Destiny 2: How To Earn Exotic Catalysts And What All Of Them Do

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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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Posts 2 By Charles Burgar

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.

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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): High-Impact Reserves Refit: This weapon deals more damage towards the bottom half of the magazine. Hatchling Refit: Precision kills and multikills spawn a Threadling. One for All Weapon: Hitting 3 separate targets grants a 35% damage buff for 10 seconds. 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): Feeding Frenzy Under Pressure Outlaw 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): Enduring Snare Refit: Snarewaever traps last longer. Multi-Threaded Snare Refit: Snareweaver traps can suspend more targets. Vorpal Weapon: This weapon deals 20% more damage to bosses and Champions. Guardians in their Super take 50% more damage. Hatchling Refit: Precision final blows spawn a Threadling at the target's location.

Destiny 2 Choir Of One Exotic Auto Rifle

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): Subsistence Destabilizing Rounds 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): Repulsor Brace Loose Change Stats for All 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.

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.