Most of Destiny 2's weapons can be enhanced by Masterworking them. When a weapon is Masterworked, it gains additional properties such as bonus stats or new perks. Legendary weapons also receive a +10 increase to a random stat that's rolled when the weapon is obtained.

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Exotics work a bit differently. Rather than obtain a random stat bump, these weapons gain massive stat increases or new perks. Masterworking an Exotic requires the discovery of an Exotic Catalyst, an item that can drop from certain activities. Most Exotics, but not all, have a Catalyst that Guardians can earn. This guide will cover everything from what Catalysts are to what every single Exotic Catalyst does in Destiny 2.

Updated May 9, 2025, by Charles Burgar: Episode: Heresy has added some new Exotic Catalysts to Destiny 2 that are quite powerful, notably Rewind Rounds for the recently-updated Queenbreaker LFR. We've updated this guide to include every Exotic Catalyst added in Episode: Heresy, including every catalyst variant for Barrow-Dyad.

What Are Exotic Catalysts?

Exotic Catalysts are a unique item found in a variety of activities. When you receive a Catalyst for a particular Exotic weapon, you can apply that Catalyst to an Exotic weapon from its perk menu. If a weapon does not have a Catalyst slot in its perk menu, it doesn't have one and, therefore, cannot be Masterworked.

These Catalysts will Masterwork a weapon once their Catalyst objective is complete. While the objective varies from Exotic to Exotic, they generally ask for 500 combatant kills while using that weapon.

Once a Catalyst objective is complete, inspect the weapon one more time and apply the Masterwork by hovering over the Catalyst icon. That Exotic weapon is now Masterworked, gaining additional stats or even a new perk.

Exotic Catalyst Drop Locations

Virtually every matchmade activity in Destiny 2 has an Exotic Catalyst in its drop table. While the Beyond Light expansion did sunset many of these activities, there are still quite a few ways to earn Catalysts.

Every Exotic weapon in Destiny 2 that has a Catalyst can be farmed from a certain activity. The MIDA Multi-Tool Catalyst, for example, only drops in the Competitive Crucible playlist. Some Exotic Catalysts can drop from a variety of activities, one example being the Trinity Ghoul Catalyst which drops from strikes, Crucible, or Gambit matches

If you're looking for a specific Exotic Catalyst, they are all listed in the nested tables below. Once again, if an Exotic weapon does not have a Catalyst slot in its perk screen, it cannot be Masterworked.

Primary Exotic Catalysts

Weapon

Drop Source

Catalyst Effect

Ace of Spades

Strikes and Nightfalls

Get 500 kills

New perk (Funeral Pyre): Firefly deals more damage while Memento Mori is active.

Alethonym

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 500 kills

New perk (One for All): Hitting three separate targets in a short period grants a 35% damage buff for 10 seconds.

Bad Juju

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills

New perk (Unending Curse): Extends the duration of String of Curses by one second.

Barrow-Dyad

Episode: Heresy Quests

New perk (pick one):

  1. High-Impact Reserves Refit: This weapon deals more damage towards the bottom half of the magazine.
  2. Hatchling Refit: Precision kills and multikills spawn a Threadling.
  3. One for All Weapon: Hitting 3 separate targets grants a 35% damage buff for 10 seconds.
  4. Target Lock Refit: Damage increases the longer this weapon remains on a target.

Centrifuse

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Static Buildup): While Amplified, this weapon gradually gains overcharge.

Cerberus+1

PvE Combatants

Get 500 kills

New perk (Focused Fire): After a final blow, hold the reload button to swap to a tighter, close-ranged spread that deals increased damage.

Crimson

PvE Combatants

Get 500 kills

+20 Range

Cryosthesia 77K

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Cold Efficiency): Shattering a frozen target refills this weapon's magazine from reserves.

Dead Man's Tale

Presage (Expert)

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (Dark-Forged Trigger): Increased hipfire rate of fire and removes hipfire accuracy penalties.

Fighting Lion

PvE Combatants

500 kills; complete 100 bounties

New perk (Chimera): +30 reload speed; after this weapon fires, equipped Kinetic and Power weapons gain a brief period of increased handling and accuracy.

Final Warning

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 700 kills

New perk (String Theory): Hits against marked targets deal increased damage and have a chance to refund ammo to the magazine.

Graviton Lance

Stikes and Nightfalls

Get 500 kills and 100 Cosmology kills

New perk (Hidden Hand): +20 range; better target acquisition (grants +15 aim assist).

Hard Light

Strikes and Nightfalls

Get 1,000 kills

+25 stability.

Hawkmoon

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 700 kills

New perk (Hunter's Trance): +1 magazine size; gain increased handling, reload speed, and weapon range based on the number of stacks of Paracausal Charge.

