The beginning of every new Destiny 2 season always has a new sense of discovery to it. New exotics are released into the mix, sandbox updates shake up weapon balance, and a new seasonal artifact buffs a selection of weapon types. With all that happening, these first few days of a season are often a time of experimentation and trying to land on what is best for PvP after the changes and additions.

This season has the added impetus of Trials of Osiris returning, so many players are scrambling to try out new weapons and builds to see what is most effective to take into Trials, Destiny 2's endgame PvP mode. While there can always be surprises along the way of the season, with the full reveal of the patch notes and the artifact, it is possible to start making predictions and educated guesses as to how the meta will shift in Season of the Worthy.

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The Rise of Auto Rifles

Last season, sidearms saw a massive resurgence that snuck up on a lot of players. A seemingly simple change in the sandbox update for Season 9 that buffed the target acquisition of sidearms did wonders for the weapon class and instantly raised the prominence of sidearms in PvP.

Similarly, players should expect to see a resurgence of auto rifles in Season 10. The fact that the Tommy's Matchbook exotic auto rifle, which paying season owners get right away on the paid track of the season pass, is the exotic of to start off the season is a tip of the hat as to what developer Bungie focused on for Season 10. There are also multiple seasonal artifact mods that directly impact auto rifles in a positive way, increasing their target acquisition and reload speed, as well as reducing flinch.

Even beyond that, in Update 2.8.0, auto rifles received a damage buff across the board this season with the exact numbers and buffs varying depending on the exact auto rifle archetype. But the 600 rounds-per-minute Adaptive Frame auto rifles are likely the favorite for the season with a great balance of firing speed and the ability to control the recoil and shake. Good exotic auto rifle picks for this season are likely to be SUROS Regime, Monte Carlo, and Hardlight.

Sidearms: Still Relevant

Sidearms did not receive any buffs or nerfs in Season 10 and remain unchanged from last season. And that is a good thing because they are currently in a great spot. Add to that a number of seasonal artifact mods that impact sidearms in a positive way just as they do auto rifles as mentioned above. And that means that they will likely still be widely used in Season 10. Sidearms can be the perfect pairing with a special weapon like a sniper rifle or a fusion rifle, so expect to still see a lot of them in the Crucible. And consider using a sidearm, even in Trials of Osiris.

Aggressive Frame Sniper Rifles

Sniper rifles received a nerf this season with both the 90 RPM Adaptive Frame snipers and the Rapid-Fire Frame snipers being made less effective in some key ways. Adaptive Frames, like Beloved and Sole Survivor, can no longer one-shot supers and Rapid-Fire Frames can no longer two-tap opponents to the body, much to the chagrin of many players. Because of those nerfs, expect to see more of the harder-hitting 72 RPM Aggressive Frame sniper rifles.

In particular, the pinnacle sniper Revoker is likely to be showing up a lot, especially in the Trials of Osiris environment. It is an Aggressive Frame sniper, able to one-shot opponents in their super, but it has great stats and feels almost as snappy as an Adaptive Frame. Throw in the fact that it can regenerate ammo for missed shots, and it is likely to be seen a lot this season. Another popular sniper that is likely to show up more is Tatara Gaze from Black Armory.

Missing in Action

As for the weapons that players will likely see a lot less of, The Last Word was nerfed hard and will likely fall out of players' loadouts in favor of another hand cannon or a sidearm. Lord of Wolves and its Release the Wolves perk were greatly nerfed as well, so other consistent shotguns will likely take its place as well. Fusion rifles, in particular ones like Erentil, are a bit of a question mark, but their use could see a reduction. Backup Plan and range on fusion rifles were adjusted, so these could potentially see less play in Season 10.

Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.

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