One of Destiny 2’s strongest-ever Exotic weapons has continued to dominate in Trials of Osiris even after receiving nerfs.
In a balance patch on July 2, Khvostov 7G-0X received three adjustments to rein in its prevalence. One of these “corrected an issue that was significantly reducing recoil”, while increasing stability by 30 to compensate.
The remaining two changes curbed the damage of Khvostov‘s The Right Choice Exotic perk, resulting in its ricochet rounds dealing less damage across the board.
Despite this, the auto rifle has remained a top pick in PvP. Per Destiny Trials Report, as of writing, Khvostov has accounted for 7% of all Trials kills, more than any other gun.
Red Death Reformed, having received its Catalyst with Echoes Act 2 on July 16, has been a close second at 6%.
Staple PvP workhorses such as Igneous Hammer (Adept), Ace of Spades, Rose, and Conditional Finality have remained prevalent, albeit to a lesser degree due to the new options added in The Final Shape.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Trials of Osiris runs from daily reset on Fridays until the following weekly reset on Tuesdays, so there’s still plenty of time for standings to change. However, considering Khvostov already has a lead of 50,000 kills over second place, there’s unlikely to be too much movement.
The question is whether the results from this weekend will prompt Bungie to consider a second balance pass to reduce Khvostov’s potency further.
Looking for something new to spice up your PvP loadouts? Someday, a Precision Frame shotgun obtained from the Pale Heart, has access to an incredible perk pool and is absolutely worth hunting Red Borders for.
For a general overview of the PvP meta, check out our rundown of all the best Legendary and Exotic weapons and their respective God rolls to use in the Crucible.