes it a strong option to run.

God Roll: Curated Roll

1. Corrective Measures

Corrective Measures is arguably the best Machine Gun in Destiny 2 PvP. High-Impact Reserves is unbelievable in the Crucible as it’s almost constantly procced while Dynamic Sway Reduction helps keep it on target through prolonged fire. It’s easy to use, hits hard, and is a Destiny classic.

God Roll: Dynamic Sway Reduction + High Impact Reserves

That’s everything you need to know about the best Machine Guns in Destiny 2 PvE and PvP. For more useful tips check out some of our other content:

Deepsight Harmonizers: How to farm, use, and what weapons to convert | How to fish in Destiny 2 | Best Exotic weapons | Best PvP Weapons | Best PvE Weapons | Season of the Deep Season Pass: Rewards & ranks | How to get Epochal Integration | Best Titan Builds | Best Warlock Builds | Best Arc 3.0 Builds | Best Solar 3.0 Builds | Best Stasis Builds | Best Void 3.0 Builds