Of all the iconic Exotics to return from Destiny 1 in Destiny 2, Red Death was one of the least likely. Having been somewhat usurped by Crimson, a unique burst-fire hand cannon that was effectively a reincarnation of Red Death, many thought this pulse rifle would be left behind. Well, thanks to The Final Shape expansion, we’ve got our very own Destiny 2 Red Death - though it’s not quite how you remember it. Whether you’re a veteran or not, here’s how to get Red Death in Destiny 2 and its new Exotic perks.
Alongside the likes of raid-Exotic Euphony, Red Death is one of the many new Destiny 2 The Final Shape Exotics that you can get your hands on. Some involve grinding, and others task you with completing the Destiny 2 The Final Shape missions, but Red Death is much simpler than that.
How to Get Red Death in Destiny 2
In Destiny 2, Red Death is immediately unlocked at level one of the premium Episode 1: Echoes battle pass. If you don’t have the premium pass, then you can unlock Red Death at tier 40 of the free rewards track. There is also a Red Death Ornament called Old Blood unlocked at level 100 which gives the weapon its iconic design from Destiny 1.
Destiny 2’s version of Red Death is known as Red Death Reformed and borrows its new look from concept art for the original incarnation of the weapon. Unlike its Destiny 1 counterpart, however, it’s much easier to unlock. In Destiny 1, you’d have to hope luck was on your side as it was a reward from Exotic engrams and a possible item in Xur’s inventory each week. In Destiny 2, on the other hand, it’s as simple as progressing through the battle pass for Episode 1: Echoes.
Destiny 2 Red Death Perks
Red Death Reformed has the following perks in Destiny 2:
- Redemption Intrinsic Trait: Final blows with this weapon cure you and increase reload speed; reloading after final blows cures nearby allies.
- Inverse Relationship Trait: When you deal damage with this weapon, it gains increased handling, takes reduced flinch, and movement speed is increased for a short time. When you are at reduced health, this weapon deals additional damage.
- Element: Solar
Granting Cure x2 simply for landing final blows, Red Death Reformed is an incredibly strong weapon in both PvE and PvP. Not only do you get great survivability, but you’ll also benefit from blazingly quick reload speed, better handling, flinch resistance, and movement speed. In other words, Destiny 2’s Red Death is everything you could ever want from an Exotic weapon.
As a Solar weapon, Red Death will charge the Light meter upon getting kills if you are using the Prismatic subclass. While Kinetic weapons are rising in popularity due to their ability to charge both Light and Darkness bars at the same time, combining Red Death with more Darkness abilities can make up for it. Besides, it's an incredibly strong weapon in its own right. Check out the best Destiny 2 Prismatic Hunter builds, Prismatic Warlock builds, and Prismatic Titan builds to find out more.
Destiny 2 Red Death Catalyst
Red Death’s Catalyst in Destiny 2 can be unlocked through a quest that involves defeating targets with the weapon to unlock the Catalyst, as was the case with previous Seasonal Exotic weapons.
The Red Death Catalyst perk is as follows:
- Helping Hand - Final blows charge this weapon. When the weapon is charged, the next final blow creates a healing burst at your location and leaves a remnant behind that provides restoration to allies.
So, that’s all you need to know to get your hands on Red Death in Destiny 2, its perks, and its Catalyst. It will be a great weapon to use as you beat waves in the new Destiny 2 Overthrow activity or crack on with challenges in the Pathfinder system. Packing a serious punch, Red Death could even be a good choice to use in the Salvation's Edge raid, which could also give you the Euphony Exotic weapon if you're lucky.