Guardians, holster your usual loadouts and dust off those trusty (or maybe dusty) Hand Cannons! Bungie is injecting some wild, chaotic energy into Destiny 2's Year of Prophecy with the imminent arrival of Arms Week. Launching July 29th at the daily reset, this limited-time event promises a week-long celebration dedicated entirely to the art of the Hand Cannon, featuring a bizarre new weapon archetype and mods that sound like they were dreamt up during a particularly intense Vex simulation. Forget the Desert Perpetual raid's recent launch bugs (those pesky Vex gremlins, eh?); Arms Week is charging in to steal the spotlight. 
This isn't just about using Hand Cannons; it's about mastering them anew under the watchful eye of Ada-1. Head to her Shooting Gallery to kick off a special pursuit quest. The core loop is straightforward but potent: play Destiny 2 using your favorite Hand Cannons to gather telemetry data, complete fresh Daily and Weekly challenges accessible via the Event Home menu, and unlock a suite of tempting rewards. Bungie's dangling carrots like unique Holofoil weapon ornaments to make your boomsticks truly shine and coveted Reroll Chips for those perfectionist Guardians seeking god-rolls. It’s a focused grind designed to make your trigger finger itch.
But the real head-turner, the star of this ballistic show according to Bungie themselves, is the Phoneutria Fera. This isn't your Grandpa Cayde's Last Word. Nope. The Phoneutria Fera marks Destiny 2's first-ever Spreadshot Hand Cannon. Let that sink in. Imagine stuffing a Solar shotgun into your pocket – that's essentially what this beast is. It unleashes a deadly spray of solar fury and, crucially, it feeds on primary ammo. No more frantic scavenging for green bricks mid-fight; just pure, unadulterated fiery spread-shot mayhem. Alongside this pocket inferno, Guardians can also chase down legacy Hand Cannons and even a new Strand Adaptive Trace Rifle dubbed Ribbontail, offering alternative avenues for loot hunters.
However, the true potential for chaos lies in the debut of Volatile Mods. These special, event-exclusive mods are only equippable on Hand Cannons during Arms Week, and they pack some seriously game-altering punches. Bungie teased a few examples, each sounding more delightfully unhinged than the last:
| Volatile Mod | Effect | Potential Chaos Level 🔥 |
|---|---|---|
| Chaotic Munitions | Precision final blows produce randomized effects (Healing? Explosion? Freeze? Who knows!). | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ |
| Cowboy Grip | Supremely improved hip-fire weapon performance. Fan the hammer like a true space cowboy! | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ |
| Fragmentation Rounds | Precision final blows create multiple explosive submunitions. Turn one kill into a cluster bomb party. | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ |
These mods fundamentally change how Hand Cannons behave, encouraging aggressive, precision playstyles or rewarding sheer, hip-firing bravado. Will Chaotic Munitions accidentally heal a Champion? Will Fragmentation Rounds clear an entire wave of Thrall with a single headshot? The potential for hilarious and powerful moments is sky-high – but only for this one week.
People Also Ask
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When exactly does Destiny 2 Arms Week start and end? It kicks off on July 29th at the daily reset and runs for exactly one week.
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Where do I start the Arms Week quest? Visit Ada-1 at the Shooting Gallery in the Tower to begin the special pursuit.
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Can I use the Volatile Mods after Arms Week ends? No. These specific mods are only active and equippable during the Arms Week event period.
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Is the Phoneutria Fera a random drop or a quest reward? While specifics weren't fully detailed, earning it likely involves progressing through the Arms Week challenges and quest.
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Will other weapon types get similar 'Arms Week' events? Bungie hasn't confirmed, but the phrasing "this initial run" suggests Hand Cannons are just the first archetype to get this spotlight treatment.
Arms Week feels like a clear signal of Bungie's renewed commitment to shaking up the Destiny 2 sandbox in fun, experimental ways during the Year of Prophecy. While the launch of The Edge of Fate expansion had its infamous bumps (let's call them 'character-building challenges'), events like this, coupled with the promise of ongoing tweaks based on player feedback, show a studio treating this year as a marathon. The question hanging in the air, thicker than Gunsmoke after a six-shooter duel, is this: Can these bursts of wild, limited-time innovation and Bungie's stated dedication to iterative improvement truly keep the marathon engaging enough for Guardians who've been running this race for years, especially when the shiny new toys eventually get vaulted? Only time, and the chaotic precision of a Solar shotgun Hand Cannon, will tell.