Best Shotguns in Destiny 2 for PvE & PvP

As fun as clicking heads can be it can be equally satisfying to get up close and personal and blast an enemy to shreds. For that, there is no better choice than a shotgun. To help you choose the right one we’ve put together this list of the best Shotguns in Destiny 2 for PvE and PvP.

Shotguns have always been an important part of Destiny 2, especially in PvP where they are usually amongst the best close-range options alongside SMGs.

Even in PvE though they hold their own offering some of the best DPS numbers possible in the right situation. Shotguns are particularly strong in encounters where burst damage is required and you can get up close.

While the below ranking is primarily based on how effective each Shotgun is it also takes into account how easy that weapon is to obtain and farm. Also, Exotic guns are judged more harshly as they use up your sole Exotic slot.

Best Shotguns in Destiny 2 PvE

Due to their inherent lack of range shotguns are far from all-purpose weapons in PvE but in encounters and situations where you can safely get up close they out DPS most other options. With the right build and loadout, they can be well worth using.

Until Its Return

For the most part, Rapid-fire Frame Shotguns aren’t that good but Until Its Return might just be the lone exception. Introduced in Season 21, this Strand Shotgun is practically a Legendary Fourth Horseman thanks to Cascade Point bumping up its fire rate to a spectacular 210 RPM.

God Roll: Auto-Loading Holster + Cascade Point

Wastelander M5

For raw DPS, Slug shotguns dominate the close-range meta but there are a handful of Lightweight Frames that hold their own. Wastelander M5 falls into that category with it feeling great to use, having fantastic range, and getting access to both Trench Barrel and One-Two Punch.

God Roll: Lead From Gold/Pugilist + One-Two Punch

Tractor Cannon

Just the fact that Tractor Cannon can debuff enemies, making them take 30% more damage is more than enough of a reason to use it. Even better it has the ability to suppress enemies and therefore stun Overload Champions. This is a fantastic utility Exotic that can help your team deal more damage.

God Roll: Curated Roll

Heritage

If you want a shotgun strictly to deal a ton of damage against bosses and champions, Heritage is the best choice. This Deep Stone Crypt Raid drop gets access to an incredible set of Perks, is craftable, and it’s a Slug Frame which is the current shotgun PvE meta.

God Roll: Reconstruction/Auto-Loading Holster + Recombination

Conditional Finality

Raid Exotics have had a history of being underwhelming, but that couldn’t be further from the truth for Conditional Finality. This half-Solar, half-Stasis Shotgun deals fantastic damage, can freeze and ignite enemies, and the shatters it set ups are actually better for melee builds than even One-Two Punch.

God Roll: Curated Roll

Best Shotguns in Destiny 2 PvP

With most guns in Destiny 2 having a time to kill of over half a second it goes without saying that any weapon with instant kill potential is going to be strong. Furthermore, PvP maps aren’t usually that big setting the stage for shotguns to dominate.

Found Verdict

Dropped from the Venus Raid, Found Verdict is a remarkable Aggressive Frame Shotgun that offers a nice balance of range and powerful PvP Perks. This is more or less an Arc Felwinter’s Lie but we slightly prefer Found Verdict due to its overall feel, although the Solar alternative is much easier to obtain.

God Roll: Slideshot + Opening Shot

Conditional Finality

It’s pretty rare for a gun to be top-tier in both PvE and PvP and even rarer for an Exotic. Yet Conditional Finality excels in PvP thanks to its ability to freeze Supers on demand and shut down otherwise game-winning plays. Plus it’s just a really effective Shotgun with some excellent range.

God Roll: Curated Roll

Imperial Decree

Imperial Decree has been a fan favorite Shotgun for PvP players ever since it was reissued in Season 18. Originally a difficult to acquire world drop, it was later made available as a craftable pattern via the War Table. If you haven’t got a God Roll Imperial Decree yet, it’s time to get farming.

God Roll: Threat Detector/Slideshot + Opening Shot

Fractethyst

You know a Shotgun has some incredible traits when Slideshot isn’t even the most popular perk in its slot. Fractethyst isn’t easy to farm but those who luck out on acquiring a good one are being blessed with an absolute monster in all departments.

God Roll: Quickdraw/Slideshot + Opening Shot

Matador 64

The undisputed GOAT of PvP Shotguns in Destiny 2, Matador 64 is an absurdly good weapon. Not only does it get some amazing perks, but it also has some juicy range and is even fairly straightforward to farm. Once you have a Matador god roll no other Shotgun matters anymore.

God Roll: Thread Detector/ Perpetual Motion + Opening Shot

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

Best Scout Rifles in Destiny 2  |  Best Pulse Rifles in Destiny 2  | Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2 | 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 | 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