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Weapon Tiers (1-5)
Learn more about the Weapon Tier System in Destiny 2, first released in Edge of Fate.
What is the Weapon Tier System?
- Weapon Tiers are a 1–5 quality system for Legendary weapons in Destiny 2.
- Higher-tier weapons gain stronger upgrade benefits, such as enhanced traits, enhanced weapon mods, enhanced barrels and magazines, enhanced Origin Traits, bonus stats when fully Masterworked, and prestige cosmetics at Tier 5.
- A higher tier does not automatically make a bad roll better than a lower-tier god roll.
- Perk synergy still matters most!
- Weapon Tiers give players more flexibility, stronger enhanced options, and better chase value when farming endgame or high-scoring activities.
- This system works similar to Armor 3.0 Tiering. To read more about Armor 3.0 and Armor Tiers, click here.
June 16, 2026
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How Weapon Tiers Work
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Weapon Tier System?
- Weapon Tiers are a 1–5 quality system for Legendary weapons in Destiny 2. Higher-tier weapons gain stronger upgrade benefits, such as enhanced traits, enhanced weapon mods, enhanced barrels and magazines, enhanced Origin Traits, bonus stats when fully Masterworked, and prestige cosmetics at Tier 5.
Can You Upgrade a Weapon’s Tier?
- Yes. Eligible weapons that are part of the Gear Tiering system can be upgraded through Weapon Tier Upgrading.
- This allows a lower-tier weapon to unlock higher-tier benefits, including enhanced perks, enhanced components, enhanced Origin Traits, and Tier 5 cosmetics.
- However, upgrading a weapon does not add extra perk options to its columns.
- If you want a weapon with multiple selectable perks, you still need to chase a natural multi-perk drop.
Should I Keep Lower-Tier Weapons?
- Yes, if the roll is strong!
- A lower-tier weapon with excellent perks can still outperform a higher-tier weapon with weak synergy.
- Keep strong rolls, especially if the weapon can be upgraded through Weapon Tier Upgrading.
- This is especially true with endgame content, such as raids, where weapons are harder to acquire than traditional activities.
- When Edge of Fate arrived, it introduced a brand new weapon tier system, replacing the original system that had weapon enhancements and adept weapons.
- Notes:
- Tier 5 weapons are intended to feel special, a prestige effect for earning that weapon, similar to how legacy adept weapons felt.
- Higher tier weapons receive extra stats when masterworked, on top of the bonus stats from the masterwork.
- Armor will also be tiered 1-5. To learn more about Armor 3.0, click here.
Weapon Optimization
Weapon Tier Benefits
Higher-tier Legendary weapons unlock stronger upgrade options, better chase value, and additional endgame benefits. Tier benefits build on one another as the weapon moves from Tier 1 to Tier 5.
Tier 1–5 Overview
| Tier | Primary Benefit | Drop / Roll Impact | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Base Legendary Weapon Standard Legendary weapon functionality. | Does not gain extra trait options from the tier system. | A strong Tier 1 roll can still be worth keeping, especially if the weapon is eligible for tier upgrading. |
| Tier 2 | Enhanced Traits Unlocks enhanced left-column and right-column trait perks. | Improves the strength or utility of selected perk traits. |
This is where a weapon starts gaining meaningful upgrade value beyond its base roll.
Enhanced Perks |
| Tier 3 | Enhanced Weapon Mods Unlocks Enhanced Weapon Mods. | Natural Tier 3 drops can roll with two trait options per trait column. |
Tier 3 is the first major farming breakpoint because it improves both buildcrafting flexibility and natural drop quality.
Enhanced Mods |
| Tier 4 | Enhanced Components Unlocks enhanced weapon components, such as barrels and magazines. | Improves the weapon’s component-level stat and feel tuning. |
Tier 4 is where strong rolls can be pushed further through enhanced barrels, magazines, and similar component upgrades.
Enhanced Components |
| Tier 5 | Enhanced Origin Traits & Cosmetics Unlocks enhanced Origin Traits and Tier 5 cosmetic / combat flair. | Natural Tier 5 drops can roll with three trait options per trait column. |
Tier 5 is the top chase tier. Fully Masterworked Tier 5 weapons gain an additional stat bonus on top of the normal Masterwork bonus.
Top Tier Chase |
Important: upgrading a weapon’s tier unlocks higher-tier benefits, but it does not add extra perk options to existing columns. Natural multi-perk drops still matter.
How to Earn Higher-Tier Weapons
- Higher-tier weapons come from higher-quality reward sources.
- In Ops activities, better performance grades lead to better reward tiers.
- Featured dungeons are one of the most direct sources of Tier 5 weapons, while vendors can focus Tier 3 or Tier 4 weapons depending on your Power level.
- Focused weapons can be upgraded to Tier 5, but activities remain the most consistent source of natural Tier 5 drops.
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