Catalysts are special modifiers for Exotic weapons first introduced in the Warmind expansion for Destiny 2. They improve and upgrade Exotic weapons within the game by either improving stats, giving bonus perks, or raising the magazine size.

Each weapon has its own catalyst and has specific objectives to find them. Catalysts used to function exactly like Masterworks and generate Orbs of Light on multi kills, but this feature was removed. The drop rate for them is unknown, but they are a rare find. Once you find a catalyst for a weapon, you will have to do specific objectives with the weapon, such as precision hits or simply kill enemies in order to unlock the upgrade.

Kinetic weapons

Weapon catalyst Overview Weapon catalyst Overview
Ace of Spades

Source:
Any PvE kills or completions in Strikes or Nightfalls

Objective:
500 Kills

Masterwork:
Firefly deals more damage while Memento Mori is active.

Bad Juju

Source:
Found by completing playlist activities

Objective:
700 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds the perk Unending Curse
Extends the duration of "String of Curses" perk.

Cerberus+1

Source:
Any PvE Kill

Objective:
500 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Focused Fire perk
Hold reload to swap to a tighter, close-ranged spread

Crimson

Source:
Any PvE Kill

Objective:
300 Precision Kills

Masterwork:
Increases weapon range stat by +18

Cryosthesia 77K

Source:
Acquired from "Stasis Trigger" quest

Objective:
700 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Cold Efficiency perk
Shattering a frozen target refills this weapon's magazine from reserves.

Dead Man's Tale

Source:
Acquired from "At Your Fingertips" quest

Objective:
800 PvE Kills
160 Guardian Kills
8 secret chests opened

Masterwork:
Adds Dark-Forged Trigger perk
Increased hipfire rate of fire and removes hipfire accuracy penalties.

Hawkmoon

Source:
Acquired from the Harbinger mission

Objective:
700 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Hunter's Trance perk
Increased magazine size to 9
Increased handling, reload speed, and weapon range based on the number of stacks of Paracausal Charge.

The Huckleberry

Source:
Found by completing playlist activities.

Objective:
500 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Bull Rider perk
Kills with this weapon reload the entire magazine.

Izanagi's Burden

Source:
Found by completing playlist activities

Objective:
500 kills

Masterwork:
Adds Peerless Edge perk
Increased damage bonus of Honed Edge when all 4 bullets are consumed

Jade Rabbit

Source:
Crucible Wins

Objective:
250 PvP kills

Masterwork:
Increased stability +27

Lumina

Source:
Found by completing playlist activities

Objective:
250 Noble Round heals

Masterwork:
Adds Resonant Virtue perk
Gain two Remnants per final blow instead of one

MIDA Multi-Tool

Source:
Competitive Wins with Legendary rank at Glory

Objective:
200 PvP Precision Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Outlaw perk
Increased reload speed after Precision Kill

No Time to Explain

Source:
Acquired from "Soon" quest

Objective:
700 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Blast from the Side perk
Projectiles from the time portal shoots more frequently.

Rat King

Source:
Found by completing Strike activities or defeating Nightfall bosses

Objectives:
1,000 PvE Kills from fireteam member using Rat King

Masterwork:
Adds Infestation perk
Increased aim assist +20
Increased recoil direction +20
Refreshes health when Vermin activates

Sturm

Source:
Any PvE Kill on Nessus

Objective:
500 Sturm Kills and 500 Drang Kills while both weapons are equipped

Masterwork:
Increased handling +40
Increased range +18

SUROS Regime

Source:
Crucible Wins

Objective:
300 PvP Kills

Masterwork:
Adds SUROS Ascendance perk
Increased recoil direction +50
Increased chance for a kill to activate health regeneration

Sweet Business

Source:
Crucible Wins or completions of Strikes

Objective:
250 Multi-Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Serious Business perk
Reduces incoming flinch when firing Sweet Business at full speed

Vigilance Wing

Source:
Crucible Wins

Objective:
250 PvP Kills
5 Blood for Blood medals

Masterwork:
Adds Full Auto Trigger System
Makes the weapon fire fully automatic when holding down the fire button

Witherhoard

Source:
Acquired from "The Bank Job" quest

Objective:
400 kills

Masterwork:
Adds Silent Alarm perk
Maximizes handling, holstering this weapon automatically reloads it after a short period of time.

