Warlocks in PvP: Where’s Our Game-Changing Exotic?
Hi everyone,
I’m an average player who started his Destiny 2 journey during The Witch Queen DLC. Since then, I’ve racked up over 5000 hours in the game (yes, I know… no life). I’ve dabbled in everything Destiny 2 has to offer but stayed primarily for PvP.
I’m not a top-tier gamer—my highest rank in the competitive playlist was Adept, which I’ve reached twice. In Trials of Osiris, I’ve gone Flawless 19 times. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s honest work! I enjoyed Trials because it felt less chaotic compared to 6v6 modes filled with supers and shared heavy ammo (seriously, why does the whole team get heavy?). The prestige of going Flawless kept me coming back almost every weekend.
The Current PvP Experience
Lately, though, I’ve had to let go of my Flawless aspirations. Whatever matchmaking system is active right now has me consistently facing much stronger opponents. For example, this past weekend, I played about 10 games of Trials—and didn’t win a single one. I understand the skill delta in Trials matchmaking is wide, but it feels too wide now.
So, I’ve embraced the chaos and shifted my focus to experimenting with fun, off-meta builds.
The Build Experiment
Seeing how Prismatic Titans are dominating with their one-hit melee kills and diamond lance combos, I wondered if there was something comparable for Warlocks—my main class. Winter’s Guile came to mind. For those unfamiliar, it grants a bonus that automatically shatters targets frozen by Penumbral Blast. My inner mad scientist was thrilled to try it out!
But to my disappointment, it doesn’t work in PvP. Neither on the Stasis nor Prismatic subclasses.
The Bigger Picture
Bungie, is there a reason for this? Warlocks are the least represented class in the game, and I can’t think of any PvP builds that are as strong as what Titans and Hunters currently have.
For example:
Titans: One-hit melee builds (e.g., Prismatic melee+diamond lance combos), overshields from Barricades and exotics like One-Eyed Mask etc.
Hunters: Invisibility spam, endless utility with builds like Young Ahamkara’s Spine for trap-heavy playstyles, or even the constant awareness and versatility of Knucklehead Radar.
Meanwhile, Warlocks are left with inconsistent or underwhelming options. The only standout is Lightning Surge, but let’s be honest—most Warlock mains will agree it’s inconsistent. You can occasionally get flashy kills, but it requires specific exotics and a high-risk kamikaze playstyle.
When it comes to PvP, Warlock exotic options feel lackluster. Ophidian Aspect and Transversive Steps are staples, but they don’t fundamentally change how you play. Sure, there are alternatives like Sanguine Alchemy, Briarbinds or Starfire Protocol, but they rarely pay off in PvP; especially in higher-skill lobbies.
The Question
When are Warlocks going to get an exotic that truly shakes up the PvP meta? Something impactful, something competitive. Titans and Hunters have multiple standout options—why can’t we?
I’d love to hear thoughts from fellow Guardians and, hopefully, get some insight from Bungie. Let’s bring Warlocks back into the PvP conversation!
You should think of yourself more highly! You reaching above ranks in competitive like that is impressive!
I do think Warlocks have great Exotics, like Rain of Fire, Getaway Artist, Osmiomancy, and Astrocyte. Some are not as flashy and wouldn't mind a cool flashy effect for Warlocks!
I've been on Prismatic with Solipsism - Necrotic + Claws using Pocket Singularity! It is fun and helpful to have blasts of volatile poison. Stasis is also nice.