Hierarchy of Needs

Spire of the Watcher (Master)

Get 700 kills

New perk (Panoptic Tessellation): Deploying a Guidance Ring or striking a target with a seeking projectile improves draw time and reload speed for a moderate duration.

The Huckleberry

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills

New perk (Kinetic Tremors): Sustained damage to a target emits a shockwave that damages all nearby targets.

The Jade Rabbit

Crucible

Get 500 kills

+30 stability.

Le Monarque

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 700 kills

New perk (Unrelenting): +18 reload speed and +27 stability; rapidly defeating targets triggers health regeneration. Guardians and powerful combatants count as more than one kill.

Lodestar

Season Pass Reward

Get 700 kills

New perk (Supercharged Matrix): While Amplified, this weapon gains greatly increased reload speed, aim assist, and movement speed while aiming down sights.

Lumina

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Heal 250 Guardians with Noble Rounds

New perk (Resonant Virtue): Gain two Remnants per final blow instead of one.

Malfeasance

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 700 kills

New perk (Vorpal Weapon): +20 range; deal 20% increased damage against bosses and vehicles. Guardians in Super take 50% more damage.

The Manticore

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 500 kills

New perk (Flying Monster): Final blows with this weapon while airborne grant damage resistance.

Monte Carlo

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 700 kills

New perk (Stochastic Vengeance): At x5 Markov Chain, hold reload to charge your bayonet. Landing a bayonet melee hit grants melee energy.

MIDA Multi-Tool

Competitive PvP

Land 250 precision kills in PvP

New perk (No Distractions): Aiming this weapon for a short period reduces flinch.

Necrochasm

Crota's End

Acquire 35 Oversoul Essence

New perk (One For Thrall): Hitting three separate targets increases damage, range, handling, and aim assist for a moderate duration.

No Time to Explain

Exo Stranger Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Blast from the Side): Projectiles from the time portal shoot more frequently.

Osteo Striga

Get Osteo Striga to Level 10+

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (Osteo Striga Catalyst): Poison final blows return ammo to the magazine.

Outbreak Perfected

Zero Hour (Expert)

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (Disease Vector): Increases nanite damage. Enemies that die with nanites attached to them generate additional nanites.

Polaris Lance

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills and 50 The Perfect Fifth kills

New perk (Dragonfly): Precision kills create an elemental damage explosion.

Quicksilver Storm

Post-Lightfall Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Nano-Entanglement): This weapon's damage type becomes Strand. Final blows with grenades from this weapon create Tangles.

Rat King

Strikes and Nightfalls

Get 1,000 kills while you or anyone in your fireteam is using Rat King

New perk (Infestation): Improved aim assist and recoil direction. Refreshes health on Vermin invisibility trigger. +20 aim assist, recoil, and +80 bounce intensity

Red Death Reformed

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Helping Hand): Final blows charge the weapon. Once charged, your next kill creates a healing burst at your location and leaves a remnant behind that provides restoration to allies.

Revision Zero

Operation: Seraph's Shield

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (pick one):

  1. Feeding Frenzy
  2. Under Pressure
  3. Outlaw
  4. Fourth Time's the Charm

Riskrunner

Pain and Gain quest

Get 500 kills and 50 Arc Conductor kills

+30 range

Skyburner's Oath

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

500 Cabal kills

+20 reload speed

Sturm

Nessus kills

Get 500 kills and 500 Drang kills

+20 range, +40 handling

Sunshot

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills and 100 Sun Blast kills

+30 range, +20 stability

SUROS Regime

Crucible

Get 300 kills

New perk (SUROS Ascendance): Increases chance for kills to regen health. +50 recoil and bounce intensity.

Sweet Business

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 250 multikills

New perk (Serious Business): When this weapon is fully spun up, the flinch from incoming damage is greatly reduced.

Symmetry

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Electric Styx): Increases the maximum number of Dynamic Charge stacks to 20.

New perk (Eddy Current): Gain reload speed and handling after sprinting or while Amplified. The effect is improved while you're Amplified.

Thorn

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills

New perk (Refined Soul): Dealing a final blow or absorbing a Remnant grants additional increased range, as well as increased mobility and handling for a short time. +15 range, +5 stability

Ticuu's Divination

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Causality Quiver): Perfectly drawn arrows that detonate Sacred Flames increase arrow damage, up to +100%. Striking targets unaffected by Sacred Flame instead refreshes Causality Arrows' duration.

Tommy's Matchbook

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Heat of the Moment): While Ignition Trigger is active, your health recovers much faster, and sustained fire Scorches your target.

Touch of Malice

King's Fall

Get 700 kills

New perk ( Rapid Hit): Rapid precision hits temporarily increase stability and reload speed.

