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Destiny 2 Red Death Reformed: How to get and catalyst

Step aside Lumina, you have some competition

The Red Death Reformed exotic pulse rifle with The Pale Heart Destiny 2 location in the background
Credit: Bungie

Want to know if the Red Death Reformed Exotic pulse rifle is worth your time in Destiny 2? In this guide, we'll explain how to obtain the weapon, its perks, and the steps to acquire its catalyst.

Veteran Destiny fans will remember the Red Death from the first game. Much has changed since it was playable, and as the name implies, this version of Red Death Reformed introduced with The Final Shape retains only a few core elements from its predecessor but tuned to be in sync with the current Destiny 2 sandbox.

If you were yearning for a weapon similar to Lumina, then Red Death Reformed might be right up your alley.

How to get Red Death Reformed in Destiny 2

Getting the Red Death Reformed is super straightforward: it's a season pass reward for Episode 1: Echoes. If you purchase the premium track it's an instant reward, meanwhile, players who opt only to chase the free rewards can unlock it when they reach tier 40.

The season pass is where you'll get all things related to this pulse rifle, including a unique ornament called Old Blood which gives the Red Death its grittier Destiny look. This is unlocked at tier 100.

Red Death Reformed perks in Destiny 2

Red Death Reformed comes with two Exotic traits that allow the weapon to become more stable. More importantly, it can heal yourself and teammates.

The Red Death Reformed exotic pulse rifle inspection screen with its stats in Destiny 2

Red Death is back and better than before

  • Redemption: Final blows with this weapon cure you and increase reload speed; reloading after final blows cures nearby allies
  • Inverse Relationship: When you deal damage with this weapon, it gains increased handling, takes reduced flinch, and movement speed is increased for a short time. When you are at reduced health, this weapon deals additional damage

Red Death Reformed deals Solar damage so it will fit like a glove for players running builds whose primary strength is keeping allies alive. Yes, looking at you, Warlock mains.

The Prismatic Warlock subclass is focused on providing support for teammates with its Solar abilities, meaning that Bungie had a specific design and usage in mind when they decided to reintroduce Red Death.

How to get the Red Death Reformed catalyst in Destiny 2

The Red Death Reformed catalyst is also obtainable via the season pass. It unlocks when players reach rank 145. The best part about obtaining it is that it's available via the free reward path.

A screenshot of the Destiny 2 Episode 1: Echoes battle pass detailing the rank in which players can get the Read Death Reformed catalyst

Getting the catalyst is easy but grindy

The catalyst adds the following perk to the pulse rifle:

  • Helping Hand: Final blows charge this weapon. When the weapon is charged, the next final blow creates a healing burst at your location and leaves a remnant behind that provides restoration to allies

So, if you thought the healing output of Red Death Reformed wasn't good enough, adding the catalyst will make the weapon more reliable, especially with the extra burst healing for dire situations.

And that's all you need to know. If you're interested in more weapons to get your hands on, check out our list of best exotics to get in Destiny 2.