Energy weapons

Weapon catalyst Overview Weapon catalyst Overview
Borealis

Source:
Any PvE Kill

Objective:
150 Solar Mode Kills
150 Void Mode Kills
150 Arc Mode Kills

Masterwork:
Increased reload speed +18

Coldheart

Source:
Found by completing Strike activities or defeating Nightfall bosses

Objective:
500 Kills

Masterwork:
Increased stability +18
Increased reload speed +18

Duality

Source:
Acquired "Walk the Line" quest

Objective:
400 Kills

Masterwork:
Increased range +20
Increased magazine size +2

Eriana's Vow

Source:
Acquired from "The Vow" quest

Objective:
700 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds More to Give perk
Adds Auto-Loading Holster perk
Increased magazine size +3
Holstering this weapon automatically reloads it after a short period of time

Weapon catalyst Obtained from Objectives

(All Kills must be done with the respective weapon)

Catalyst Perk

Fighting Lion

Killing any PVE enemy
  • 1000 Kills
  • 167 Bounties completed (while catalyst is inserted)
Increases the weapon reload speed stat by +27

Adds the perk Chimera

(When Fighting Lion is fired, equipped Kinetic and Power weapon gain increased handling and accuracy stats for a brief period of time)

Graviton Lance

Kills and, or Wins in Crucible or Kills and, or completions in Strikes and, or Nightfalls
  • 500 Kills
  • 1000 Cosmology kills
Increases the weapon range stat by +18

Adds the perk Hidden Hand

(Increases the weapon aim assist and targeting acquisition stats)

Hardlight

Kills and, or completions in Strikes and, or Nightfalls
  • 1000 Kills
Increases the weapon stability stat by +18

Lord of Wolves

Completions in Gambit, Crucible, Strikes and, or Nightfalls
  • 500 Kills
Adds the perk Fang and Claw (Increases the weapon reload speed stat while the perk Release the Wolves is active and increases the weapon stability stat when it is not)

Merciless

Kills and, or completions in Strikes and, or Nightfalls
  • 500 Kills
Increases the weapon stability stat by +36 and the weapon range stat by +36

Polaris Lance

Completions of Strikes, Nightfall Ordeals, Crucible and Gambit
  • 500 Kills
  • 50 Perfect Fifth kills
Adds the perk Dragonfly (Precision kills create an explosion around defeated enemy)

Prometheus Lens

Kills and, or completions in Strikes and, or Nightfalls
  • 500 Kills
Increases the weapon stability stat by +18 and the weapon handling stat by +18

Riskrunner

Kills and, or completions in Strikes and, or Nightfalls or by completing the Pain and Gain questline
  • 500 Kills
  • 50 Arc Conductor kills
Increases the weapon range stat by +27

Ruinous Effigy

Any PvE Kills or ̶b̶y̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶t̶r̶o̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶S̶a̶v̶a̶t̶h̶u̶n̶'̶s̶ ̶E̶y̶e̶s̶ ̶

5000 points are needed to complete the catalyst,

1 enemy kill gives 1 point, 1̶ ̶S̶a̶v̶a̶t̶h̶u̶n̶ ̶E̶y̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶t̶r̶o̶y̶e̶d̶ ̶g̶i̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶1̶5̶0̶ ̶p̶o̶i̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶

  • 5000 kills

or

  • ̶3̶4̶ ̶e̶y̶e̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶t̶r̶o̶y̶e̶d̶
Adds the perk Deconstruction (This weapon deals increased damage against targets damaged by Transmutation spheres)

Skyburner's Oath

Completions of Strikes, Nightfall Ordeals, Crucible and Gambit
  • 1000 Cabal kills
Increases the weapon range stat by +27

