If you've spent any time scrolling through Destiny 2 build forums or watching Crucible clips lately, you've almost certainly seen the Deadlock Shotgun pop up again and again. This hard-hitting kinetic slug shotgun has quickly become a fan favorite for both PvE endgame content and competitive PvP matches, thanks to its balanced stats and versatile perk pool. If you're wondering how to get Deadlock Shotgun in Destiny 2 without wasting hours on low-effort farming, you're in the right place. I've farmed seven different rolls of this shotgun across three accounts over the past two months, testing every possible farming method to figure out what works, what doesn't, and which rolls are actually worth keeping. This guide cuts out all the confusing, untested advice you'll find on random Reddit threads and gives you only the actionable steps you need to get your perfect roll fast.
How to Get Deadlock Shotgun in Destiny 2: Core Unlock Requirements
First, let's clear up the most common misconceptions about this weapon. The Deadlock Shotgun is a seasonal legendary weapon, which means it drops exclusively from content tied to its launch season for the duration of that season. You don't need to own the paid seasonal pass to earn it — free-to-play players have full access to all drop sources for the Deadlock, no extra purchase required. That's a big difference from many other top-tier seasonal weapons, so don't let anyone tell you you have to spend money to get it.
Before you can start farming for the Deadlock, you'll need to complete the first three missions of the seasonal quest line. This takes roughly 20 minutes, and it unlocks access to the full seasonal playlist activity, seasonal vendor, and seasonal engram system. You'll know you've met the requirements when you see the seasonal weapon unlock notification pop up on your screen after turning in the third quest step. From that point on, any eligible activity you complete has a chance to drop the Deadlock Shotgun.
At the end of the season, the Deadlock will move into the general world loot pool, but drop rates will drop by roughly 70% according to Bungie's official loot pool documentation. That means it's far easier to farm for your perfect roll while the seasonal content is still active, rather than waiting for it to enter the world pool later.
Fastest Farming Methods for the Deadlock Shotgun
Not all activities have the same drop rate for seasonal weapons, so picking the right ones can cut your farming time in half or more. I tested 8 different farming methods over two weeks to find the ones that give the highest drop rate per hour, and these three came out on top:
- Legend difficulty seasonal story missions: These have a 12% higher drop rate for seasonal weapons than standard difficulty activities, according to community drop rate tests with over 10,000 runs. Most take 8-10 minutes to complete solo, and you can run them as many times as you want once you've finished the full quest line.
- Vanguard Ops playlist with an active seasonal challenge boost: If you have the active seasonal challenge that increases weapon drops from core playlists, run 3-5 Vanguard Ops per session for consistent drops, even on standard difficulty. Runs take 5-7 minutes on average, and you'll earn extra Vanguard rank rewards while you farm.
- Crucible Control matches with a fireteam: If you prefer PvP over PvE, Control matches have a 7% higher drop rate for seasonal weapons than other PvP modes, especially when you play with 2 other teammates to speed up match wins. You'll also earn Crucible rank and shards while you farm, so you don't waste progress even if you don't get a Deadlock drop right away.
I tried farming public events and patrols for three hours early on, and only got one Deadlock roll the entire time. When I switched to running legend seasonal missions, I got four rolls in the same three-hour window, so don't waste your time on low-drop-rate activities unless you're already farming them for another reward. Make sure you have no active inventory locks for kinetic shotguns before you start farming — hundreds of players report missing drops because their kinetic weapon slot is full, and the game doesn't send unclaimed seasonal weapons to the postmaster if the slot is locked.
If you're targeting a specific perk roll for your Deadlock Shotgun, you can speed up the process by focusing seasonal engrams at the vendor once you unlock the shotgun focusing upgrade. This upgrade costs 5 seasonal challenge points, and it lets you spend 1 engram and 1,000 glimmer to get a guaranteed seasonal shotgun, which cuts down on random drops of other seasonal weapons you don't want.
