This iconic Destiny 2 Exotic is finally getting a Catalyst

Bungie has confirmed that arguably Destiny’s most iconic Hand Cannon is finally getting an Exotic catalyst which could see it thrown back into the PvE meta after years of irrelevance.

Destiny 2 is defined by its sandbox with it being central to just about every buildcrafting element in Bungie’s looter shooter. From the best Exotics to best PvE guns, the constantly evolving meta is driven by updates to the sandbox.

It’s not just new guns that keep things fresh either. Bungie regularly updates older weapons with new perks and – in the case of Exotics – new catalysts. These can be incredibly impactful as we saw with Monte Carlo.

Now Bungie has revealed the next Exotic in line to get the catalyst treatment and it is arguably the most iconic of all.

Thorn catalyst brings back one of Destiny 2’s most loved Exotics

In a TWID posted on September 21, Bungie confirmed that Thorn will be the Exotic to receive a new catalyst in Season 23. This comes seven years after the Exotic Hand Cannon was first added to Destiny.

Revealing the catalyst, Bungie posted: “Look, you can admit it. Don’t be shy. It’s OK to say out loud that you enjoy the ever-loving Traveler out of going fully stabby-stabby with the recently added Monte Carlo catalyst. We get it, we’re not here to judge. In the same vein, have you considered Thorn for your loadout lately?”

The Thorn catalyst will have the following effect: “Grants bonus Range (+20) and Stability (+10). Dealing a final blow or absorbing a Remnant grants additional increased weapon range, as well as increased Mobility and Handling for a short time.”

With it effectively being an upgraded KIlling Wind, this catalyst won’t make proccing Soul Devourer any easier but since it triggers on Final Blows you won’t have to worry about that. Given how strong Hand Cannons are in PvE right now a buff like this could easily see Thorn become meta.

As for PvP, Thorn is already a strong option and one of the better Exotics to use in The Crucible. So free stat boosts just for securing a Final Blow certainly won’t hurt its chances of becoming top-tier.