Traveler's Chosen

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 700 kills

New Perk (Osmosis): Using your grenade ability changes this weapon's damage type to match your subclass until you stow it. +2 magazine size.

New Perk (Surplus): Increases handling, reload speed, and stability for each fully charged ability.

Trespasser

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Tunnel Vision): Reloading after defeating a target greatly increases target acquisition and aim down sight speed for a short duration.

Trinity Ghoul

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 400 kills

New perk (Forked Lightning): Lightning Rod now triggers from any Arc damage final blow. -30 draw time.

Verglas Curve

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Shiver Quiver): Freezing a target grants this weapon faster draw speed for a short duration.

Vex Mythoclast

Vault of Glass

Get 700 kills

New perk (Calculated Balance): While in full auto mode, final blows with this weapon grant 20% bonus damage, accuracy, and stability for a short duration.

Vigilance Wing

Crucible

Get 250 kills

New perk (Ensemble): Improves handling and reload speed when allies are nearby.

Wicked Implement

Whetstone

Get 700 kills

New perk (Hadopelagic Tribute): Collecting Stasis Shards gradually overflows the magazine.

New perk (Headstone): Precision final blows generate a Stasis Crystal at the target's location.

Wish-Keeper

Starcrossed

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (pick one):

  1. Enduring Snare Refit: Snarewaever traps last longer.
  2. Multi-Threaded Snare Refit: Snareweaver traps can suspend more targets.
  3. Vorpal Weapon: This weapon deals 20% more damage to bosses and Champions. Guardians in their Super take 50% more damage.
  4. Hatchling Refit: Precision final blows spawn a Threadling at the target's location.
read more

Special Exotic Catalyst

Weapon

Drop Source

Catalyst Effect

Ager's Scepter

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 1,000 kills

New perk (Will Given Form): Hold reload to drain Super energy, overflowing the magazine and empowering the beam with bonus damage and the ability to slow and freeze targets until the magazine or Super energy runs out, or the weapon is stowed. Can only be activated when Super energy is full.

Arbalest

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills

New perk (Genesis): Breaking a combatant's shield with this weapon fills its magazine from reserves. +1 magazine size.

Borealis

PvE Combatants

Get 150 Arc, Solar, and Void kills

+20 reload speed

Buried Bloodline

Warlord's Ruin

Get 500 kills

New perk (Splitvein Lineage): While Devour is active, this weapon weakens on hit.

Choir of One

Encore

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (pick one):

  1. Subsistence
  2. Destabilizing Rounds
  3. Onslaught

Cloudstrike

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 400 kills

New perk (Triple Tap): Rapidly landing precision hits will return one round to the magazine. +25 handling.

Coldheart

PvE Combatants; Nightfalls

Get 300 kills

+20 reload speed and stability

Dead Messenger

Vox Obscura (Expert)

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (Turnabout): Using this weapon to break the shield of a combatant or a Guardian using their Super will grant you an overshield.

Delicate Tomb

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills.

New perk (Ionic Interment): Collecting an Ionic Trace partially reloads the magazine from reserves.

Duality

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 400 kills

+20 range, +2 magazine size

Ergo Sum

Excision (Grandmaster)

Get 500 kills

New perk (Transcendent Steel): Dealing damage with a Transcendent grenade grants Ergo Sum ammo.

Eriana's Vow

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 400 kills

New perk (More to Give): Increases magazine size by three. Holstering this weapon automatically reloads it after a short period of time.

Ex Diris

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 400 kills

New perk (Berserk Rush): Weapon enrages faster while Amplified. Final blows with this weapon make you Amplified.

Forerunner

Xur's Treasure Hoard

Get 700 kills

New perk (The Rock): For several seconds after a final blow, hold reload to consume part of your ammo reserves, converting your next thrown grenade into a fragmentation grenade.

The Fourth Horseman

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 400 kills

New perk (And Its Name Was Death): Adds an additional round to the magazine and increases reload speed. +40 reload speed.

Ice Breaker

Vesper's Host Quest.

New perk (Icing-Breaker): Landing a hit on a slowed or frozent arget has a chance to return the round to the magazine.

Izanagi's Burden

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills

New perk (Peerless Edge): Increases the damage bonus of Honed Edge by 20% when four bullets are consumed.

Jötunn

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills

New perk (Cornered): Faster charge time or draw time when surrounded by combatants.

New perk (Incandescent): Defeating a target spreads scorch to those nearby. More powerful combatants and opposing Guardians cause scorch in a larger radius.

Lord of Wolves

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills

New perk (Fang and Claw): Increases reload speed while Release the Wolves is active, and increases stability when it is not.

Lorentz Driver

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 400 kills

New perk (Jump Driver): Lorentz Driver gains an enhanced radar. Additionally, while this weapon has 3 telemetry patterns, Em Anomaly detonations no longer require a precision final blow.