Sunshot

Kills and, or Wins in Crucible or Kills and, or completions in Strikes and, or Nightfalls
  • 500 Kills
  • 1000 Sun Blast kills
Increases the weapon stability stat by +18 and the weapon range stat by +27

Symmetry

Complete the quest from Banshee-44
  • 700 Kills
Adds the perk Electric Styx (Increases the max stack size of Dynamic Charge from x15 to x20)

Telesto

Completions of Legendary or Master Lost Sectors
  • 300 Kills
Adds the perk Deeper Pockets (Increases the weapon magazine size to by +3 and expands the ammo reserves)

Ticuu's Divination

Complete the quest from Banshee-44
  • 700 Kills
Adds the perk Causality Quiver

(Perfectly drawn arrows that detonate Sacred Flames increase arrow damage. Striking targets unaffected by Sacred Flame instead refreshes Causality Arrows' duration.)

Tommy's Matchbook

Complete the quest from Banshee-44
  • 700 Kills
Adds the perk Heat of the Moment (While Ignition Trigger is active, your health recovers much faster.)

Trinity Ghoul

Completions and, or kills in Gambit, Crucible, Strikes and, or Nightfalls
  • 400 Kills
Adds the perk Forked Lightning (Reduces the weapon draw time by -108 and the perk Lightning Rod now triggers from any arc damage final blow)

Power weapons

Weapon catalyst Overview Weapon catalyst Overview
Black Talon

Source:
Any PVE Kill

Objective:
350 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Reversal perk
Shots blocked immediately after guarding increase the damage of Crow’s Wings for a very short duration.

The Colony

Source:
Crucible Wins

Objective:
500 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Deeper Pockets perk
Increased weapon magazine +1
Increased ammo reserves +3

D.A.R.C.I.

Source:
Any PVE Kills

Objective:
300 Precision kills

Masterwork:
Increased stability +18

Legend of Acrius

Source:
Nightfall: Ordeal strike completions

Objective:
500 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Deeper Pockets perk
Increased reload speed +36
Increased ammo reserves +4

Leviathan's Breath

Source:
Defeat powerful enemies with Leviathan's Breath

Objective:
1500 Kills or 8 Wrathborn Targets

Masterwork:
Adds Colossal Quiver perk
Increased quiver size +5

Sleeper Simulant

Source:
Nightfall: Ordeal strike completions

Objective:
300 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Deeper Pockets perk
Adds Accelerated Coils perk
Increased ammo reserve +4
Increased charge rate

The Prospector

Source:
Defeat Nightfall bosses
Completions of Strike playlist

Objective:
500 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Deeper Pockets perk
Increased blast radius +20
Increased ammo reserves +75

Tractor Cannon

Source:
Any PvE Kills

Objective:
300 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Deeper Pockets perk
Increased ammo reserve +5

The Wardcliff Coil

Source:
Defeat Nightfall bosses
Completions of Strike playlist

Objective:
500 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Pinpoint Guidance Module perk
Improved tracking on projectiles

Worldline Zero

Source:
Any PvE Kill with a Sword

Objective:
300 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds Another Dimension perk
Reduces the activation time Tesseract perk

Currently unavailable

Weapon catalyst Overview Weapon catalyst Overview
Outbreak Perfected

Source:
Currently Unavailable

Objective:
500 Precision Kills
500 SIVA particulate from Zero Hour

Masterwork:
Adds Disease Vector perk
Increased nanite damage
Enemies that die while under the effect of SIVA nanites will spread the ailment to nearby foes.

Whisper of the Worm

Source:
Currently Unavailable

Objective:
Obtain 100 Blighted Essense from The Whisper Heroic

Masterwork:
Adds Whispered Breathing perk
Increased reload speed
Aiming this weapon without firing for a brief moment grants bonus range and precision damage while it remains zoomed.

The Fourth Horseman

Source:
Currently Unavailable

Objective:
400 Kills

Masterwork:
Adds And its name was Death perk
Adds an additional rounds to the magazine
Increases reload speed by +40

List of appearances

References