The Prospectoris about as niche as weapons can get inDestiny 2. It has tremendous DPS potential per shot, but terrible ammo economy. In the long term, it just doesn’t keep up. As a result, it’s best for burst DPS situations like Riven or similar strike bosses.
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The Prospectorcatalyst does improve things — maybe not enough to take it out of its niche, but it does make it more useful. It might not be the most important catalyst to chase down, but players with a fondness forthe Prospectorwill definitely want it. Here’s whatthe Prospectorcatalyst does and where it can be obtained.
Updated on July 11, 2025, by Anastasia Maillot:The Prospector’s place inDestiny 2’smeta has remained surprisingly stagnant. Despite major meta changes, it hasn’t become favored by players due to other, better options coming into play. That said, the grenade launcher’s catalyst is an absolute must-have for those who do see use from this Exotic heavy weapon, as it significantly improvesThe Prospectorand makes it a decent choice for quick burst DPS. Here’s where to get the weapon and its catalyst following the releaseof The Witch Queen expansion, and whether grinding it is actually worth it.
How To GetThe ProspectorIn Season 16
The ProspectorExotic grenade launcher hasn’t been dropped into the Exotic kiosk’s vault just yet, and can still be obtained as of season 16 from various Exotic engrams. Players can either hope for good RNG and expect it to drop as an Exotic world drop, or they can head over to Xur on Fridays and check if he happens to be sellingThe Prospector.
Either way, players will need some patience and good luck to get their hands on this grenade launcher, and for the most consistent way, it’s best to regularly check Xur’s wares.
WhatThe ProspectorCatalyst Does
The Prospectorcatalyst comes with the perkDeeper Pockets. Deeper Pockets has a single, but important benefit it providesthe Prospector:
This doesn’t sound like much, butthe Prospector’s biggest flaws are a long reload time and a small magazine. Having three extra grenades to fire before reloading dramatically increases DPS.The Prospectoris still a burst damage weapon, but it’s much more effective withthe Prospectorcatalyst.
How To FindThe ProspectorCatalyst
The Prospectorcatalyst is a random reward forcompleting either Heroic or Nightfall Strikes. Both have the same odds of rewarding a Prospector catalyst, and there doesn’t appear to be a way to increase those odds.
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Nightfall Strikesare always a good choice for the loot, especially on weeks where double Nightfall rewards are active, but Heroic strikes can be done faster. Honestly, players are likely going to be doing a lot of both beforethe Prospectorcatalyst drops.
It’s also important to remember there’sno way to guaranteethe Prospectorcatalyst will be the one that appears.It could be any of the other Heroic or Nightfall Strike-based catalysts that appears, like theMercilesscatalyst.
UpgradingThe ProspectorCatalyst
Once the player hasthe Prospectorcatalyst, it’s a good idea to upgrade it. To do this players will need tokill 500 enemies usingthe Prospectorgrenade launcher. It doesn’t matter which enemies are killed or even where, though PVE is highly recommended given the nature ofthe Prospector.
It’s also worth noting that thesekills can be done retroactively. If the player killed any enemies usingthe Prospectorbefore gettingthe Prospectorcatalyst, they’ll count towards those 500. With that in mind, it’s often a good idea to usethe Prospectoron the Heroic and Nightfall Strikes while grinding.
Tips For GettingThe ProspectorCatalyst
The key to gettingthe Prospectorcatalyst is tocomplete Nightfall and Heroic Strikes quickly. For this reason, some players might prefer to run Heroic Strikes, as they can typically be completed faster than Nightfalls.
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That being said, Nightfalls give great loot like Exotic Armor pieces and Nightfall-specific weapons. They may take longer, especially on higher difficulties, but the rewards are often worth it. Long story short, if the player wants justthe Prospectorcatalyst, then quick Heroic Strikes are the way to go. If getting helpful loot while grinding is more important, then Nightfall is best.
IsThe ProspectorCatalyst Worth It?
In terms of heavy weapons forDestiny 2’sseason 16,The Prospectordefinitely isn’t the first weapon to come to mind. While grenade launchers aren’t bad, there are simply other, far better choices out there that have been released withThe Witch Queen, namelytheParasitegrenade launcherthat can deal far more damage.
The Prospectordoesn’t have a specific place in either PVE or PVP, either. It simply lacks an oomph, even if its catalyst significantly improves its bad stats. However, because there isn’t a strict meta as of season 16, with some players using linear fusions and others favoring rocket launchers, technically, players can useThe Prospectorin PVE with decent results.
That said, should be noted that in endgame content,The Prospectorfalls flat compared to other heavy weapons and remains more of a niche pick or even a collector’s weapon. With no boost fromthe seasonal artifacteither,The Prospectorand its catalyst shouldn’t be at the top of any player’s priority list.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queenis available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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