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Exotics are a coveted item type in the Destiny franchise, granting powerful benefits that are usually build-enabling. Only one Exotic weapon and armor piece can be equipped at a time, but that doesn't mean you should only own one. With hundreds of Exotics to chase, you'll want a good roll for each Exotic in the game.

Related: Destiny 2: A Complete Guide To Armor 2.0

Fortunately, there has never been a better time in Destiny 2 to farm Exotic gear. Lost Sectors, Nightfalls, and casual alternatives have made earning Exotics easier than in past years. If you're looking to farm the best armor rolls for your Exotic armor collection, look no further. Here are the best activities for farming Exotics you should try in Destiny 2.

Updated November 3rd, 2021, by Charles Burgar: Exotics have become more and more important throughout Destiny 2's lifespan. Bungie's shift towards buildcrafting and tough endgame content has made endgame Exotic farming an essential part of gearing your character—both for PvE and PvP players. To help you chase the perfect Exotic rolls, we've updated this list with additional sources of Exotics and updated some of our older entries.

Legend And Master Lost Sectors

Destiny 2 Perdition Lost Sector

Destiny 2: Beyond Light introduced Legendary Lost Sectors. Each day, two Lost Sectors are upgraded with a higher difficulty variant—one Legend, the other Master—that includes additional modifiers and Champions. Should you clear a Legend or Master Lost Sector solo, you have a high chance of receiving an Exotic armor piece. These Exotic armor pieces will always drop in a specific armor slot (head, chest, arms, or legs). Master has a higher drop rate than Legend, although Master is much harder.

There are two caveats with this:

  1. These Lost Sectors must be completed solo.
  2. You'll need to wait for a Lost Sector to have a certain category of Exotic in its reward pool.

Related: Destiny 2: Tips For Farming Legendary Lost Sectors

Completing a Lost Sector in a fireteam voids the Exotic armor reward. As for the second point, Legend and Master Lost Sectors rotate their Exotic drops daily. This rotation is predetermined. If a Legend Lost Sector is dropping helmets, for example, it will drop leg armor on the next day. Drops rotate in this order:

  1. Helmet
  2. Leg Armor
  3. Arms
  4. Chest Armor

If you can handle both of those caveats, you can easily complete these Lost Sectors in three to four minutes on Legend difficulty, seven to eight minutes on Master. Every two to four runs will give an Exotic on these runs, making it a fantastic Exotic farm when Nightfalls don't have a double loot week.

The Best Legendary Lost Sectors

Quite a few Lost Sectors have been released in Year 4 of Destiny 2, so which ones are the best to farm? Here are a few of our recommended Legend Lost Sectors to farm:

  • Veles Labyrinth (Cosmodrome): Arguably the easiest Lost Sector in Destiny 2. You can clear this entire Lost Sector in two minutes or less.
  • Bunker E15 (Europa): This Lost Sector gives you AI companions partway through. It's a great Lost Sector for lower-level players looking to acquire their first few Exotics.
  • The Quarry (EDZ): You'll need a good build, but it's possible to clear this Lost Sector in around two minutes. This is one of the shortest Lost Sectors you can farm.
  • K1 Revelation (Moon): If your build has good add-clear, this is a fairly easy Lost Sector to speedrun.

Should you attempt any of these Lost Sectors solo, we have a guide on efficiently beating each of them. You can find them in our complete guide here.

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Nightfall: The Ordeal

Destiny 2 Champion

Nightfalls are also a fantastic way to farm Exotic armor and Masterwork materials, especially if there is a double loot week active. If you do not own the Beyond Light expansion, this will be your best means of farming Exotic gear. The higher the Nightfall difficulty, the more likely an Exotic will drop. If you're playing on Grandmaster difficulty, you'll always get an Exotic armor piece on a Platinum clear. But be warned: GM Nightfalls are extremely tough, arguably one of the hardest activities in Destiny 2.

Related: Destiny 2: The Best Perks You Need On Your Weapons

Master Nightfalls are much easier than GMs, their Power Level being set to that season's Power Level hard cap. Master Nightfalls also have a wide range of modifiers, notable ones being Match Game and the Champion types you'll be facing. Find a team, coordinate your loadouts, and prepare to grind out these missions. As long as you are at the recommended Power Level, Master Nightfalls shouldn't pose much of a threat.

Double Nightfall Loot

Every so often, Bungie will announce on the login screen that a double Nightfall week is occurring. This means that Nightfall completions grant two rewards instead of just one, meaning you can get twice as many Exotics or additional Masterwork materials. Whenever a double loot week is ongoing, farming Nightfalls is an excellent way to farm Exotic gear. Otherwise, Nightfalls are solid but not as efficient as Legend or Master Lost Sectors.

