Xur has returned again to Destiny 2, complete with new exotic and legendary gear for players to check out for a limited time. It's been a tough week for the Destiny community after news broke that veteran actor and also the voice of Commander Zavala, Lance Reddick has passed away. The news has left many in shock and wondering where Bungie will be taking Zavala going forward. The studio posted a short tribute both on social media and through an in-game message, while also confirming Zavala's role in upcoming seasons.
In what seems to be a weekly tradition, Bungie also issued a new hot fix for Destiny 2 this week, finally reeling in the damage caused by Cabal Thresher ships. Fans have been calling for a fix for a while as the ship's damage didn't make sense, typically one shotting players in various encounters and while patrolling locations like Neomuna. Thankfully, those days appear to be over for the time being.
In the meantime, the weekend merchant Xur has made a return to the world of Destiny 2. Follow this guide for his most current weekend location, news on his exotic cipher quest, as well as a review of all the exotic and legendary gear he's brought for the weekend of March 24, 2023.
Where is Xur?
This weekend, players can hunt for Xur on Nessus in his familiar tree.
From the Director, head to Nessus and load into Watcher's Grave. Run towards the back of the zone where a massive tree is found. Jump up until players find the huge branch where the merchant is hanging out.
Class Armor and Exotic Cipher
Xur's role continues to offer the usual weekly quests, exotics, and legendary gear. Not only are these quests required to purchase a second fated engram, but they're necessary to acquire legacy exotic gear from the Tower kiosk. Players can earn a new cipher by completing strikes and winning crucible or gambit matches. Gain bonus points for playing with clan mates or finishing more challenging activities.
Xur continues to sell even more gear outside his usual content. In addition to his normal exotic gear, Xur now has Legendary Weapons and Armor for sale in exchange for Legendary Shards and Glimmer.
Exotic Armor
Verity's Brow - Warlock helmet
Verity's Brow is an exotic helm which was originally given to all players who finished the Warmind DLC campaign, which is now inside the Destiny Content Vault. Its exotic perk is called The Fourth Magic, which causes energy weapon kills to boost grenade energy for the player and any nearby enemies. This effect can stack up to three times.
The item itself is definitely useful, especially when paired with strong energy weapons like Riskrunner. However, it's not a top tier item and the roll isn't terribly great for Warlocks either, with a higher than needed mobility stat.
Stat Values (64 Total):
- Mobility +12
- Resilience +8
- Recovery +11
- Discipline +6
- Intellect +19
- Strength +8
Shinobu's Vow - Hunter chest armor
New Tricks is the Intrinsic Perk on the Shinobu's Vow, essentially giving Arcstriders an extra skip grenade (as long as that is selected as the grenade type). In addition, the perk improves the grenade and any damage done to enemies will return a bit of grenade energy. It's worth keeping in mind that the item was tweaked for PvP game modes, which reduced grenade-energy gain per hit by 66%.
Having an extra grenade is always a good thing regardless of the activity, though this one has very specific requirements and won't appeal to every Hunters. This can be a powerful tool for Arcstriders who have Skip grenades equipped, though they'd have to opt not to use the Raiden Flux exotic, which increases the damage and duration of the Arcstrider super. Whether that trade off is worth it is up to the player. There are certainly better options out there, but if used correctly, this item can ensure that skip grenade players always have something to throw. Unfortunately, the stat roll is pretty mediocre this week, so it's certainly not a priority pickup this week.
Stat Values (61 Total):
- Mobility +3
- Resilience +19
- Recovery +10
- Discipline +14
- Intellect +2
- Strength +13
Actium War Rig - Titan chest armor
When the Actium War Rig is paired with an auto rifle or Machine Gun, the Actium War Rig turns the player into a shredder. Auto-Loading Link steadily reloads a portion of your equipped Auto Rifle or Machine gun's magazine from reserves.
Thankfully, Destiny 2 has a ton of viable assault rifles these days, so this exotic is a solid pickup. Titan's have the best roll this week in terms of overall totals, though the roll is a bit odd with high mobility, so players will have to add some mods to counter that.
Stat Values (66 total):
- Mobility +13
- Resilience +3
- Recovery +17
- Discipline +18
- Intellect +2
- Strength +13
Exotic Weapon
For better or worse, The Queenbreaker heavy linear fusion rifle is in stock again, after appearing multiple times throughout February. It allows players to pick how they want the gun to fire. Through Marksman sights, players can stack additional damage with long-range sights that also display ammo and charge levels. The tradeoff is that it takes the gun a little longer to fully charge before firing. Combat sights give the player faster charges and greater handling, though they can't zoom in as far.
The exotic perk for this weapon is called Wire Rifle which fires a long range precision Arc bolt that blinds enemies on hit. Players can also change the sights on it which impacts charge time and damage. This is a bit of a skill weapon, so it won't be for everyone. However, those who give it a chance will find that it's pretty useful in the right situations, even though it requires heavy ammo.
Additional perks:
- Enhanced Battery
- Fitted Stock
- Hip Fire Grip/Quickdraw
Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale Rolls
Since Season 16 removed the Presage and Harbinger exotic missions, Xur is also selling both Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale with randomized rolls. Players should visit him each weekend as he'll be carrying different rolls.
Hawkmoon Rolls:
- Arrowhead Brake
- Alloy Magazine
- Rangefinder
- Heavy Grip
Dead Man's Tale Rolls:
- Full Bore
- Light Mag
- Moving Target
- Hand-Laid Stock
Here's the complete rundown of Xur's exotic stock in Destiny 2 for March 24, 2023:
- Verity's Brow (Warlock helmet) – 23 Legendary Shards
- Shinobu's Vow (Hunter chest armor) – 23 Legendary Shards
- Actium War Rig (Titan chest armor) – 23 Legendary Shards
- The Queenbreaker (Linear Fusion Rifle) - 29 Legendary Shards
- Hawkmoon (Hand Cannon) - 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Legendary Shards, 1 Exotic Cipher, 1 Ascendant Shard
- Dead Man's Tale (Scout Rifle) - 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Legendary Shards, 1 Exotic Cipher, 1 Ascendant Shard
- Exotic Engram - 97 Legendary Shards/1 Exotic Cipher
- A Question - Exotic Cipher Quest
Legendary Gear
Xur's Set of Legendary Armor and Weapons. All gear costs 50 Legendary Shards and 1000 Glimmer.
- Night Watch (Kinetic Scout Rifle)
- No Reprieve (Kinetic Shotgun)
- Blood Feud (Kinetic Submachine Gun)
- Thoughtless (Kinetic Sniper Rifle)
- IKELOS SR v1.0.3 (Energy Sniper Rifle Gun)
- Hollow Words (Energy Fusion Rifle)
- Fire and Forget (Heavy Linear Fusion Rifle)
- Eidolon Armor Set
Destiny 2 is now available PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.