In Destiny 2, kinetic weapons deal more damage than energy weapons, right? There are significant differences in PvP and PvE.
Those who have read our comprehensive weapon guide for Destiny 2 or have examined the weapons in the game closely know that kinetic weapons deal more damage in PvE than energy weapons of the same weapon archetype.
Specifically, this means: An automatic rifle with a fire rate of 450 in the kinetic slot depletes the health of a standard enemy in PvE faster than an automatic rifle with a fire rate of 450 in the energy slot.
This knowledge is not new; it was already known before the launch of Destiny 2. During the beta, smart minds conducted tests.
Now, the Redditor Kitsunekinder presents new, interesting test results. He experimented with kinetic and energy weapons of the same archetype in PvE and PvP, pitting them against standard enemies, shielded opponents, and Guardians with and without active Supers. In PvE, he always fought at the same spawn point against the same enemies. No mods were used.
Kinetic weapons deal 10% more damage in PvE than energy weapons
We directly summarize the most exciting findings:
- In PvE, kinetic weapons deal 10% more damage to enemies without shields than energy weapons of the same weapon archetype.
- In PvE, energy weapons deal nearly three times the damage to enemy shields than kinetic weapons of the same archetype. The elemental type does not matter here.
- In PvP, kinetic and energy weapons deal exactly the same damage in standard engagements, as long as the weapons belong to the same archetype.
- In PvP, an energy weapon deals 10% more damage to Guardians with an active Super than kinetic weapons of the same archetype. The elemental type does not matter.
Important: The differences always refer to the same weapon archetype. A kinetic scout rifle, for example, does not deal 10% more damage in PvE than an energy automatic rifle.
In practice, these results mean:
- When a heavy opponent with a shield approaches you in PvE, first shoot down the shield with the energy weapon, then switch to the kinetic weapon and finish him off.
- In PvP, it usually doesn’t matter whether you have a kinetic or an energy weapon. If an enemy with an active Super comes around the corner, whip out the energy weapon.
Another finding that the user stumbled upon during his tests: Elite enemies (with yellow health bars) take the same body shot damage as standard enemies, but elite enemies suffer around 50% less crit damage than standard enemies.
Keep in mind that these numbers are not official but are based on community test results.
If you want more information about the weapons and for instance are still unsure about what matching elements do in PvE, then take a look at our weapon guide for Destiny 2.
