Meta Destiny 2 SMGs are back to dominate PvP after colossal buff

In Update 8.1.5.3, Bungie gave SMGs a massive buff, setting them up to make a return to Destiny 2’s PvP meta and to dominate The Crucible yet again.

The two big changes were that their magazine capacity was increased by 10-15% and the Target Lock nerf was reverted, returning the once dominant perk back to its former state.

As a reminder, Target Lock was nerfed in Update 7.3.5 to activate slower on SMGs. This greatly reduced its impact, as you had to land several shots before it would trigger, essentially making it worthless in PvP, where a kill only requires a handful of well-placed shots.

This being reverted has the potential to shake up the PvP meta big time. After all, prior to the initial nerf, SMGs that had Target lock were dominating close-range gunfights, and there’s no reason to assume that won’t be the case again.

Target Lock is back on the menu

Dexerto

It wasn’t that long ago that The Immortal was one of the best primary weapons in The Crucible. As recent as March 2024, the Strand SMG offered unrivaled range and impressive consistency, putting it well ahead of the competition.

It was largely The Immortal’s dominance that led to Rangefinder getting an SMG-exclusive nerf back in Lightfall. Funnily enough, that alone didn’t remove it from the meta, with it remaining a competitive option until Target Lock was later nerfed.

With that nerf now reverted, The Immortal can finally make its return alongside other meta candidates like Unending Tempest and Shayura’s Wrath. All of these have benefitted a lot from this patch and could be a real problem in the next Trials of Osiris weekend.

You may already have meta rolls for these weapons sitting in your vault, and if so, it’s well worth taking them out and giving them another go. However, if you don’t have any meta SMGs, your best bet is giving Lord Shaxx a visit and focusing Unending Tempest to land a Dynamic Sway Reduction + Target Lock god roll.

Keep in mind, Crucible weapons have massive perk pools, so you’ll ideally want to reset Shaxx’s reputation two or three times before spending Engrams. That way you can roll multiple perks in each column, increasing your chance of landing the best roll possible.