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Xur And The Season Pass

Both Xur and the Season Pass can grant Exotics. Neither of these sources are farmable, but they are so accessible that every player should be aware of them.

Xur

Destiny 2 Xur EDZ
  • Amount: Two Engrams + a specific weapon and armor piece.

Xur is a unique NPC that visits one of three curated locations from Friday to the weekly reset on Tuesday. He always brings an Exotic weapon, one Exotic armor piece for each class, a Fated Engram that grants a non-duplicate Exotic item, and an Exotic Cipher quest. Completing this quest lets you purchase a second non-duplicate Fated Engram or an older Exotic from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower. Visit Xur every weekend to fill out your Exotic collection.

For more information on Xur, including spawn locations and how Fated Engrams work, consult this guide.

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Season Pass Rewards

Destiny 2 Season Pass Exotic Engrams
  • Amount: 2 (free), 8 (paid)

Certain ranks in the Season Pass grant Exotic Engrams. Free players get two engrams, while current season owners can get up to eight. Season Pass owners gain Exotic Engrams at the following ranks:

  • Rank 20 (Free): x1 Exotic Engram
  • Rank 25 (Paid): x1 Exotic Engram
  • Rank 54 (Paid): x1 Exotic Engram
  • Rank 65 (Free): x1 Exotic Engram
  • Rank 65 (Paid): x1 Exotic Engram
  • Rank 74 (Paid): x1 Exotic Engram
  • Rank 88 (Paid): x1 Exotic Engram
  • Rank 98 (Paid): x1 Exotic Engram

Be sure to claim these whenever you can. If you didn't claim Exotic Engrams from last season, you can do so from the Bungie.net website. You can find a link to it here.

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Weekly Challenges

Destiny 2 Weekly Challenges

Weekly Challenges—turning in eight bounties, completing core activities, et cetera—have a small chance of granting an Exotic when completed. While this isn't consistent nor a repeatable farm, this gives casual players a decent chance to obtain an Exotic they don't own.

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Ritual Playlists

Destiny 2 Proving Grounds Strike Final Boss Entrance

Bungie has overhauled the reward structure of Destiny 2's ritual playlists over the past few seasons. Strikes, Crucible, and Gambit each have a unique ranking system and reward track. One of these rewards is an Exotic Engram, allowing you to farm Exotics at a casual pace by playing your favorite content.

Vanguard Strikes

Ana Bray and Zavala in Destiny 2 cutscene

Vanguard Ranks refer to your reputation with Commander Zavala at the Tower. Playing Vanguard Strikes, Battlegrounds, and Nightfalls will increase your Vanguard Rank, allowing you to acquire Masterwork materials and Exotic Engrams from Zavala after you've reached certain ranks. After you've reset your Vanguard Rank once, all future rank 16 rewards will be one Exotic Engram.

For tips on maximizing your time farming Vanguard Ranks, check out the guides below:

Crucible

Destiny 2 Shaxx Standing

Crucible Ranks, otherwise known as Valor, is your reputation with Lord Shaxx in the Tower. As you complete Crucible matches, you'll gain progress towards your Valor. Shaxx will give out Masterwork materials at most ranks, although reaching rank 16 after your first Valor reset will grant one Exotic Engram. Since PvP matches are much faster than PvE strikes and Gambit, most players farm Crucible Valor instead of the other two reputation systems for rewards.

If you'd like to learn more about Valor and Shaxx's reward track, consult the guide below:

Gambit

Destiny 2 A close-up of the Drifter with his hand holding a jade coin in focus and the background blurred

Gambit Ranks, typically referred to as Infamy, is the reputation mechanic tied to the Drifter and Gambit playlist. As you complete Gambit matches, you'll earn Infamy that will unlock Masterwork materials and other goodies in the Drifter's reward track. Once you've reset your Infamy, you'll receive an Exotic Engram whenever you reach Infamy rank 16. If you love Gambit and build up an Activity Streak, this is a solid means of obtaining Exotics.

For more information on Gambit Infamy and the Drifter's reward track, check out the guide below:

What's The Best Playlist To Farm?

Crucible's Valor Ranks are the easiest to increase out of the three ritual playlists. PvP matches are fairly short, Activity Streaks are easy to build, and a double Valor week always occurs every month alongside Iron Banner. If you enjoy Destiny 2's PvP component, you'll be able to earn Exotic Engrams at a fairly consistent rate.

If you can't stand Destiny 2's Crucible, then our second recommendation would be Vanguard Ranks. Farming Hero-tier Nightfalls or short strikes will grant a sizable amount of Vanguard Rank earnings every hour. Keep your eyes out for double Vanguard Rank weeks and for short weekly Nightfalls like the Lake of Shadows.

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Next: Destiny 2: Beyond Light Complete Guide And Walkthrough