Let’s start this guide for the best SMGs in Destiny 2 for PvE, PvP, and Gambit in 2022 by having a moment of silence for Recluse, the undisputed queen of Destiny 2’s PvE scene until the moment it was sunset… Thank you. On to the rest of this guide.

Best Destiny 2 SMGs 2022

Best for PvE & Gambit

  • Escape Velocity (Kinetic) – Random world drop.
  • Extraordinary Rendition (Kinetic) – Reward from Battlegrounds content.
  • Friction Fire (Kinetic) – Random world drop.
  • Huckleberry (Kinetic, Exotic) – Rare exotic world drop.
  • Ikelos_SMG (Energy, Arc) – Random world drop.
  • Riskrunner (Energy, Arc, Exotic) – Rare exotic world drop.
  • Seventh Seraph VY-7 (Energy, Arc) – Random world drop.
  • Stochastic Variable (Energy, Arc) – Random world drop.
  • Tarrabah (Energy, Solar, Exotic) – Obtained via the exotic kiosk.

Aggressive frames are in right now when it comes to legendary SMG options, and your best bets there are Ikelos_SMG and Extraordinary Rendition which are both very popular. Seventh Seraph VY-7 is also a decent choice if you prefer it while still being able to make Warmind Cells. Although Warmind Cells aren’t nearly as powerful as they once were, they are still decent to have around and are still workable in some builds.

On the exotic end of things, Huckleberry is among the most underrated weapons in the game. There are few better Kinetic trash mob clearing weapons in the game and it’s just a blast to use. Like almost any other SMG, it’s not going to be great against anything particularly tanky.

When I say almost any other SMG, what I’m alluding to is Tarrabah. Tarrabah is a pain in the butt to use. You have to charge up Ravenous Beast to get it to do anything special and you can’t stow it or even look at your ghost otherwise the bar restarts.

However, if you commit to the Tarrabah playstyle and get Ravenous Beast active, Tarrabah turns into an absolute monster of a weapon capable of even denting high HP majors. When used with elemental well mods such as Font of Might, you can stack the damage even higher.

If you’re planning on fighting lots of Fallen, such as in the Deep Stone Crypt raid (particular first and third encounters) Riskrunner will smoke Fallen thanks to its chain lightning capability after taking arc damage (a favorite of the Fallen).

Best SMGs for PvP & Crucible

  • Death Adder (Energy, Solar) – Random world drop.
  • Escape Velocity (Kinetic) – Random world drop.
  • Extraordinary Rendition (Kinetic) – Reward from Battlegrounds content.
  • Friction Fire (Kinetic) – Random world drop.
  • Huckleberry (Kinetic, Exotic) – Rare exotic world drop.
  • Ikelos_SMG (Energy, Arc) – Random world drop.
  • Shayura’s Wrath (Energy, Void) – Reward from Trials of Osiris.
  • Tarrabah (Energy, Solar, Exotic) – Purchased from exotic kiosk.

SMGs, in PvP, are kind of in a weird spot right now. There are only a few that stand out from the crowd. This is because auto rifles will do a similar job from a further range, and if you’re going to be super up close, you might as well be using a shotgun.

More or less it’s the same guns as in PvE but with more PvP-minded perks instead. Don’t sleep on Huckleberry or Tarrabah though. Huckleberry if you can chain some Rampages is very powerful especially since it uses the original Rampage damage values, not the nerfed version.

Tarrabah with Ravenous Beast active in PvP is essentially ten or so seconds of being able to delete enemies instantly… getting Ravenous Beast active is the hard part though.

Those aside, Shayura’s Wrath from Trials of Osiris is a popular PvP SMG at the moment as well if you can get your hands on it.

That’s all for our best SMGs in Destiny 2 for PvE, PvP, & Gambit. If we missed something, let us know in the comments below. If you’re interested in learning more weapon recommendations. Check out our all-encompassing lists below: