Guardians, brace yourselves for a game-changer! Destiny 2's Arms Week 2025 kicks off with a bang, introducing the Phoneutria Fera – the first-ever Hand Cannon that moonlights as a Shotgun. This Solar Energy beast rocks the Spread Shot intrinsic archetype, firing a devastating short-range pellet spread that'll make close-quarters combat feel like a walk in the park. Ada-1's handing out these bad boys to help every Guardian upgrade their arsenal, and let's be real, this hybrid monster's got everyone buzzing. Forget conventional weapon classifications; this thing blurs lines harder than a Vex time paradox.
Wanna get your hands on this beauty? Head straight to the Tower's Shooting Range and chat up Ada during the Initial Calibration quest's first step. She'll hook you up with your first taste. But here's the kicker – that's just the appetizer. For the main course, dive into Ops activities through the Portal to farm Combat Telemetry. Pro tip: Pinnacle Ops? That's where the big boys play, showering you with more Telemetry. Once you've stacked 25 units, bounce back to Ada for an Arms Week Event Weapons Engram. Feeling lucky? Decrypt it for a shot at the Phoneutria Fera. No RNG fan? Drop an extra 25 Telemetry in the Arms Week Focusing tab for a guaranteed drop. Guardians gonna grind – whether chasing god rolls or that slick Holofoil variant (or hey, both if RNGesus smiles).
Now let's talk playstyle. This ain't your grandpa's Hand Cannon; it's essentially a Shotgun wearing fancy pants. You'll wanna go full melee build to maximize its buckshot brutality. For PvE? The dynamic duo is Proximity Power and One-Two Punch – pure chef's kiss synergy. Proximity Power boosts your melee stat after shredding nearby foes, while One-Two Punch amps melee damage when every pellet connects. Not a punchy player? No sweat. Threat Detector and Incandescent make a killer combo too. Check out these perks in action:
But hold up – PvP's where this beast truly flexes. Imagine landing vicious headshots at kissing distance while spamming shots without heavy ammo. Absolute madness! For Crucible connoisseurs, Threat Detector and Swashbuckler are the dream team. Threat Detector buffs reload, stability, and handling when enemies get cozy, while Swashbuckler stacks damage boosts per kill – perfect for those kill streak addicts. The meta's shaking in its boots, folks.
This hybrid's got Guardians rethinking entire loadouts. It's not just a weapon; it's a statement. With Spread Shot turning CQC into a fireworks show, the old 'snipe from afar' playbook's gathering dust. Some love it for melting majors like butter, others swear by its Crucible dominance – talk about versatility! But here's the million glimmer question: Will this revolutionary archetype become Destiny's new normal, or is Phoneutria Fera just a one-hit wonder? What's your take, Guardians – game changer or flash in the pan?