Merciless

Strikes and Nightfalls

Get 500 kills

+40 range, +40 stability

The Navigator

Ghosts of the Deep

Get 500 kills

New perk: Special reload and then fire to create a Grapple Tangle at the targeted point.

Prometheus Lens

Strikes and Nightfalls

Get 500 kills

+20 stability, +20 handling

Ruinous Effigy

PvE Combatants

Get 700 kills

New perk (Deconstruction): This weapon deals increased damage against targets damaged by Transmutation spheres (targets take 25% increased damage).

Slayer's Fang

Kell's Fall

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (pick one):

  1. Repulsor Brace
  2. Loose Change
  3. Stats for All
  4. Cascade Point

Telesto

Expert Lost Sectors

Get 300 kills

New perk (Deeper Pockets): Increased ammo reserves. +3 magazine size.

Tessellation

Final Shape Quest

Get 400 kills

New perk (Property: Unavoidable): Targets near the blast of Property: Irreducible are [afflicted}burdened}cursed] with an elemental effect matching your equipped grenade's damage type.

Witherhoard

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 400 kills

New perk (Silent Alarm): Increases handling. Holstering this weapon automatically reloads it after a short period of time. +40 handling.

read more

Heavy Exotic Catalysts

Weapon

Drop Source

Catalyst Effect

Black Talon

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 350 kills

New perk (Reversal): Shots blocked immediately after guarding increase the damage of Crow's Wings by 50% for two seconds.

The Colony

Crucible

Get 500 kills

New perk (Deeper Pockets): Increased ammo reserves. +1 magazine size.

D.A.R.C.I.

PvE Combatants

Get 100 kills

+20 Stability; New perk (Networked Targeting): While Personal Assistant is active, hits grant this weapon and nearby allies' non-Exotic Sniper Rifles increased weapon performance and precision damage.

Granting maximum stacks of the effect to an ally grants this weapon bonus damage.

Deathbringer

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 400 kills

New perk (Dead Weight): Increases how quickly Dark Descent reaches its full potential.

Dragon's Breath

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Pyromancer): This weapon replenishes its fuel faster. Defeating targets with this weapon causes them to periodically drop Firesprites.

Finality's Augur

Sundered Doctrine Quest

New perk (Bait and Switch): Dealing damage with all three weapons in a short duration increases this weapon's damage by 30% for 10 seconds.

Gjallarhorn

Grasp of Avarice

Get 400 kills

New perk (More Wolves): Increases magazine size. Final blows with Wolfpack Rounds spawn a faster, more powerful missile at the target's location. +1 magazine size.

Grand Overture

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills

New perk (Grant Overture Catalyst): Missile explosions will blind combatants. Those defeated by missile impacts then explode. +20 Handling and Stability.

Heir Apparent

Guardian Games Event

Complete Catalyst Quest

New perk (Legion's Bulwark): Increases the Arc Shield's durability and partially reloads the magazine if it is destroyed.

Legend of Acrius

Banshee-44 Quest

Get 700 kills.

New perk (Deeper Pockets): Increased ammo reserves. +40 reload speed, +4 magazine size.

Leviathan's Breath

Bosses slain by Leviathan's Breath

Get 500 kills

New perk (Colossal Quiver): Increases quiver size (grants five additional arrows in your reserves).

New perk (Archer's Tempo): Draw time decreases after every precision hit.

The Prospector

Strikes and Nightfalls

Get 500 kills

+40 blast radius, +50 reload speed

The Queenbreaker

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 400 kills

New perk (Rewind Rounds): When this weapon's magazine is empty, it refills from reserves based on the number of hits.

Sleeper Simulant

Nightfalls

Get 300 kills

New perk (Deeper Pockets): Increased ammo reserves. -75 charge time.

Thunderlord

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 500 kills

New perk (Return Stroke): Causing a lightning strike with this weapon partially reloads the magazine from reserves.

Tractor Cannon

PvE Combatants

Get 300 kills

+20 reload speed, +2 magazine size

Two-Tailed Fox

Strikes, Crucible, Gambit

Get 350 kills

New perk (Third Tail): Adds an additional Arc rocket to the second shot in a volley. The Arc rocket Jolts targets.

The Wardcliff Coil

Strikes and Nightfalls

Get 500 kills

New perk (Pinpoint Guidance Module): Improved tracking on projectiles.

Whisper of the Worm

The Whisper (Expert)

Reforge at the Enclave

New perk (Whispered Breathing): Aiming this weapon without firing for a brief moment grants bonus range and precision damage while it remains zoomed. +30 reload speed.

Worldline Zero

PvE Combatants

Get 300 kills

New perk (Another Dimension): Reduces the activation time of Tesseract.

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