Ed McGlone and Joe Thomaselli
Best Destiny 2 SMGs 2023
Best for PvE & Gambit
Osteo Striga (Kinetic, Exotic) – Purchase from Exotic Kiosk. CALUS Mini Tool (Energy, Solar) – Obtained from Season of the Haunted activities. Unforgiven (Energy, Void) – Possible reward from Duality Dungeon. Huckleberry (Kinetic, Exotic) – Purchase from Exotic Kiosk. Ikelos_SMG (Energy, Arc) – Obtained from Season of the Seraph Activities. Riskrunner (Energy, Arc, Exotic) – Obtained from New Light Quest. Submission (Kinetic) – Possible drop from Vow of the Disciple Raid. Tarrabah (Energy, Solar, Exotic) – Obtained via the Exotic Kiosk.
Amongst all of the primary weapons in the game, SMGs are easily the most popular choice for PvE activities by a large margin. Each of them fits an aggressive playstyle perfectly and has amazing perk pools to work with. New additions include Osteo Striga, CALUS Mini Tool, Unforgiven, and Submission, all top-tier choices in their respective slots. When paired with the new Light 3.0 Subclass builds, some of these SMGs outperform other SMGs and most weapons in the game. Obtaining these listed weapons should be a priority before entering Lightfall.
Best SMGs for PvP & Crucible
Submission (Kinetic) – Possible drop from Vow of the Disciple Raid. CALUS Mini Tool (Energy, Solar) – Obtained from Season of the Haunted activities. Forensic Nightmare (Kinetic) – Obtained from Throne World activities. Huckleberry (Kinetic, Exotic) – Purchase from Exotic Kiosk. Ikelos_SMG (Energy, Arc) – Obtained from Season of the Seraph Activities. Out of Bounds (Energy, Arc) Possible reward from playing Crucible activities. Tarrabah (Energy, Solar, Exotic) – Purchased from Exotic Kiosk.
SMGs in PvP are dominant; there’s really no way to sugarcoat it. Each one of these weapons listed above can help you win matches with ease. New additions include Forensic Nightmare, Out of Bounds, CALUS Mini Tool, and Submission. Submission is the most powerful gun to use for close-quarters combat specifically. That said, even the Exotic SMGs like Huckleberry and Tarrabah can still mow down enemies with relative ease, and they’re both some of the oldest weapons in the game. Unless a nerf is planned for them when Lightfall arrives, it’s safe to assume SMGs will continue to be a powerhouse in both PvE and PvP content in Destiny 2. That’s all for our best SMGs in Destiny 2 for PvE, PvP, & Gambit. If we missed something, let us know in the comments below. If you’re interested in learning more weapon recommendations. Check out our all-encompassing lists below:
Best Weapons for PvE Best Weapons for PvP Best Weapons for Gambit
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