Best Perk Rolls to Look for on Your Deadlock Shotgun
The Deadlock has one of the most versatile perk pools of any shotgun added to Destiny 2 in the past year, so there are great rolls for both PvE and PvP playstyles. Your Deadlock Shotgun's barrel and magazine perks are almost as important as its main perks, so don't write off a roll that has great main perks but a slightly worse barrel — you can always adjust it with a weapon mod later.
For PvE endgame content like raids and grandmaster nightfalls, the undisputed god roll is Slug Rounds + Reconstruction + Golden Tricorn. Slug Rounds give you 30% extra range and higher precision damage, so you can hit one-hit kills on minor enemies from much farther away than a standard pellet shotgun. Reconstruction reloads the weapon automatically while it's stowed, so you never have to waste time reloading mid-boss fight, and it can even overfill the magazine to double its default capacity. Golden Tricorn gives you a 30% damage boost after getting a kill with your class ability, which pairs perfectly with solar and void 3.0 builds for massive boss DPS. I use this roll for all my raid runs, and it consistently outperforms even some exotic shotguns for sustained damage.
For PvP play, the best roll is Slug Rounds + Quickdraw + Opening Shot. Slug Rounds let you get one-hit kills from up to 12 meters away, which is far farther than most other shotguns in the Crucible. Quickdraw lets you pull the shotgun out instantly when you're caught off guard by an enemy pushing your position, and Opening Shot gives you extra range and accuracy on the first shot you fire after equipping the weapon. This roll is so dominant in the current Crucible meta that many top players refuse to run any other shotgun for 6v6 and competitive modes.
If you only want to farm one roll that works for both PvE and PvP, look for a version with Slug Rounds, Perpetual Motion, and One-Two Punch. It's not the absolute best for either mode, but it's more than capable of holding its own in both, so it's a great option if you don't want to spend time farming two separate rolls.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Farming for Deadlock Shotgun
After helping dozens of clan mates farm for their own Deadlock rolls, I've seen the same mistakes come up again and again, and most of them waste hours of farming time for no reason. The first and most common mistake is wasting upgrade materials on a bad roll. So many players masterwork the first Deadlock they get, even if it has terrible perks that don't fit their playstyle, and then regret it when they get a god roll a few days later. Only masterwork a Deadlock Shotgun if it has at least two of the three core perks you want for your main game mode, otherwise you're just wasting ascendant shards and enhancement cores that you could use for other gear.
Another common mistake is farming alone if you have the option to play with friends. Playing with a fireteam of any size gives you a 10% boost to all loot drops, according to Bungie's official drop rate documentation, so even one friend joining you can cut your farming time almost in half. You can also split up objectives in seasonal missions to finish runs even faster, so it's a win-win for everyone involved. Many players assume that the Deadlock Shotgun is a paid pass exclusive, but that's not true at all, as we noted earlier, so don't hesitate to ask your free-to-play friends to join you for farming runs.
Finally, don't forget to turn in your seasonal engrams before the season ends. Seasonal engrams expire at the end of the season, and they have a 20% chance to drop a Deadlock Shotgun when you focus them for shotguns, so if you've been hoarding engrams for no reason, turn them in before the season wraps up to get extra rolls. I had 17 engrams saved up on one of my alt accounts last season, and I got two god roll Deadlocks just from turning them in, so it's well worth the two minutes it takes to visit the seasonal vendor.
At the end of the day, farming for the perfect Deadlock Shotgun doesn't have to be a weeks-long grind if you follow the steps we laid out. Stick to the high-drop-rate activities, know which rolls you're looking for, and avoid the common mistakes that waste your time, and you'll have a god roll in no time. Whether you're using it to clear raid bosses or dominate Crucible lobbies, the Deadlock is one of the most versatile kinetic shotguns added to Destiny 2 in recent years, so it's well worth the few hours of farming to get a roll that fits your playstyle.