The exotic machine gun Xenophage was considered by the community as possibly the worst exotic of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. Bungie has since buffed the exotic weapon, but many are still skeptical. Rightly so? Or is the insect MG now worth the exotic slot?
What this weapon is about: The Xenophage, which caused a stir before its release as a so-called bug MG, is an exotic machine gun with solar damage for the power slot.
Its perk, Pyrotoxin Rounds, may sound rather unimpressive, but it fires powerful explosive ammunition. However, the MG plays quite differently than its counterparts.
It has very little ammunition and fires very slowly – essentially like a linear fusion rifle or a type of railgun, just without charge delay and without damage drop-off.
Why the worst Shadowkeep exotic? When first details about the Xenophage leaked shortly before the release of Shadowkeep, many were curious about what the so-called bug MG could do.
When the first players finally held the Xenophage after a lengthy quest, disappointment quickly set in. The weapon proved to be far too weak, had too little ammunition in the eyes of many Guardians, and could not land critical hits. In short: The weapon was considered non-competitive.
Many Guardians wondered whether the weapon should even come into the game in this form and whether the Xenophage was rather bugged. Quickly, the new exotic MG gained the reputation of the worst Shadowkeep exotic.
This is how Bungie adjusted the Xenophage: Bungie admitted that the Xenophage was too weak and vowed to improve it. With the update 2.7.0, the weapon received
- a buff for 50% more damage in PvE
- slightly more ammunition from crates in PvP.
Otherwise, nothing had changed about the weapon.
How does this exotic MG play after the buff? Is the additional damage alone enough to make the Xenophage competitive or even viable? Did Bungie save the exotic?
Well, the additional PvE damage is certainly noticeable since the buff, but the Xenophage will not become a DPS monster and can only make stronger impacts situationally compared to before. Especially against majors, this weapon is now very effective – thanks to the lack of damage drop-off and excellent target acquisition over all distances.
But when it comes to maximum DPS (for example, against raid bosses), there are many far better alternatives for the heavy and especially for the exotic slot – such as the sniper rifle Izanagi’s Burden or a combination of the Grenade Launcher Anarchy and a sniper.
In terms of damage output, the Xenophage can now best be compared to sniper rifles. However, these usually require special ammunition and often leave the heavy slot open for alternatives like a grenade launcher, which the Xenophage generally cannot exceed in terms of damage. Even with snipers from the heavy slot, this MG cannot truly compete.
In short: With the Xenophage, your power and exotic slot is blocked without any really notable advantages, which significantly limits the effective combinations with other powerful weapons.
Moreover, the Xenophage still suffers from its perhaps biggest problem – too little ammunition:
- It has too little ammunition to effectively fight smaller enemies or larger groups of enemies. You’ll run out of ammo faster than you can say that.
- It has too little ammunition for sufficient damage output in raids (against raid bosses) and falls short against many alternatives.
Is the Xenophage now worthy of the exotic slot? It depends. Situationally, the Xenophage can indeed impress and show its strength – especially in fights against majors and smaller bosses.
It has excellent target acquisition, and against moving or smaller targets, you’ll hit much more easily than with many grenade launchers or sniper rifles. Moreover, it does not matter where you hit your enemies – even a grazing shot on the little toe is enough since the weapon cannot land critical hits. Almost every major falls after two shots. For smaller bosses, it has just the right amount of ammunition. They also pose no problem.
Even in activities like the Sundial – especially with active heavy weight modifier – the Xenophage hits majors or champions like a real field howitzer. Therefore, it is a worthwhile alternative. In the first two phases of the Shadowkeep raid “Garden of Salvation”, for example, it is now also often used against Cyclops and Angels.
In all other respects, this relatively young weapon exotic struggles. Because both in fighting adds and enemy groups, as well as against the most challenging bosses, there are far better alternatives or possible combinations.
In conclusion, the Xenophage now has a better standing than before after its buff. However, it is still far from being a top weapon or an absolute must-have and can only shine very limitedly.
For more about the performance of the Xenophage after its buff, check out this video by Ehroar:
Do you use this exotic weapon after its buff and if so, for what? Or do you still not think much of the Xenophage? What are your experiences with this MG after the adjustment?
